There is a really interesting and enlightening article about spiders in the new 2006 Farmers’ Almanac. From it I learned that spiders are not insects. Although they are in the Arachnida class, which include mites, ticks and scorpions, spiders aren’t a threat to humans, unless it’s a brown recluse, of course. When you discover a big spider in your bathtub, you might say the spider was making a pest of itself, a harmless nuisance.

House spiders generally make their homes in low trafficked areas. The best remedy for a house overrun with spiders is taking preventative measures, like regularly feather dusting the corners, to keep dust and cobwebs from accumulating. Make sure you remove and discard the spider eggs from your broom or featherduster afterwards. And don’t forget to dust beneath your furniture, to remove any spider eggs. After taking a broom or feather duster to the corners of walls and windows, you may want to try spraying some rubbing alcohol to the area. Dust the windowsills and under furniture with a scented dryer sheet. The scent from both of these preventative remedies will soon disappear, so you’ll need to repeat it often.

Spiders have been with us for thousands of years. They serve as insect controllers. Having spiders in the house doesn’t mean you’re negligent in your housekeeping. Proverbs reminds us that spiders dwell in kings’ palaces. And remember, “Don’t judge a woman’s housekeeping by the cobwebs, some spiders just work faster than others,” DST.

By Deborah Tukua, country author
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