# First giant house spider of the season **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 27, 2017, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-giant-house-spider-of-the-season/797441 "2017-09-27T17:35:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2017, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-giant-house-spider-of-the-season/797441/1 "2017-09-27T17:35:04Z")
Autumn is here, and that means the [giant house spiders](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_house_spider) are looking for mates. I haven’t seen as many of them in recent years, possibly because we have cats in the house. But there was a nice one, about two inches as it sat, in the bathtub yesterday morning. I caught it in the penalty jar, where it had to remain until I showered and dressed. Then I went out in the dark and let it go over the edge of the deck. Probably better hunting there, than in the bathtub. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2017, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-giant-house-spider-of-the-season/797441/2 "2017-09-27T18:40:58Z")
I thought you were talking about [these](https://www.facebook.com/meetgoodwill/videos/546270752230612/)! ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2017, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-giant-house-spider-of-the-season/797441/3 "2017-09-27T19:47:45Z")
Death to all spiders. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2017, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-giant-house-spider-of-the-season/797441/4 "2017-09-27T22:25:03Z")
ugh ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2017, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-giant-house-spider-of-the-season/797441/5 "2017-09-27T22:53:34Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Death to all spiders. > [@snfaulkner](#): > > ugh But most spiders are _good!_. Even the ones I don’t like are beneficial. Giant house spiders are also 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![mistymage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mistymage/32/459_2.png) [@mistymage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mistymage)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2017, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-giant-house-spider-of-the-season/797441/6 "2017-09-27T22:58:45Z")
Yep, it’s about the time of year when I start seeing Wolf spiders dashing around. Luckily none of the cats here now do bugs (they prefer mice). The Chihuahuas, on the other hand, might chase one. “Dude, that spider is as big as your head but go ahead!” ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2017, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-giant-house-spider-of-the-season/797441/7 "2017-09-27T22:59:52Z")
I had to wreck an orb weaver’s web today - she’d anchored it to the deck railing on the bottom and to one of the hanging plants on the top. I take the plants down to water them. Sorry Ms. Spider! They are resilient, though - she’ll probably get me back by making a web between the side of the house and the railing right where I can walk through it tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2017, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-giant-house-spider-of-the-season/797441/8 "2017-09-28T00:01:11Z")
We had a big fat garden spider spin a web outside our kitchen window last week. The thunderstorm the other night apparently washed it away. Hey, as long as they are outside and don’t spin their webs where I’m walking, they’re fine. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2017, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-giant-house-spider-of-the-season/797441/9 "2017-09-28T01:55:10Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Death to all spiders. > [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > But most spiders are _good!_. Even the ones I don’t like are beneficial. Giant house spiders are also 🆒 Sorry Johnny, I’m more in line with Gatopescado here. I’ll go as far as allowing those who are outside to live peacefully, but invade my house and I go Hulk Smash on them. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2017, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-giant-house-spider-of-the-season/797441/10 "2017-09-28T02:09:29Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > But most spiders are _good!_. Even the ones I don’t like are beneficial. Giant house spiders are also 🆒 I’ll support yas, **Johnny L.A.** I save every spider I can, except black widows. The other day I drove to the Dari-Mart and while traveling, noticed a beautiful orb spider that had made her web on my car between the outside mirror and the driver’s side window. My driving had already ripped her web to shreds, but the pretty little spider had managed to wedge herself into the recess in the mirror housing. I confess I slowed down so as to not blow her out of her hidey hole. When I got back home, I gave her a lift down with a rolled up piece of paper. I hope she found a new and better spot to build her web. ---
**Author:** ![Disheavel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@Disheavel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disheavel)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2017, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-giant-house-spider-of-the-season/797441/11 "2017-09-28T21:03:25Z")
I always like reminders that **Johnny L.A.** is in the vicinity-- we just got a new size record for our second giant house spider visitor last night. 13 years of living with them have made me immune, but that first year in the PNW, the spiders were really intimidating! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2017, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-giant-house-spider-of-the-season/797441/12 "2017-09-28T21:20:50Z")
> [@Disheavel](#): > > the spiders were really intimidating! I think you meant to type ‘fascinating’, right?