# House Spider



## jam (May 8, 2002)

Following on from the thread in the Flame Room I felt I should share the picture of the house spider I snapped in my kitchen the other day.

And before you ask, those curtain rings are the big sized curtain rings, not the little ones.

I challenge anyone to get a pic of a bigger house spider in this country!!

http://www.********.co.uk/gallery/jrpl/Image064.jpg

Sorry if I have freaked anyone out :twisted:

James


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## Widget (May 7, 2002)

'kin nora! 

I had to rush home to rescue my wife from what we thought was a monster the other day.

This little baby takes the biscuit though.


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## Dotti (Mar 9, 2003)

*gulp*  . What did you do with it Jam?


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## 55JWB (May 7, 2002)

I have to confess, I've got a lot worse over the last two years


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## Hannibal (Dec 1, 2003)

er...I can't see it at all...might be the crappy works PC though, will have a look at home. As an aside, I live in the worlds largest spider sanctuary, I put it down to living in a new build. their numbers are getting smaller with time....fortunately!

H


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## vlastan (May 6, 2002)

This is a genetically modified spider that designs webs to capture birds.  :wink:


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## jam (May 8, 2002)

^Abi^ said:


> *gulp*  . What did you do with it Jam?


Got the g/f to hoover it up. Can't stand the things

I'm a bit of a fairy like that :?


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## NaughTTy (Jul 9, 2003)

O...M...G....  Wot a Woppa!!

The biggest one I ever saw in my house I tried to put a pint glass (southern softie straight glass - not a jug!) over it. The glass wouldn't cover the span of the spider - it's legs stuck out all the way round by about 2cm  My wife had seen it the night before and I thought she was exaggerating it's size as she is terrified of them  :roll:


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## Lisa. (May 7, 2002)

I try and teach my kids that it's not nice to be cruel to inspects*, arachnids and creepy crawlies and always capture spiders etc , and release them.

I would have had to have asked them to leave the room for that one. I think I would have tried to catch it, but fear would have taken over and I would probably have ending up leeping up and down on it, screaming like a deranged mad woman. Not a pretty sight. 
It's great fun though isn't it?, catching big spiders , everyone squealing and brushing imaginary legs off their face and head... the adrenalin rush as you tackle a really wild and ferocious beast. LOL

* exception of wasps, nothing is too cruel where they are concerned.


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## delarge (Nov 3, 2003)

feck !!! I'm not a spider person at the best of times .

On the radio last week there was a story about a woman who bought a bunch of bananas from a supermarket . Lo and behold a spider had laid its eggs in them (or on them can't remember which) 300-400 spiders hatched , fully grow to 4-6" within 6 months .


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## Rogue (Jun 15, 2003)

That is a corker!
We've been having a spate of them lately too.
The biggest was another one that wouldn't fit inside a pint glass.
It was a REALLY fast mover too, until I disabled it by damaging it's legs with the ill-fitting pint glass.

As a rule, I don't kill spiders etc., I just put them outside, but the other night I was sitting playing XIII on the XBox when I noticed something out the corner of my eye, and it was another large arachnid making a dash for it on the floor.

I just picked up my shoe and smacked it one, as I couldn't be @rsed getting a pint tumbler and putting it outside 

Rogue


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## jamesl (May 15, 2002)

I'm sure that was the lead spider in Arachnaphobia!

I can't stand the things. My girlfriend just picks them up in her hands and chucks them outside.....mad

James


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## jimfew (Mar 5, 2004)

Hi James,

That is a monster for the UK. The Norfolk Marsh Spider, although rare, is over 5" accross though.

I usually just pick them up and put them outside (all except the ones with the 5mm fangs which attack wood lice, but you don't see them much).

This is a common house spider and harmless (except to your mind!). It's a male looking for sex (arn't we all!)

Not many people know but there are actually two species of venemous (to humans)  spiders in this country. One is very rare and probably bought over in fruit, the other is the spider I mentioned above whch has a bite like a bee-sting, not fatal so doesn't usually register on Sky programmes about the world's deadliest creepy crawlies.

Feeling itchy anyone? :lol:

Jim.


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## nutts (May 8, 2002)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1396706.stm


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## digimeisTTer (Apr 27, 2004)

looks like a carpet creeper we generally call them "Fred's" but jeez, that is the biggest monster i've seen, you don't live near Sellfafield do you?


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## NaughTTy (Jul 9, 2003)

Rogue said:


> .....I was sitting playing XIII on the XBox when I noticed something out the corner of my eye, and it was another large arachnid making a dash for it on the floor.....


What would a spider want with an XBox :roll: :lol:

Sorry - Coat on already!! 

BTW - I used to pick them up with my hands until one bit me  2 tiny red holes in my skin but no after effects (as far as I know [smiley=freak.gif] !)


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## Storm (Aug 4, 2004)

I'm not fan of big spiders I can tell you.

I once put on my dressing gown, stumbled down stairs and made myself some cornflakes.

Whilst I was chomping away, I felt something tickle my neck. I assumed it was the label on the dressing gown and ignored it. It began to irritate me so I brushed it away. The tickling sensation return, so I brushed again. Once again I felt "the tickle" so gave my neck a good scratch.

Upon returning my hand to the table, picking up my spoon and having my hand inches away from my mouth I glance down.

There's this *huge* spider sitting on my hand, looking at me, waving it's highly venomous fangs in my direction. I have no shame in telling you I screamed like a girl, whipped the creature off my hand onto the floor whilst simultaniously somersaulting my bowl of cornflakes all over the table. I quickly grab a teatowl, throw it over the beast and proceeded to jump up and down ensuring it's death. I jump so violently in fact that my dressing gown falls off.

My girlfriend picks this moment to walk into the kitchen, she gets as far as "I heard screaming..." and then takes in the sight of me, covered in cornflakes doing the naked can-can ontop of a towel squeeling "aiiiii, die die die", and stands there aghast.

I did try explaining that it was a spider, a big spider, that tried to jump into my mouth, but all I got was a "you're such a baby" before she left the room.

Why did I just tell you that?


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## jimfew (Mar 5, 2004)

NaughTTy said:


> BTW - I used to pick them up with my hands until one bit me  2 tiny red holes in my skin but no after effects (as far as I know [smiley=freak.gif] !)


NaughTTy,

Yep, some do that, which is why I have taken to not picking most of them up with my hands anymore (except the house spiders which seem more docile!).

You should have felt a bee-sting unless it didn't invenomate (which mostly they don't since they don't think of you as food).

It's interesting that humans have picked up a genetic fear of spiders in particular. Makes you think that they were not our friends eons ago.

Jim.


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## Matthew (Oct 6, 2003)

jam said:


> ^Abi^ said:
> 
> 
> > *gulp*  . What did you do with it Jam?
> ...


My god - THat is awful. I hate them - Scream like a girl when I see them. THe other half has to remove them for me.


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## pas_55 (May 9, 2002)

:wink: 
How long do spiders live for?
Sad I know but for the last 3 monthes I've had one living in a wing mirror of my Smart car.Not as big as that bugger though!
I even move he when I wash the car then put him afterwards.He's covered about 2,000 miles now!! :wink:


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## DXN (May 18, 2002)

Previous thread but be glad your not in iraq

THis still gives me the eabi jeebies

http://www.********.co.uk/ttforumbbs/vi ... ht=spiders


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## Lisa. (May 7, 2002)

eeeek!

IIRC there was another photo of a spider hiding behind a wall clock , with all its legs sticking out and someone gingerly lifting it up.....  !


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## StuarTT (May 7, 2002)

You call that a house spider?


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## Hannibal (Dec 1, 2003)

Hannibal said:


> er...I can't see it at all...might be the crappy works PC


At home now and can see it in glorius 24bit colour and wishing I didn't have such a big screen....you'd better watch it doesn't escape from the vac.....

H


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## WiTT (Feb 9, 2005)

Sorry to reawaken an old post but was having a conversation the other day about house spiders and I remembered this thread only to find the picture is no longer available.

Jam, if you're around would you mind reposting the pic please?

Thanks very much,

WiTT


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## Guest (Mar 30, 2006)

i have a contender to this - we found it behind out fridge feeding on a dragon fly (that in itself was about the size of my hand!) My cat used to catch anything that moved and i think he brought the dragon fly in, but dropped it when he saw some fresh food in his tray  - typical

anyways, this pic is at home - had to grap the camera before squishing it....im not sure if its bigger than the one at the begining of this thread, but it sure is the biggest one ive seen :?


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## Guest (Mar 30, 2006)

pas_55 said:


> :wink:
> How long do spiders live for?
> Sad I know but for the last 3 monthes I've had one living in a wing mirror of my Smart car.Not as big as that bugger though!
> I even move he when I wash the car then put him afterwards.He's covered about 2,000 miles now!! :wink:


i had a resident spider in the wing mirror of my old new Beetle. Was there for about 3 months - always managed to hide away when i washed the car :x then when its dry, it'd make a new web between the door and mirror :twisted:

BTW, my old car was yellow, and the spider was half black and half yellow  wasnt a very big one though


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## steveh (Jan 14, 2004)

I'm just soooo glad I can't see that picture. I absolutely hate spiders.

Many years ago I was in the lounge of my ex in-laws house when we heard a thumping noise coming down the stairs (thumping is the wrong word but you could definitely hear a small thud every few seconds). The stairs had thick carpet on them and the door from the lounge to the hallway was closed.

My ex father-in-law went out to see what it was and it was apparently an enormous spider coming down the stairs by dropping off each stair onto the next. Thankfully he just picked it up and put it outside but I still have nightmares imagining how big it must have been to have made so much noise. :?


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## jampott (Sep 6, 2003)

steveh said:


> I'm just soooo glad I can't see that picture. I absolutely hate spiders.
> 
> Many years ago I was in the lounge of my ex in-laws house when we heard a thumping noise coming down the stairs (thumping is the wrong word but you could definitely hear a small thud every few seconds). The stairs had thick carpet on them and the door from the lounge to the hallway was closed.
> 
> My ex father-in-law went out to see what it was and it was apparently an enormous spider coming down the stairs by dropping off each stair onto the next. Thankfully he just picked it up and put it outside but I still have nightmares imagining how big it must have been to have made so much noise. :?


Or it might have been your ex father-in-law trying to shit you up a bit.


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## Guest (Mar 30, 2006)

ok, i tried putting my shoe next to it to give it some perspective, but then it started moving so i ran a mile: (then came back thinkin it would hide somewhere!)









whilst i was looking for my the above pic, i found a one of a dragon fly (one of many) which my lil bar steward of a cat brought in last summer :? its not a nice thing to have flying round the house!!


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## steveh (Jan 14, 2004)

jampott said:


> steveh said:
> 
> 
> > I'm just soooo glad I can't see that picture. I absolutely hate spiders.
> ...


I'll hold that thought, it might stop the nightmares. :lol:


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