# Spiders...EVERYWHERE! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 25, 2002, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spiders-everywhere/129608 "2002-09-25T13:00:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2002, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spiders-everywhere/129608/1 "2002-09-25T13:00:18Z")
My car has been invaded by an army of spiders. I’ve seen dozens of the little brutes - on the windows, skittling across the floormats, inside, outside. Ugh. I launched at least two of them (along with a mess of pine needles) over my head when I turned on the defroster. My skin is crawling. This is horrible. What should I do? Burn the car? Bug-bomb it? Deal with it and try not to be such a pansy? Are spiders like cockroaches - if you see 10 it means there’s 1000 in the walls? I’ve even spotted their silky little nests (or whatever you call them) in a few places - inside and outside. Is there any possibility that they will rapidly evolve, develope motor and communications skills, commandeer my car, and drive away on their own? I hope so. ---
**Author:** ![Broken\_Doll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbce88/32.png) [@Broken\_Doll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broken_Doll)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2002, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spiders-everywhere/129608/2 "2002-09-25T15:27:20Z")
_shudder_ You know, thanks a lot for reminding me that spiders exist. I was living nice and peacefully, having repressed the thought of spiders [I haven’t seen a big one for a month or two now…ahh…bliss] until you go and tell me about their horrible, disgusting existance. You should be ashamed of yourself! I say nuke the bastards with some good fly spray. Just spray the inside of the car until there is no spray left in the can, close the windows and exit the car. ---
**Author:** ![CRorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CRorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CRorex)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2002, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spiders-everywhere/129608/3 "2002-09-25T15:34:28Z")
The car is a right off. But 5 quarts of gasoline and a chunck of styrofoam. Make homemade napalm them cover the inside and outside of the car. Ignite, let burn down and repeat. Always repeat. ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2002, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spiders-everywhere/129608/4 "2002-09-25T15:57:58Z")
I prescribe fire, and lots of it. …how big are these spiders? Little pinhead spiders? Quarter-sized spiders? Catch-birds-on-the-wing-and-eat-them spiders? ---
**Author:** ![Daerlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Daerlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daerlyn)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2002, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spiders-everywhere/129608/5 "2002-09-25T16:06:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lno \* > \*\*Catch-birds-on-the-wing-and-eat-them spiders? \*\* **Daerlyn curls up into a ball and rocks back and forth** Can’t sleep, spiders’ll eat me . . . ---
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2002, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spiders-everywhere/129608/6 "2002-09-25T16:13:45Z")
Ewwwwww. Definitely TNT. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2002, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spiders-everywhere/129608/7 "2002-09-25T17:25:11Z")
I know an old woman who swallowed a spider that wiggled and jiggled and tickled inside her… ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2002, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spiders-everywhere/129608/8 "2002-09-25T18:07:06Z")
I prefer the **Boobs, boobs, Everywhere** thread that appeared in The Pit. They’re easier to get rid of…and you don’t really want to get rid of them. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2002, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spiders-everywhere/129608/9 "2002-09-25T18:10:22Z")
I remember a Car Talk show where a woman called in with a Black Widow’s nest in her car. The babies had hatched. The guys basically told her that the car was a loss-- that short of setting it on fire (which they, in their style, recommended), there would be no way to really, truly get rid of them. The whole idea, no matter what kind of spider, gives me the heebie-jeebies. How are pine needles getting in, too? Sounds like your car has some serious problems with structural integrity. Good luck, man. You’re going to need it. ---
**Author:** ![Horseflesh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horseflesh/32/7502_2.png) [@Horseflesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horseflesh)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2002, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spiders-everywhere/129608/10 "2002-09-25T18:43:59Z")
Seen _Eight-Legged Freaks_? Shotguns seem to work well. “I say we take off and nuke the site from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure.” Seriously, I might say bug bomb it but I don’t know how that’ll affect the electronics. Can you get a snapshot of the cute little critters and post them? I’ll bet **DAVEW0071** will have some ideas. ---
**Author:** ![Belrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@Belrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belrix)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2002, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spiders-everywhere/129608/11 "2002-09-25T18:52:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Beadalin \* > \*\*I remember a Car Talk show where a woman called in with a Black Widow’s nest in her car. The babies had hatched. The guys basically told her that the car was a loss-- that short of setting it on fire (which they, in their style, recommended), there would be no way to really, truly get rid of them. > > The whole idea, no matter what kind of spider, gives me the heebie-jeebies. How are pine needles getting in, too? Sounds like your car has some serious problems with structural integrity. > > Good luck, man. You’re going to need it. \*\* There was a followup to the spider thing where the woman with the spider car took it to a car painting place and they placed the car in the high-heat paint curing booth and croaked all the little spiders. It may work for you. ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2002, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spiders-everywhere/129608/12 "2002-09-25T20:27:13Z")
I looked around the office, and although I couldn’t find any bug spray, I found an almost-full can of Lysol Rug & Room Deoderizer under the sink in the “kitchen”, so I sprayed it all over the interior of the Jeep. Poison is poison, right? I think it’ll work. If not, I’m going with the home-made nepalm. ---
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2002, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spiders-everywhere/129608/13 "2002-09-25T20:36:50Z")
Well, if it doesn’t kill 'em, at least it’ll sanitize and perfume the mothers. ---
**Author:** ![imthjckaz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/imthjckaz/32/3223_2.png) [@imthjckaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/imthjckaz)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2002, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spiders-everywhere/129608/14 "2002-09-25T21:15:37Z")
Spiders aren’t all that bad, once you get used to them. ---
**Author:** ![Lodrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@Lodrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lodrain)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2002, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spiders-everywhere/129608/15 "2002-09-26T05:40:41Z")
How about my solution? I had about a spider living in my closet, large enough to pluck airliners from the sky and encase them in silky death. A lizard moved in, and the spider was never heard from again. Simply offer a few lizards space in your car, and watch the little eight-legged things become lunch. Unless the spiders gang up on Mr. Lizard. Seriously, do something - spiders are about the only thing that gives me that irrational, visceral fear that leaves me weak and shaking. Quarter spiders don’t scare me a bit, but if I can count the eyes from across the room, I’m not gonna stick around. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2002, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spiders-everywhere/129608/16 "2002-09-26T06:17:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Winston Smith \* > \*\*I’ve even spotted their silky little nests (or whatever you call them) in a few places - inside and outside. \*\* Those little nests are _EGG SACS(!!!)_, and must be destroyed on sight! Ah well, too late this time ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2002, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spiders-everywhere/129608/17 "2002-09-26T13:13:50Z")
The Lysol seemed only to incite them. They rallied towards the end of my commute home. Swat! Swerve! Beeep!!! “Asshole!!!” “Sorry! -SWAT!!” That’s it. I’m going to the hardware store. The ride in this morning was beyond description. Has anyone seen “Starship Troopers”? ---
**Author:** ![lauramarlane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a5b964/32.png) [@lauramarlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lauramarlane)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2002, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spiders-everywhere/129608/18 "2002-09-26T14:05:09Z")
Okay, great, I just had to open this thread! What the hell was I thinking?! Now I’m going to be itching and twitching all day long! Well, at least they’re not centipedes! I mashed one of those ugly monsters on my kitchen floor yesterday. The thing was three inches long!! When I moved my foot I saw that it was cut in half and the legs on both sections were still moving madly–that’s an image that’ll be with me for a while! Ewwww! Now I’m gonna go look at bonsai kitties just to get the bug memories out of my head! ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2002, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spiders-everywhere/129608/19 "2002-09-26T14:20:54Z")
last week my son found 2 bites on his ankle that itched. I assume its spiders. I just got over 4 bites on my left breast! Well, at least its not mosquitos… ---
**Author:** ![Tupug\_Anachi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@Tupug\_Anachi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tupug_Anachi)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2002, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spiders-everywhere/129608/20 "2002-09-26T14:34:44Z")
Winston, have you given any thought to the fact that a thriving spider population means a well-established bountiful food source? Hmmm? Kill the spiders and God only knows what six-legged crawlies you’ll see next. Can’t seem to recall spiders being responsible for the likes of West Nile Virus, Bubonic Plague, Malaria, etc., but I could be wrong. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spiders-everywhere/129608.md?page=2)