Harvestmen, Harvest Spider, opiliones, specifically Leiobumum rotundum.
These suckers are invading the house by the dozens. It has been very dry here, so I guess they are looking for water.
If you crush them they produce an awful stench.
How do they get in?
How can I kill them without poisioning the dog and cat?
(No cracks about carnivorous plants, please)
Well, as far as I know, they are pretty harmless to people. I guess that wasn’t the question though, was it? Try putting a bowl of water someplace they can reach it (outside) - maybe it will pull them toward that vs. your house.
Okay, I know that’s a long shot but I just have this thing about killing stuff. My dad has this thing for spiders so all I’d ever hear growing up was “Don’t kill that spider! He’s not hurting you - just put him outside. He kills lots of other pests we wouldn’t want in the house”.
Sheesh!
Mrs. Plant yelling “EEEEWWWWWWWWWW!!!” at the top of her lungs in the kitchen frightens the livestock.
Get some geckos, they love to munch on them. Catching the geckos afterwards will get you in really good shape. Everybody wins except the spiders.
I wonder which will produce a louder “EEEEEEEWWWWWWWW!!!”, Leiobumum rotundum or geckos?
But watch out–they contain the deadliest venom among all arachnids. Fortunately, the “mouth” is too small and weak to harm a person under normal circumstances.
I know this is true. I heard some radio guys say it.
It’s like ten thousand degrees here & every kind of creepy thing is moving into my house. I’m walking around with cans of Hot Shot like a gunslinger in the old west.
Does anyone know how to get rid of spiders, ladybugs, spiders, etc. without causing genetic damage to my family OR introducing more creepy things into the mix?
Unless one of these vermin start paying the air conditioning bill, they gotta go.
I have a bunch of them in my new apartment (which is in a basement). Curiously, there were loads of them before I moved (when the apartment was empty) but much less now that there is daily activity.
I don’t like to kill bugs, so I get a glass and put it over the spider and then slip a piece of thin cardboard underneath, and then carry it outside. Gotta be careful when doing this - if you slip, your hand is right there, just waiting for the spider to quickly crawl up your arm and into your shirt! Brrrrrrrrr!!!
The gecko is a good idea - cute too - but my cats would soon make a crunchy delicious snack out of it.
I don’t know if I can kill them anymore.
Heed Mjollnir’s words of warning. Even the Straight Dope itself is inconclusive on this point. But I say better safe than sorry. You should move out immediately and burn down the house to be on the safe side.
In addition to body shape and number of eyes, the lack of venom is one of the defining characteristics of opiliones.
Damn.
Yer pal,
Satan
[sub]I HAVE BEEN SMOKE-FREE FOR:
Four months, three weeks, two days, 12 hours, 32 minutes and 48 seconds.
5820 cigarettes not smoked, saving $727.61.
Extra life with Drain Bead: 2 weeks, 6 days, 5 hours, 0 minutes.[/sub]
"Satan is not an unattractive person."-Drain Bead
[sub]Thanks for the ringing endorsement, honey![/sub]
Are you disputing the wisdom of “John Boy and Billy?” The nerve.
All I know is what I read on the net.
-Thinking of becoming a Non-Carnivorous Plant.
Do you have central vac? If so, just suck 'em up. If not, use the hose attachments on a regular vac. You don’t have to get too close to snag them and you can just empty the canister (or chuck the vac bag).
I did this every time my house was attacked by ladybugs (some sort of weird annual New England thing) and it worked wonderfully.
CP,
That was the saddest damn thing I’ve ever read involving spiders. It choked me up, fercryinoutloud! I’ve never even pulled the wings off a fly, but now I’m just guilt ridden over that poor daddy long legs. God, I think I might need therapy now…
Sue –
I just have to point out that your post contradicts your sig quite amusingly. 