# Spiders!
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spiders/641094
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [November 15, 2012, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spiders/641094 "2012-11-15T16:00:47Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2012, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spiders/641094/1 "2012-11-15T16:00:47Z")
I had family stay over Sunday night. While sitting on the couch, my sister noticed a spider on my window frame.
I told her to ignore it, and we went back to watching some Louis CK bits on Youtube,
Flash forward to last evening. I saw that same type of spider crawling up my bedroom wall: large and not quite a light brown, maybe more an off yellowish-gray. Huh.
Then a little while later I see the same type of spider in my bathroom.
Now the weird part: this morning, I stumble out of bed and go to get some water from the fridge. I felt something on my upper arm, so I instinctively swatted it, got my drink, turned on the coffee maker and crawled back into to bed to surf the net a bit.
A while later when I went to get coffee, I noticed the same damn type of spider on the floor by the fridge, but dead. My best guess is that I had swatted it off my arm and it landed there on the floor.
If I don’t post here again, then assume that I’ve been devoured in the night by spiders. _shudder_
---
### Author:  [@Surly\_Chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surly_Chick)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2012, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spiders/641094/2 "2012-11-15T17:23:20Z")
“Exterminate! Exterminate!”
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### Author:  [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)
#### Post date: [November 22, 2012, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spiders/641094/3 "2012-11-22T12:14:35Z")
I’m going to bump my crappy thread…
Last night was the first I’ve seen a spider since posting this. I was taking a shower and noticed one on the bathroom ceiling. I decided to leave it be.
Then, an hour later, I see one in my kitchen right above where I keep my plastic bags. It had to go.
Then I saw another near my dryer, again let it go.
Oh God, now this morning. I’m in the bathroom and go to wash my hands. When I grab the soap bar, another damn spider runs from the soap dish to the faucet!
Gah!
A minute later, I went to put my mop away and got a spider web across my face as I reach down to place the bucket!
Now about to shower, and there’s that spider from last night, above the door on the ceiling.
I don’t like this, not at all.
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### Author:  [@phall0106](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phall0106)
#### Post date: [November 22, 2012, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spiders/641094/4 "2012-11-22T12:47:06Z")
My vote would be to kill them, then exterminate your house.
Spiders, contrary to popular belief, bite. A few years ago, after bringing in the houseplants which had been outside all summer, I had an infestation of spiders. Found them everywhere–including in my bed, under my covers. They selected my feet to attack and bite and I spent many MONTHS and much money on doctor visits, antibiodics and other meds healing from their bites.
I bought some common bug bombs (the kind you set off in the middle of the room, then leave for several hours), and it seemed to take care of the problem.
I’ve heard some say that if the spiders don’t have anything to eat, they’ll just go away. This is bullshit. They’ll start biting (eating) you. Kill them and get them out of your house.
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### Author:  [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)
#### Post date: [November 22, 2012, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spiders/641094/5 "2012-11-22T12:53:11Z")
> [@phall0106](#):
>
> Spiders, contrary to popular belief, bite.
I don’t think that is contrary to popular belief. I think everybody knows that many kinds of spiders will bite. I got bitten by one earlier this year, twice.
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### Author:  [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)
#### Post date: [November 22, 2012, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spiders/641094/6 "2012-11-22T13:13:11Z")
I just found 2 more in the other room. I have really tall ceilings, so I had to throw a paper towel roll at the one on the ceiling. I hit it, then it just calmly lowered itself on a web, and I think it might’ve been giving me the finger as it did. Well, I squashed it.
The hell with my Thanksgiving dinner, I’m going spider hunting!
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### Author:  [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)
#### Post date: [November 22, 2012, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spiders/641094/7 "2012-11-22T13:41:44Z")
Call an exterminator, tell them your problem.
We have an exterminator come regularly, every few months. They spray around the house. I hate spiders and bugs.
(Or, how does that old song go?
_I don’t like spiders and snakes
And that ain’t what it takes
To love me, like I wanna be loved by you_)
Good luck, **sparky!**
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### Author:  [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)
#### Post date: [November 22, 2012, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spiders/641094/8 "2012-11-22T13:59:14Z")
> [@echo7tango](#):
>
> Call an exterminator, tell them your problem.
>
> We have an exterminator come regularly, every few months. They spray around the house. I hate spiders and bugs.
>
> (Or, how does that old song go?
> _I don’t like spiders and snakes
> And that ain’t what it takes
> To love me, like I wanna be loved by you_)
>
> Good luck, **sparky!**
Thanks. I just found _2_ more again! Why did they pick Thanksgiving to come out of the woodwork?
Gah! I have guests coming in 4 hours. And I still need to cook!
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### Author:  [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)
#### Post date: [November 22, 2012, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spiders/641094/9 "2012-11-22T14:17:04Z")
Here’s what you need to do:
> **[There Was A Spider I Panicked](https://weknowmemes.com/2012/10/there-was-a-spider-i-panicked/)**
>
> There Was A Spider I Panicked
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### Author:  [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)
#### Post date: [November 22, 2012, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spiders/641094/10 "2012-11-22T15:21:54Z")
> [@FloatyGimpy](#):
>
> Here’s what you need to do:
>
> [http://weknowmemes.com/2012/10/there-was-a-spider-i-panicked/](http://weknowmemes.com/2012/10/there-was-a-spider-i-panicked/)
Haha. I’m thinking about it.
I just found two more on the ceiling of my other room.
This is just unreal. Don’t they know it’s a holiday?!
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### Author:  [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)
#### Post date: [November 22, 2012, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spiders/641094/11 "2012-11-22T16:31:18Z")
Keep the faith. After all, [I survived](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=432750).
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### Author:  [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)
#### Post date: [November 22, 2012, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spiders/641094/12 "2012-11-22T17:08:34Z")
> [@Hal\_Briston](#):
>
> Keep the faith. After all, [I survived](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=432750).
You’ve got nothing on [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=583412). _Shiver_ Someone hold me.
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### Author:  [@ASanders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASanders)
#### Post date: [November 22, 2012, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spiders/641094/13 "2012-11-22T17:13:43Z")
I hear wolf spiders are harmless, but I don’t care. Thankfully they don’t come around much in NJ, or I’d have to flee the state.
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### Author:  [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)
#### Post date: [November 23, 2012, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spiders/641094/14 "2012-11-23T08:12:21Z")
Well, Thanksgiving was great. I haven’t seen any spiders since last posting.
Now to illuminate the room with my phone’s flash. If I see the floor move, then the hell with this place. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [November 23, 2012, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spiders/641094/15 "2012-11-23T15:38:15Z")
> [@sparky\_1](#):
>
> Well, Thanksgiving was great. I haven’t seen any spiders since last posting.
How was the stuffing?
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### Author:  [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)
#### Post date: [November 23, 2012, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spiders/641094/16 "2012-11-23T15:40:16Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#):
>
> How was the stuffing?
Egg sacks have nutrients, don’t ya know.
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### Author:  [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)
#### Post date: [November 23, 2012, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spiders/641094/17 "2012-11-23T20:39:35Z")
I just threw up a little on my keyboard. Well ok…a lot.
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### Author:  [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)
#### Post date: [November 23, 2012, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spiders/641094/18 "2012-11-23T21:25:54Z")
Well, we have [white tailed spiders.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-tailed_spider) If they bite you, your flesh falls off . Sometimes.
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### Author:  [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)
#### Post date: [November 23, 2012, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spiders/641094/19 "2012-11-23T23:23:11Z")
> [@Cicero's link](#):
>
> Ulcers and necrosis have been attributed to the bites, but a scientific study by Isbister and Gray (2003) showed these were probably caused by something else, **as the study of 130 white-tailed spider bites found no necrotic ulcers or confirmed infections**.
(bolding mine)
What the ever loving…huh!? A decent scientific study means the 130 wounds were somehow _guaranteed_ to be bites from positively identified spidermonsters. Any self-respecting scientist performing such a study would not be able to take the word of some layman who presented with a pair of holes and a sworn affidavit stating that he is pretty darned sure he was bitten by this particular…no. You can only do a scientific study like this by delivering bites, from a known and pre-identified spidermonster, to a volunteer. Furthermore, you’d have to have kept the spidermonster in a controlled environment to ensure it wasn’t also delivering a 2ndary infection from something already on its dirt-dragging fangs or on the subject’s work-a-day skin.
So…what then? Someone had a few dozen of these bastards in jars, shook the jar to piss off the spider and then unleashed it onto someone who had been prepped with iodine and/or an alcohol swab? There is a movie in this, or a documentary narrated by Vincent Price.
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### Author:  [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)
#### Post date: [November 23, 2012, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spiders/641094/20 "2012-11-23T23:53:10Z")
> [@Cicero](#):
>
> Well, we have [white tailed spiders.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-tailed_spider) If they bite you, your flesh falls off . Sometimes.
That’s the spider that bit me, as I mentioned upthread. Once on each foot. One of the bites blistered so bad I scratched at it a lot, causing a scar that’s still there 9 months later. I can understand where the myth comes from.
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