Maintenance & Restoration

Legacy Posts · 08-19-2003, 02:50 PM

It's only been a couple of weeks since our last camping trip ... and a couple of weeks since I've visited my trailer ... but I just got back and was absolutely shocked at the number of spider webs!

Now, I always spray bug and spider spray in the water heater compartment and in the bottom of the refrigerator compartment ... so I've never really had a problem there.

And occasionally, I find a spider web on the spare tire ... or on the gas bottle cover.

But today, the Casita almost appeared to be a cocoon.

In fact, it did look like the spiders were trying to encase the whole trailer!

Must be a bumper year for spiders here in the midwest.

Also noticed a large number of mayflies (or some sort of green, long tailed, winged bugs) all caught up in the spider webs.

Same storage lot, where I've stored our beloved little eggs ... all three of them ... and never had this "explosion" of spiders.

I sprayed the whole aluminum trim ring, the wheelwells, along the awning after brooming down the trailer, to knock off the spiders and spider webs.

It's only been two weeks since we've been camping!

Good grief!

Legacy Posts · 08-19-2003, 02:52 PM

This thread has nothing to do with snakes.

I actually like snakes.

But I don't like spiders!

If Pam had been with me, I'd make her kill them all!

Legacy Posts · 08-19-2003, 02:55 PM

This experience makes me wish it was time for the first frost!

Why?

It would kill all these creepy crawlers.

And, after the first frost, we'd be that much closer to winter camping ... and as some of you know, I really, really, really love camping in the snow!

Legacy Posts · 08-19-2003, 03:02 PM

Are you fishing for advice on what to do about all of these spiders, or what? :shg

Legacy Posts · 08-19-2003, 03:04 PM

Whoops

Yup.

I'm wondering if anyone else had noticed an explosion of spiders.

And what, if anything, do you (especially you southern belles) do to keep spiders at bay.

Legacy Posts · 08-19-2003, 03:05 PM

Little Miss Mary, Sat on a tuffet, eating her curds and whey, along came a spider ... what did she do?

Legacy Posts · 08-19-2003, 03:06 PM

Best thing for spiders is to skwish them.

Legacy Posts · 08-19-2003, 03:07 PM

We had left the little step under the trailer door extended ... it, too, was solid spider webs.

It probably had something to do with all the long-tailed green winged bugs entrapped in the webs.

The spiders must have seen all the green bugs and spun themselves into overdrive ... or overspin.

I'm telling you.

I don't like spiders!

Legacy Posts · 08-19-2003, 03:08 PM

>>spiders is to skwish them

If I were man enough to squish 'em ... Pete ... you're close enough. Last place I camped was Illinois Beach State Park.

Wonder if I brought them home with me from your neck of the woods.

Legacy Posts · 08-19-2003, 03:13 PM

I don't like spiders much either, but they are predators and eat much more disgusting creatures. It likely is just a good year for spiders, but they may have found abundant prey in your trailer and invited their family in from the whole county. Look closely.

Legacy Posts · 08-19-2003, 03:17 PM

Nope Charles,
I havn't seen anything unusual for spiders around here this year.
Must be a home grown crop.

I never liked them before I got bit by a brown recluse, now I have no mercy on any of them.

Legacy Posts · 08-19-2003, 03:21 PM

Ok, I was man enough to smash a few of them. They were big suckers, about 3/4-inch across.

<img src=http://www.xs4all.nl/~ednieuw/Spiders/loopspin.gif/>

Ok, not big by Southern standards probably. And we don't have don't have the tarantula.

Legacy Posts · 08-19-2003, 03:21 PM

alway look before i reach around here . but for the most part the rest are ok . i just love to see a deer fly in a nice home spun web .:lol

Legacy Posts · 08-19-2003, 03:55 PM

Read somewhere that you can cut up a flea collar and place the pieces in various (spider likely) spots, and it keeps those creepy things away. I bought a collar but haven't yet cut it or placed it..I'll let you know if I see a difference. - Lou C.

Legacy Posts · 08-19-2003, 04:44 PM

How do you get them to hold still long enough to put the collar on?

Legacy Posts · 08-19-2003, 04:47 PM

[quote]Orginally posted by Charles Watts
I actually like snakes.
But I don't like spiders!

I'm with ya there Charlie. I think that some snakes even eat spiders so I'm fine with snakes, but spiders make me shudder. I make Teddy kill them for me, even the little tiny ones. I just don't think that critters should have more than four legs. There are two kinds of spiders, those that are poisonous and those that are poisonous.
:xx
And while we're on the subject ''EARWIGS'' ugh!
:omy

Legacy Posts · 08-19-2003, 05:09 PM

When we first moved into our 200+ year old house it was over run with those huge black spiders (well actually only about 5). Now if there is a spider in the bedroom at night and I don't see evidence of the dead body after someone supposedly kills it for me, I cannot sleep. I honestly feel like I'm crawling. Can you tell I'm scaired S---less of spiders.

Well anyways, after finding all these big black ones I braved going down into our cellar. I'm talking a hole in the ground, regulation ancient cellar complete with zillions of cobwebs. So I went down to the cellar, shaking all the way, and sat on the floor to have a chat with the spiders. I told them they could have the whole cellar to themselves....that I would never ever venture into the cellar...but they had to stay out of the main part of the house.

Ok, so now I know you all are shaking your heads thinking the poor womans gone bonkers, but it worked! We didn't have a spider in the main part of our house for about 10 years. I kid you not!
Nancy

Legacy Posts · 08-19-2003, 09:37 PM

They were probably as scared of you as you, them.

Can you imagine?

They're minding their own business, there in the dark cellar, when in comes this human person, shaking like a leaf.

And she begins to make noises, incomprehensible noises.

When she finally goes away, those spiders probably figured out they were better off staying put than venturing out after her.

:sunny

Legacy Posts · 08-20-2003, 05:31 AM

Ok, Nancy, I'll try that.

I'll swing by the trailer today, and tell the spiders they can have the outside of the trailer ... but ask them to please stay out of the inside of the trailer.

We've also had an "explosion" of West Nile-laden mosquitos in the area (according the news this am), so the conditions must have been "just right" for bugga-boos.