Spider in the kitchen!
By speakeasy
@speakeasy (4171)
United States
August 18, 2010 2:35pm CST
This morning I got up early and was in my kitchen when I saw a BIG spider on the ceiling.
Now, the spiders and I have an agreement - as long as they stay outside I leave them alone; but, if they come inside, THEY DIE!
The problem was that I could not reach it to smack it with a fly swatter. My son and husband, who are both taller, were both sleeping and I didn't want to wake them up for a spider, no matter how big it was.
A while ago, I had picked up some "Hot Shot Kitchen Bug Killer" which is supposed to be safe to use in "kitchens, pantries, and food preparation areas". The label also says it "kills, roaches, ants, spiders, flies, gnats. (I origianlly got it for for gnats.)
So, I took my trusty can of spray and started spraying the spider and spraying the spider and spraying the spider and he just kept crawling across the ceiling.
This was getting ridiculus. I didn't want to use anything that was more toxic and I really did not like using as much spray as it was taking; but, what to do?
Then I remenbered a tip I saw several months ago about spraying insects with rubbing alcohol. So, I got a small spray bottle, filled it with rubbing alcohol and tried a squirt on the spider - he dropped like a ROCK! Ons squirt and he was on the floor and obviously dying - though I did finish him off quickly with a shoe.
From now on, my spray bottle of rubbing alcohol will be stayng in my kitchen. It costs less than insect spray, is non-toxic, evaporates quickly, and kills spiders super fast! Now, I am going to have to try it on other insects and see if it works as well on them too!
Thought I would pass this on to all of you cooks, since we don't want bugs or toxic chemicals in our kitchens!
5 people like this
9 responses
@voldrox (7191)
• India
19 Aug 10
Hello speakeasy, for one time you were sounding like... You were doing a sales promotion! 
Anyways, that is one good trick you used there. I don't like spiders as well, um, except for that tiny little cute spider which jumps around. 
I would try out your method next time i find some disgusting spider in my room. 
Anyways, that is one good trick you used there. I don't like spiders as well, um, except for that tiny little cute spider which jumps around.
I would try out your method next time i find some disgusting spider in my room. 
@speakeasy (4171)
• United States
24 Aug 10
They usually come inside looking for food and/or shelter from the elements. But, once they come into my house - they die!
@jinsefeizeia (53)
• China
19 Aug 10
Spiders maybe one of the most fearful kinds of insects as for me. In fact, they even can not be called "insects", since insects have six legs while spiders have eight. Even though spiders disgust me everytime I saw them, I choose to keep them alive most of time. The reason is that spiders eat insects. When several spiders sep up their net in the corners of my house, they can help reduce the number of mosquitos. Thanks them!
@speakeasy (4171)
• United States
22 Aug 10
No mosquites where I live (it is a desert here). Other insects are eaten by my cats or we kill them when we see them. So, no spiders need apply for the job in my house.
Also, I am allergic to spider bites, The bite swells up and I am very sick for 3 days. Fortunately, I have only been bitten by a spider twice and never by a poisonous spider (my doctor told me I probably would not make it to the hospital for treatment if a poisonous spider bit me).
@sender621 (14894)
• United States
19 Aug 10
Spiders are the one insect that can really creep me out! If i found a spider in the kitchen, that would be the end. Somebody would be in there getting rid of it. I can tell you it probably would not be me!@speakeasy (4171)
• United States
22 Aug 10
I still run from tarantulas; but, I learned the hard way not to scream! Screaming will make a tarantula chase you! The loud , high-pitched scream makes them think you are an injured bird or mouse and they go after the noise. So, now I shove my fist in my mouth to stifle the shrieks as I run away.
But, I have nver found a tarantula on a ceiling. This was just a big spider, a little larger than a quarter; and, I was not going to leave it in my kitchen and take the chance it might hide in my kitchen and then I wouldn't know where it was. So, it had to die! A spray bottle on the "stream" setting will easily spray 15 - 20 feet away; so, I didn't even need to get near it till it was on the floor dying.
It is so satisfying to to smash something that you are afraid of; so, that you know it can never bother you again!
@lonelyx20 (34)
• Philippines
19 Aug 10
There a saying "If there's a predator, there are more preys" maybe try cleaning on the dim sections of your house and maybe you could find some insects hiding that make that spider gone inside the house...
@speakeasy (4171)
• United States
22 Aug 10
I live in a desert and a lot of times they come inside simply because it is darker and cooler; especially, in the summer when our temps are over 110 degrees every day.
My cats kill most bugs before I even see them and we humans kill the rest. Most bugs will either fly in through an open door or crawl in down low and they are easy for my cats to spot. (The cats won't touch a scorpian though; but, they do let us know if they find one!) However, spiders have a tendancy to come in up high or through an air duct; so, they are out of my cats notice and reach.
@flagella08 (5065)
• Philippines
19 Aug 10
I am not afraid of spiders but they're are not to my liking too. there are few in kitchen corners but i don't get rid of them since these spiders trap mosquitoes and other insects. as long as they don't mix with the food or they're not in the ceiling, i had no problem with them.
@speakeasy (4171)
• United States
22 Aug 10
Where I live there are no mosquitoes. Other insects, either I kill them or may cats do before I even see them. Spiders crawl around in high places where my cats can't get them; so I usually get rid of them myself (or I yell for my husband to come kill them).
When a spider is on the ceiling, I am always afraid it will fall off and land on me!
@marguicha (223308)
• Chile
18 Aug 10
Hi ,
I hate bugs inside my house. Fortunatly, bugs have learned Spanish (my native language) and most of the time they keep their side of the deal. I don´t like any kind of toxic product in my house and specially not in my kitchen. I have never trusted the manufacturers of bug killers.
Spiders are a lot easier to kill than flying bugs. I use a broom or a mop in that case. And the best way to end the story is, of course, the shoe 
.As for the bug killer, I have also discover that the especific bug killers are better than those multi bug ones. I have a product to kill spiders and I spray places like bookshelves when I´m going for a vacation. The smell is enough to kill me so I do it just before leaving.
I have my first battle with ants who are aiming for the house the way my grandmother did: boiling water in the ant holes.
Take care!
.As for the bug killer, I have also discover that the especific bug killers are better than those multi bug ones. I have a product to kill spiders and I spray places like bookshelves when I´m going for a vacation. The smell is enough to kill me so I do it just before leaving.
I have my first battle with ants who are aiming for the house the way my grandmother did: boiling water in the ant holes.
Take care!
• United States
18 Aug 10
i hate spider so much there scary little beings. it nice to know that something so simple can save me from spiders and keep my kitchen toxic free.
@speakeasy (4171)
• United States
22 Aug 10
I know what you mean. I hate spiders, always have since I was a child. But, in the kitchen, I have always worried about accidentally poisoning myself or my family with the sprays. The "kitchen bug spray" sounded like a good idea; but, this works faster and costs less.
