Huntman spiders ... Should i pay for pest control ??

[sneakysparkle]

I HATE huntsman spiders, and would kill them all if I could! (sorry guys!) but from what I know its not really worth spraying your house because they have to actually ingest the poison for it to kill them - which there is no guarantee (sp?) they will!
HTH

[bushmanpat]

personally i think huntsmen are cool. I still get a bit freaked catching one to throw them outside but i haven't killed one yet, although I did accidentally run one over with the paint roller. Not sure if he died, but he did turn a lovely off-white. I found him a little later on, pulling paint off his head and sticking it in his gob. It was water based, so not sure if it killed him or just gave him the runs

Anyway, here's a link to a pretty cool flash animation. If you get freaked by spiders, then you can make this spider look like the one that freaked you out, then drag him around by the leg! Good stress relief/revenge!

Play With Spider - Flash 3D - OneMotion.com

Enjoy

[Phteven]

I'm a huntsman fan too.
They help keep your home free of other creepy crawlies.
TBH the chemicals used for pest control scare me a whole heap more than a hairy spider does - they pose a greater danger to your family too.

OMG NaeNae our cat eats spiders too - the sound of the crunching turns my stomach. I run away if I see her small game hunting.

[tk1999]

I don't like spiders but have learnt to live with huntsmans... when DP and I moved in together he would get angry that I would squish them. I have learnt after many years that they keep lots of other annoying bugs and spiders out of the house so the huntsmans can stay but redbacks etc get squished... but we don't get that many anymore - not since I embraced the huntsmans!

My only rule is that they cannot go into my bed room... if they get caught in there then they get escorted out by way of soft bristled broom by DP

[AnyDream]

Ok I have a rule. Provided they stay up there in the spidey zone (ie hanging around on or near the ceiling) they are welcome to live in my house and eat all the other little critters that I don't want in my house either.

Step outside the spidey zone and well, that's just an invitation for me to whack them with a shoe.

[jackrose]

Another huntsman friend here!

Bushmanpat, I LOVE that link, I am clapping my hands with glee at having a little pet spider to play with and feed!

However, I do understand people who have a fear of them... try to keep in mind the good things they do and the fact that we look a hell of a lot scarier to them .

Great advice about the citrus or citronella, I would always try a less invasive and more conservative approach before jumping in to chemicals. (Plus home made sprays are a lot cheaper - v important in this GFC climate )

[misty]

I am faced with a similar dilemna at the moment. Our house is invested with spiders; huntsmen, daddylonglegs, redbacks, white tips - you name it we got it. They are all baby ones atm. Our problem is you we leave it and risk spiderbite to our family or one of our pets. Or do we spray and risk the chemicals.

ATM we are leaving it because we are in a new construction area and even if we sprayed our place we have been told that the spiders would probably reinfest relatively quickly as they aren't coming from our house, just taking up residence there.
If it weren't for that I would probably spray.

[Snacks]

Ok I have a rule. Provided they stay up there in the spidey zone (ie hanging around on or near the ceiling) they are welcome to live in my house and eat all the other little critters that I don't want in my house either.

Step outside the spidey zone and well, that's just an invitation for me to whack them with a shoe.

LOL, MD. My bestie has the same philosophy. They have "their" space and she has hers. If they stray into her space, they die

[briggsy's girl]

Fumigation doesn't guarantee to get rid of huntsman or daddy long legs spiders - sorry hun, you'd be paying out big bucks and not solving the problem!

try natural alternatives (like the citrus that was recommended) - but don't go the chemical option - it simply doesn't work! we've seen a few around home (gets worse at change of season) - if DH is home, he will usher them outside (where they usually get nabbed by the birds) - if it's just me, i do what i can to move them out, but if i can't get to them, i will trap them and let DH deal with them when he gets home. i'm not a fan (after waking with one on my face as a kidlet) but i can't bring myself to resort to chemicals...