Tuesday 6 September 2011

The season of arachnids

This is another anecdotal post. I am surprised to find myself creative, in spite of what I was fearing. Autumn is definitely here: it is cold and gloomy outside, or much colder than it has been, even after the (allegedly) coldest summer in twenty years. It also means that it is now the season of spiders, when they get home for winter. I find spiders beautiful, some of them anyway, but I like them less when they are black and hairy and take over the flat. And I have to take them out myself, which I don't like either (no, my wife wouldn't let me kill them).

Maybe favourite local shop is maybe a gardening/DIY shop, which looks like the most unexciting place you can find, but it is actually quite interesting. They have a miniature model of the old train station that doesn't exist anymore, which in itself makes it worth visiting. But they also have a spider repellent. It is conker based and it smells way too strong, but it does keep them away. I plan to spray some around for the next few days. So for now the smell of conkers, just like the look of a black hairy spider, are for me signs of autumn.

4 comments:

PJ said...

Il y a une règle élémentaire dans la vie des araignées de maison: leur présence est tolérée jusqu'au moment où elle est détectée. À ce moment, c'est la peine capitale (exception à la règle: le garage). On les voit surtout au printemps lorsque le dehors commence à se réchauffer et à l'automne lorsque les températures refroidissent. J'en ai plusieurs dehors bien sûr qui font toutes sortes de toiles. Les toiles "classiques" sont les plus belles mais aussi les moins sûres. Une araignée que je photographiais avec mon cellulaire souvent ces derniers temps a récemment disparu, probablement mangée par un oiseau, comme une autre l'an dernier dont la toile était sur la porte patio. Sa voisine, plus petite (probablement un mâle) a été épargnée.

The Artful Gypsy aka Wendy the Very Good Witch said...

Ewwww.....Ick.....Eeeek! I loathe spiders of any size, shape and color.

Anonymous said...

Read 'Charlottes Web' and then tell me if you would so easily kill a spider:-) But seriously, they may not be pretty to look at but they keep down the irritating insect populations like midges. That said I don't think there are many spiders in Scotland...good luck with your battle against the eight legged ones... kill a spider:-) But seriously, they may not be pretty to look at but they keep down the irritating insect populations like midges. That said I don't think there are many spiders in Scotland...good luck with your battle against the eight legged ones...

Cynthia said...

I hate killing spiders, I even let some live in my apartment or release the ones I like less .