Why in MY House?

Aug 21, 2007
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Two times in the past week I awoke to find a tarantella in my house. They were different spiders. The first was huge, more than six inches across. She was cruising about my entryway. The second, more medium size. This troublesome girl was in my bedroom.

How can I sleep at night, thinking that these big girls have taken up residence in my house and might be dancing over me in the dark? How many other friends in hiding do they have?

And why are they in my house, anyway? I close my doors and windows before dusk and spray my house regularly.

Any suggestions why this is happening and what I can do? I know tarantellas are our friends and eat other unwanted critters. I know the girls probably won't bite me. I have tried to be a kindly sole and evict them from the premises, rather than kill them.

But, please. Do they have to live in my house? Please give my some wise advice about how to discourage them.

Lindsey
 

Lambada

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Two times in the past week I awoke to find a tarantella in my house. They were different spiders. The first was huge, more than six inches across. She was cruising about my entryway. The second, more medium size. This troublesome girl was in my bedroom.

You got close enough to sex them? :cheeky:
Sexing | Tarantula Husbandry | TARANTULAS.com

My only suggestion Lindsey would be to turn up the music ;).
virtualitalia.com - feature - learn to dance the tarantella!

Seriously, have a look at this
How to get rid of tarantulas (DesertUSA)
 

Chip

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Jul 25, 2007
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More than likely these critters haven't made your house a home, as there would probabble not be enough food available for them.

They must be coming through a door or a window so the best bet is to keep the doors closed and in the case of the windows put screens up.

Here in Gurabo I have seen at least 10 tarantulas in the last two or so years, a few of them in our yard, but not once have we had them inside.
 

MikeFisher

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Feb 28, 2006
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while i see them often outside around the house we don't have them inside. to keep them out we do the following:
all windows are tapped by mosqueteros, make sure the mosquito screens are not damaged, those spiders fit in the smallest cut to come in. on our doors we mounted a rubber on the inner bottom side to close that little space under the doors, they would be able to come in under the door without a problem.
happy hunting
Mike
 
Aug 21, 2007
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Thanks, Mike, Chip, and Lambada, for all the good advice. My house is completely open to the outdoors, so therein lies the problem. I am sure. The windows are Dominican-style, crank out. No screens. Screens are impossible unless we completely change all the windows.

Why live here if we cannot open our house to the beautiful weather?

I have been here two years now, and this is the first I have had these uninvited guests. I am puzzled as to why, now, they are coming inside. No other insects seem to like it here....no cockroaches, none of those pesky ants, nada.....

And, as Lambada's article states (thanks, Lambada, I read all three, and, no, I guess I cannot assume they were lady spiders) tarantellas are resistant to spray insecticides.

So....if anyone knows of something natural or chemical that is used here to discourage them, I welcome the information.

Lindsey
 

Chip

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Jul 25, 2007
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Tarantulas like overgrown areas so make sure that you don't have any bushes next to the windows. You could also keep the doors closed and have some screens installed on the bottom floor - they can be retrofittted as long as either side of the window is flush with the glass panels open. Failing that, unless somebody else knows something you might get a cat.
 

MikeFisher

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yes, you don't need to 'close' your house.
we have ourselves 24/7 all windows open, and on the outside we have those mosquito screens, you can fit those to any kind of window, or even attached to the outside wall without touching the windows. that way you don't only get the spiders in, you will also stay mosquito free aso. spraying is not the best solution inside the house in case of the spiders, they are widely resistant to that because they do not absorb liquids with their feet/body skin. spraying is only effective in the backyard/garden so they would not start to build their nests at the sprayed areas.
Mike
 
Aug 21, 2007
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The literature seems to indicate that tarantellas like to burrow to nest. Upon inspecting my yard, I found several bore holes in the grass. Hmmmmm. I live in Perla Marina in Sosua. We have many overgrown lots, one being next door to me.

Until tomorrow, when I have the handy man scheduled to come to brainstorm screening and rubber seals at the bottom of doors, I have placed rolled up towels on the floor by the doors. The screening might be the biggest problem, as the windows open outward (like double doors) with locks and latches on the inside. Unless someone knows how to engineer this, it seems to me that I would need to take the screens completely off each time I want to open or close the window. How do others handle this type of window?

I am going to call the exterminator tomorrow to also address the problem in the yard.

Again, if anyone knows the right chemical to use outdoors on their nesting spots, I would appreciate the information.

Wish me luck sleeping tonight!

Thanks to you all-

Lindsey
 

dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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cats>spiders

get a cat. best remedy for all small nasty creatures save for ants (in our house ants steal cat food directly from the bowl).
 

sylindr

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I have the dominican crank windows and we bought clear silicone and silconed screens on the inside, a cheap and easy fix until we replace these windows. It looks fine also
 

MikeFisher

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you could put the mosquito screen on the inside to be opened towards the inside like your windowscreens open to the outside, that way you can reach the locks when closing/opening your windowscreens and you still could leave a window open without a tarantula coming in.
Mike
 

Hillbilly

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Jan 1, 2002
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Lindsey: Is there any construction going oninyour area?? Often times this will disturb the poor creatures...

You can get screens that fit around the turn knobs of your jalousies (crank windows..).

I can understand your uneasiness...be sure to shake out your shoes in the morning...but please do not kill them...

HB
 

MikeFisher

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an other reason for an actually 'increase' in their numbers may be just the time of the year. we have (at least here in my area) more rain(luckily more on night or very early morning than daytime) at the end of the year than during other months, too much water pushs them out of their wholes. i watched that years ago in a prior property where we lived, around our house on all sides been empty properties, and when the water stood there we saw an big increase in the numbers of those spiders walking over the yard compared to the usual times when those empty properties been relatively dry, at least not under water.
like HB wrote,
if you have lately a construction going on in the neighbourhood on a prior empty property that would also be a reason why you have more 'inmoving' neighbours now.
and i agree, don't kill 'em, they are usefull animals and a better part within the natural clean up chain than we humans are, lol.
Mike
 

Thandie

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Nov 27, 2007
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I have tried to be a kindly sole and evict them from the premises, rather than kill them.

But, please. Do they have to live in my house? Please give my some wise advice about how to discourage them.

Lindsey

Yikes Lindsey! I feel for you. But I have a strict creepy crawly rule in my house. Pay half the rent or prepare to meet your maker.lol

Good luck. Maybe you are being too kind. lol
 

DOMINCAN JOE

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Aug 15, 2006
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:bunny: Scroll Down Spiders - How To Kill Spiders
Non Poisonous Spiders A female tarantula can live 20 - 25 years and a male tarantula only lives about 7 ? 8 years. During most of the year tarantulas are nocturnal and stay close to their burrows, but during mating season males leave their burrows to search for receptive females with which to mate. When a male tarantula finds a female (he does this by scent) he approaches the entrance to her burrow and taps on thin strands of web that lead into the burrow. If willing, the female will exit the burrow and mating will occur. :ermm: If the female is hungry she may make her anxious suitor her next meal. :dead:
 

Thandie

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Nov 27, 2007
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:ermm: If the female is hungry she may make her anxious suitor her next meal. :dead:

See Mike these creatures are heartless....and you call me bad.

If they can do this to one of their own suitors...what
wont they do to me? LOL

I call it dose of karma! I am taking revenge for one of her male suitors that became her fast food. lol

Yup thats my story and I am sticking to it! Guilt Free!
 

MikeFisher

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Feb 28, 2006
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See Mike these creatures are heartless....and you call me bad.

If they can do this to one of their own suitors...what
wont they do to me? LOL

I call it dose of karma! I am taking revenge for one of her male suitors that became her fast food. lol

Yup thats my story and I am sticking to it! Guilt Free!

he he
hey,
most chicks here on the streets 'eat their visitors alive' , too,
i just hope it will not get the law that they get 'killed/poisioned' aso for that,
most of 'em are beauti... , ha ha

o.k.,
you're excused,
a killing once in a while doesn't count that much in a lifetime.

Joe,
so if those 'spider chicks' have that much more of lifetime we should protect those wandering males and just kill the homesteady females, but how to explain that to Thandrie, 'cause the ones on a stroll throu her rooms are most likely those poor shortliving males??
ha ha
time for a nap
'nite
Mike