Kill Them All!!!

[eimarra]

We all have things we feel strongly about. For me, one of those things is creatures with too many legs running around inside my house.

Last night, I'm sitting in bed, jotting down my to-do list (which included such things as "take out trash" because I was laboring under the impression that today was Friday) when I notice a tiny spider dangling from my bedside lamp. I squish it between thumb and forefinger and go back to writing. I reach over to grab my cup of water and notice a couple more crawling on a piece of paper. Squish. Back to what I was doing. Then there's another one, dangling from the other lamp.

Dread fills me. I look up at the ceiling and see many, many tiny creatures crawling over my head. I get up (taking my water and to-do list with me) and go downstairs, where my husband is still puttering on his computer.

"I'm sleeping on one of the couches tonight," I announce. "There are like a bajillion spiders on the ceiling in our bedroom."

He looks up at me, slightly skeptical. "A bajillion?"

We have a pre-K kid. It's a perfectly normal expression.

"Okay, maybe I indulged in a bit of hyperbole. But dozens, anyway."

He gets up to come see. Looks at the ceiling. "Yeah, an egg sac definitely hatched."

He agrees that sleeping on the bed is probably a bad idea. "You said they were dropping. There are probably some in the sheets."

Eek. I did not need to hear that. He also has no idea how to exterminate them. I do: Scrubbing Bubbles.

Him: "Won't that take off the paint?"

Me: "Cheap paint, yeah, but not this stuff."

He doesn't look like he believes me, so I drop it for the time being. We adjourn to separate couches. (I have a bit of a crick in my neck this morning, but at least I'm reasonably certain I wasn't sharing my sleeping arrangements with nefarious octopedal creatures.)

This morning, I strip the bed and toss everything that will fit into the washer. Then I test the Scrubbing Bubbles on the paint in my closet. No damage. Mwah-hah-hah. I spray ceiling and walls with great abandon, anywhere I see a small moving object. I clean off nightstand except for a stack of books, just to make sure no spiders are trying to hide. (Sure, Flylady says I shouldn't have the books on my nightstand, but she thinks I shouldn't have a bookcase in the bedroom, either. We clearly have differing priorities in life.)

I think they're all dead, but the Scrubbing Bubbles are handy if I should spot any more.

Now maybe I should think about getting some paying work done today.

Comments

[chanphenglew.livejournal.com]

Where I live, there are these big spiders, like the size of my hand size, which live under the beds and in corners. These things look even bigger by candlelight, on those nights when the town generator didn't work, the shadows of these things made them look even larger. For a long time I had decided that they were genetically programmed not to get on the top of beds, but one day, one of them broke the rules. I was petrefied. Am, my neighbor, saw it and grabbed it up in her hand and calmly walked to the front down and set it free.

When she saw the look on my face, she cracked up. "They don't bite people. They only eat mosquitoes. They are good for you."

I still can't convince myself of that.

[cammykitty.livejournal.com]

scream!!!! I would have said WHO CARES ABOUT THE PAINT!!! And congrats on the protagging -- no man solved your problems. ;)

[eimarra]

My dad used to say that it was no big deal getting bit by a mosquito or spider because they don't take enough blood to hurt. That's not the point!

Just tell me there aren't any of those giant spiders in the book store, okay?

[kellan_the_tabby]

Kill em kill em all!

Normally I don't mind spiders. I rather like them in sufficiently small quantities (and spider-size). A bajillion? I'd'a been on the couch too.

I've had luck using Windex on swarming termites. Don't know if it'd work on spiders, but it's probably worth a shot if you're ever out of Scrubbing Bubbles...

[eimarra]

Having just spent a week on the paint in our child's bath, I thought messing up the paint that my husband slaved over in our room would be cruel. He came up with the color scheme and pattern and did all the work, and it's gorgeous.

Thanks. And I didn't even have to dig out my old foil or saber to do it.

[chanphenglew.livejournal.com]

"There are no giant spiders in the book store." There, I feel better now too.

Just another anecdote about my boring life here. One day I went shopping for baskets at the market near my office. I found a small basket, about the width of CD cases so I lifted it up. It was kinda heavy, but I pulled it out. Suddenly, something in the basket jumped out. I saw the tail.

It was a rat.

I kinda squeaked in shock and told the shop keeper who was dozing. She opened an eye, picked up a broom and waved it in that direction and returned to sleep. No one can get worked up about rats here.

[chanphenglew.livejournal.com]

I like the Windex option. It's good for everything (See "My Big Fat Greek Wedding")

[eimarra]

I'll keep the Windex in mind, but I do keep a can of Scrubbing Bubbles in every bathroom, and occasionally a spare in the kitchen. I found out years ago that it's perfect for ants -- not only does it kill them, but it also wipes out their chemical trail. Since then, I've discovered it works on virtually everything -- centipedes, silverfish, you name it.

Spiders belong outside. Or maybe one in a room, in a very far corner, leaving me alone. NOT over my head.

[eimarra]

eeek! I have a scar on my thumb from a rat bite. Granted, he bit me in self-defense because I *was* doing an experiment in lab at the time, but it's the principle of the thing.

I don't like rats. When people tell me about their pet rats and how these creatures are allowed to curl up on their owners' necks . . . I start thinking about horror stories, I do.

Coyotes? Keep your animals inside. But rats? Nasty, vile things.

[kellan_the_tabby]

Ooh. Windex _doesn't_ work on ants; thanks for the tip!

[eimarra]

Always happy to share! :D

[cammykitty.livejournal.com]

ah, that does make a difference. I was assuming it was like our bedroom that could use a paint job. May you enjoy sleeping in your own spider-free bed tonight.

[eimarra]

Thanks.

Of course, when he came home, he did point out the soap streaks on the walls. They'll come right off with a damp cloth. Honestly!

[adais.livejournal.com]

The big question is- does scrubbing bubbles work on mice? lol

[eimarra]

We have two cats and two dogs. We're okay on that front, so I've never had reason to find out. I imagine it would only be effective internally, however. ;-)