Wednesday, June 1, 2011

A Word About Spiders

michiganspiders.blogspot.com
Let me preface this little rant by saying I don't hate spiders.  I actually kind of like them.  They're cool-looking and mostly mind their own business and eat lots and lots of pesky bugs.

In Michigan, we had lots of spiders: our two out-buildings and huge musty basement = dark-corner-loving, eight-legged-freak heaven.  Wolf spiders are the most common and bite a lot, but they're pretty harmless.  A stout heart and a quick hand are all that is needed to keep the creepy beasts at bay.

Here in North Carolina, there are lots of spiders... including the two most venomous in the United States.  Honestly, I don't worry too much; no one in the US has died from a spider bite in the last 10 years (unless from an allergic reaction to the bug).  And bites can be painful and cause damage, but it's pretty rare.

But lately, I feel like I'm under attack.  I've had spiders falling on my head while I'm in the bathroom, crawling on my computer unannounced, scurrying across my kitchen counter, and otherwise just surprising me and making me jump.  And the ones I'm talking about have all been different kinds.  I didn't recognize them - but at least that means they weren't poisonous.

But it's starting to freak me out!  Either this apartment was uninhabited longer than I thought, or the air being on has scared them out of hiding, or someone has cursed me!

I'm going to be proactive.  I'm going to vacuum the utilities closet, unscrew all the vents and vacuum them, spray the outside walkway and patio with alcohol to kill what's there, then spray every vent, door, and walkway leading into the apartment with a solution of 2% lavender oil mixed in water.  I'm going to hang lavender bunches at each point of entry.  And then I'm going to repeat the process every month from here on out!!!!

Now, if only there was such an easy solution to getting rid of the ants...

2 lovely people said:

Flame said...

22 Mule Team Borax will fix your ant problem. Put it down in areas where kids and pets won't be able to access it i.e under furniture and small appliances. I put it under/behind my microwave, under my toaster, behind/under the stove and fridge, in the backs of cupboards etc.

Summer said...

Sorry I didn't see your comment until now! That's a fantastic idea - I'll have to try it! :)

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