Spiders in the car

[audreyh1]

We've had a couple rattlesnakes in our car. Twice we transported one from our yard to a wild area a few miles away. They were in containers. Still makes the driver (me) a bit nervous.

[SheitlQueen]

Worst thing I ever had was a plate sized Huntsman spider on the dashboard of a Jeep we rented in the Cook Islands. These things are HUGE and I am terrified of spiders and here is this thing right in front of me. DH tried to squish it, but it went under my car seat. I spent the rest of the time with my legs up on the seat, afraid it was going to crawl on me.

[braumeister]

If you haven't seen this one, you're in for a treat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRaDKCFC8z8

[WestUniversity]

I'm surprised leaving the car parked in the hot sun with the windows rolled up wouldn't kill it. I would think that amount of heat would kill almost anything...

[HadEnuff]

Quote:

Originally Posted by WestUniversity I'm surprised leaving the car parked in the hot sun with the windows rolled up wouldn't kill it. I would think that amount of heat would kill almost anything...

Exactly what I was thinking. Maybe after a few hours of that turning on the heat full blast for a while to get the ducts.

[wolf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo I read a similar story. The solution was to take the car to a professional auto paint shop and pay them to run it through their paint drying process. As I understand it, the high temps will kill the spiders and their eggs.

Interesting. Never heard of that solution. Would parking the car in the garage of a house being tented for termites kill the eggs of a spider? Of course the live spiders would not survive.

[Walt34]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Accidental Retiree What I really don’t want in my car is snakes.

I had to capture a snake at work once. Got a call for a "snake in the house" and all the way there I was wondering what kind of snake. Are we talking garter snake or escaped king cobra? Should I take the 12-guage in? Am I gonna have to spend the rest of the shift writing a report to explain why I blasted holes in someone's floor?

When I get there I find a woman using a broom to keep a terrified garter snake in the middle of the room. Big sigh of relief! The floor was hardwood so the snake didn't have very good traction so could not move quickly. Very clearly the snake did not want to be there. I asked for a paper grocery bag (this was early '80's) and put that on the floor to give the snake a dark place to go into and he/she/it went right on in. I rolled up the top of the bag, put it in the car and let the snake out a few blocks away next to a large field.

On to the next problem....

[Accidental Retiree]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gumby There is almost always a spider in my car. We also usually have one that lives next to the medicine cabinet in the bathroom (although it has disappeared recently). The young wife and I don't mind them at all.

Depends....

[samclem]

Quote:

Originally Posted by harley I don't mind snakes either, but if I unexpectedly saw one in my car while driving I'd have a hard time pulling over safely. The startle reflex can be pretty powerful. Like the time I saw a mouse in the kitchen and jumped up on the counter. I've had pet mice, and am absolutely not afraid of them. But I still jumped.

Interesting, I had something similar happen a few years ago. I lifted the "hood" on the riding mower and a snake coiled up under there. I jumped back before what I was looking at had even registered consciously--I'm pretty sure I didn't even know it was a snake when I moved. I guess some of this stuff is hard-wired in.

[Dash man]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SheitlQueen Worst thing I ever had was a plate sized Huntsman spider on the dashboard of a Jeep we rented in the Cook Islands. These things are HUGE and I am terrified of spiders and here is this thing right in front of me. DH tried to squish it, but it went under my car seat. I spent the rest of the time with my legs up on the seat, afraid it was going to crawl on me.

Note to self: NEVER visit the Cook Islands!!!!

[splitwdw]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelB This is a different sort of situation. DD#2 has spiders in her car (central Florida). It's been more than a year and she can't get rid of them. She has vacuumed the vents, door seals, underneath the seats. Had the interior cleaned twice. Sprayed the interior with a combination of peppermint oil and water, and set numerous bug traps. Nothing seems to have any lasting effect. No idea what kind of spider. She is reluctant to use poison spray - she has a 1 year old baby and doesn't want him breathing residual toxic air. I offered to present this to the forum and ask for advice.

Dear Dad should trade cars with dear daughter 2

[Beldar]

Perhaps a call to an exterminator or two and ask if there is a non-toxic solution. A bee keeper acquaintance many years ago used dry ice to kill a colony of bees hold up in an in-ground irrigation box... he wanted to harvest the honey and poison wouldn't do, and didn't want to wait with a decoy hive.

Maybe exterminators/pest control specialists have similar tricks.


_B

[audreyh1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by samclem Interesting, I had something similar happen a few years ago. I lifted the "hood" on the riding mower and a snake coiled up under there. I jumped back before what I was looking at had even registered consciously--I'm pretty sure I didn't even know it was a snake when I moved. I guess some of this stuff is hard-wired in.

Yep - that reaction has happened to me several times. Jump back suddenly. Why did I do that? Oh - hmm I think I kinda see something camouflaged in the leaves on the ground in front of me. Oh - that must be a copperhead, never seen one before.

[MichaelB]

Catching up on this. We visited DD this weekend, and I saw the webs. The spiders are real and, judging by the number of webs, either very productive or more than one.

When she asks about snakes, I'll post a follow-up on spiders here.

The car heater is a good idea, simple and easy to do. The paint heater is the next step if that doesn't work. Also the non-toxic pest control. Those are good practical advice - thanks.

Brau - entertaining video. Thanks.

splitwdw - have you been in touch with DD? She said the very same thing. My response was loving and polite, but not appropriate for a family forum.

[MRG]

DW has a serious fear of spiders. Like her shrink arranged for her to visit a spider guy and play with them..😂 It didn't help.

An exterminator put little sticky spider traps in our house. They weren't poison, spiders stuck to them. I don't know what population was in the house but I witnessed captured spiders.

[braumeister]

Don't ever visit a traditional Belgian brewery if you don't like spiders.
They are cherished by the brewers and protected by law since they maintaining the essential microclimate that produces some of the characteristic flavors.

This little guy was guarding a window on my last visit to one.
Cantillon spider.jpg

The Heritage Beer Brewed With Some Help From Spiders

[Dash man]

Quote:

Originally Posted by braumeister Don't ever visit a traditional Belgian brewery if you don't like spiders. They are cherished by the brewers and protected by law since they maintaining the essential microclimate that produces some of the characteristic flavors. This little guy was guarding a window on my last visit to one. Attachment 27224 The Heritage Beer Brewed With Some Help From Spiders

Thanks, now I won’t be able to sleep tonight! [emoji887][emoji888][emoji887][emoji37]

[Dreamer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by braumeister If you haven't seen this one, you're in for a treat. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRaDKCFC8z8

A treat, eh?

[cathy63]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wolf Interesting. Never heard of that solution. Would parking the car in the garage of a house being tented for termites kill the eggs of a spider? Of course the live spiders would not survive.

I think it would. We were tented last November, and I didn't see spiders indoors again until June, and that seems too long for eggs to last.