... but if you can’t bear to share your sofa with an arachnid, here’s how to send them packing
IF THE thought of an invasion of giant spiders is making you run for the hills, fear not. Help is at hand with a wide variety of products to rid your home of the pesky critters. Here, JILL FOSTER tests a selection of spider-catching gadgets for spiders of all sizes . . .
TRIGGER HAPPY
Spider Catcher £8.99 findmeagift.co.uk
This has a 21in-long handle to keep the spider at a fright-free distance as you attempt to corner it and 3in bristles which appear at the pull of the trigger, the idea being that it will get caught in the strands.
I tried it on a small spider on the wall, but it fell off and went down the back of the sofa. not a great start, but it worked well when I tried to pick up a spider from the floor.
The soft bristles are strong enough to hold the insect so you can release it unharmed outside. A humane winner.
5/5
THAT SUCKS
Spider Catcher Vacuum Insect Catcher £12.99 Lakeland.co.uk
A 9v battery-operated vacuum tube, this is just about long enough to keep the spider at arm’s length, but I think the diameter of the tube is a little on the small side. I tried it out on a medium- sized spider which had crawled up the wall and hidden behind a picture frame. Although the suction is not particularly strong, if you place the tube on the surface, it sucks up the spider without harming it.
It’s a shame you can’t reverse the flow of air when it comes to releasing the spider — instead, you have to shake it out of the device, which is not a particularly quick job.
3/5
CAUGHT IN A TRAP
Katcha Big Bug Catcher from £6.99, available from amazon.co.uk
This is the same principle as a glass cupped over a card, but with its 24in handle, the offending creepy crawly is kept beyond arm’s reach.
Trapping a spider on the floor is easy. simply place the clear plastic dome over it and slide the bottom door across underneath. The Perspex is thin enough not to hurt the spider’s legs as you close it. But be careful — the door is flimsy and sometimes doesn’t lock securely, so a spider could try to escape.
4/5
SAFELY DOES IT
Rentokil Humane Spider/ Insect bug catcher
£11.70, amazon.co.uk A sturdy little device which can
catch small to mediumsized creepy crawlies. It works well as long as the spider isn’t moving, otherwise you’re likely to chop off its legs or squash it. Once inside, the green plastic door slides up easily to trap the spider inside, and you can then release it safely.
I also like the fact that you get two devices — one to keep upstairs, the other for downstairs.
3/5
SMOKING GUN
New comdigi Insect and Bug Catcher from around £8 on ebay.com
Shaped like an old fashioned musket, this also uses a suction method. It comes with a handy Led light so you can hunt and trap the little blighters in dark corners. It needs two AA batteries and while the suction isn’t
particularly strong, it vacuumed up a medium-sized spider in my airing cupboard. There’s a stopper to prevent the insect escaping once it has been trapped inside. But as the tube has a diameter of only 1¼ in, I fear a giant spider
would not fit.
2/5
LET US SPRAY
Spider Ex Aerosol Spray 300ml, £9.99 Lakeland.co.uk
Containing the insecticides permethrin and tetramethrin this will kill spiders — but also other insects, including bees. It can be used indoors and outdoors, leaving no marks, sticky residue or odours, but I’m not comfortable with killing a harmless spider.
TORN OFF A STRIP
1/5
Spidatrap £20.95 from amazon.co.uk
Invented by a scottish arachnophobe called robin Watson. these non-toxic sticky traps are designed to stop spiders entering your home in the first place. The
strips, which have a very sticky central panel, can be laid end to end to create a barrier at doorways, windows and any cracks in your walls.
The makers claim that when they tested out traps in a UK home over a period of 48 hours, they caught 18 spiders, two centipedes, an earwig and a moth.
But beware — they can also trap the sticky hands and paws of curious children and pets.
Once the insects are caught, the recommendation is to ‘squish’ the intruders. I’m sure it’s effective, but it’s not for me
2/5
STICKY SITUATION
Rentokil Spider and Crawling Insect Trap £6.71 for four packs, from amazon.co.uk
Containing three sticky-backed cardboard traps which are folded to make little triangular ‘ houses’, these capture not only spiders but ants, woodlice, cockroaches, beetles and other crawling insects, too. Gotcha: Jill Foster tries out one of the spider traps
The trap is non-toxic and safe to use around children and pets. having said that, mine didn’t catch a single insect over a weeklong period.
2/5
WHAT ABOUT THE OLD WIVES’ TALES?
So what about natural methods to rid your home of spiders? Leaving conkers on window ledges is said to stop them entering the house. Canny eBay sellers have cottoned onto this and are charging up to £20 per kg of conkers.
But scientists haven’t proved whether the saponin compound found in conkers is effective, and many say it is still ‘an old wives’ tale’.
some householders say peppermint oil is effective at repelling spiders. The oil has a high concentration of pulegone and methone, which are natural pesticides. drop 15-20 drops of pure peppermint oil into water and add to a spray.
similarly, eucalyptus oil or white wine vinegar mixed with water and then sprayed around the home are said to be good repellents.