Spiders and tigers and bears, oh my!

[twokniveskatie]

<div>I hate spiders. I would much rather have a tiger or bear in my van than a spider. Then I could just shoot it and be done with it. Spiders are stealthy. We know about stealth.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The link below shows the just-identified spider that has colonized my van. One spider, I could deal with. They are legion, and this is the longest I have gone without sleeping in the van.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Scroll down on the link to see my guys, the black and white Bold Jumping Spiders.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>http://bit.ly/IeXoCu</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Today I am going to gut the van, isolate the contents on the porch of the farmhouse, and eradicate them from the vehicle. . Not sure how yet. I will then inspect all gear before returning to van.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>I'm actually looking forward to this. The van could use a good cleaning and it will be an opportunity to evaluate and photograph my gear, for posting on my blog as promised ages ago. If anyone has any ideas for de-spidering the van, I'd love to hear them. I hate to kill them, can't imagine relocating them, but peaceful coexistence is impossible.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>***edited to shorten link</div>

 

[twokniveskatie]

Okay, I don't know how to make this post narrower. Shortened the link, to no avail. Any ideas? Steve's?

 

[sl1966]

Done!<div><br></div><div>Although it took making you proclaim your love for ponies for a second to fix.</div><div><br></div>

 

[mockturtle]

I'm with you, Katie!&nbsp; Spiders scare me more than rattlesnakes.&nbsp; I've had to deal with a lot of black widows in AZ.&nbsp; They hide by day so I'd go out with a flashlight at night, knock them down and squish them [do NOT try this wearing sandals!].&nbsp; They never, ever came indoors but had webs all around the buildings and vehicles.&nbsp; I killed 19 in one night.&nbsp; [I really hate to kill any creatures but I was truly afraid that these posed a real threat].&nbsp; A tarantula, I would just try to relocate, although I admit to being fascinated by them and might want to study it for a while before sending it on its way.&nbsp; If one ever ended up in my RV I'd probably die on the spot. <img src="https://vanlivingforum.com/images/boards/smilies/eek.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"><br><br>You could try an insect fogger if you could air your van out for a few days afterward.&nbsp; Trouble is, spiders can find hidey-holes just about anywhere and foggers don't always penetrate enough.&nbsp; <br><br>Vigilance and meticulous housekeeping [vankeeping] are probably the best you can hope for to keep the little rascals out.&nbsp; And I am trying to desensitize myself to non-poisonous spiders by observation and admiration.&nbsp; They're here for a purpose. <img src="https://vanlivingforum.com/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"><br><br>

 

[twokniveskatie]

<div>I am suddenly alarmed at the changes you could make to my posts </div><div><br></div>

Done!<div><br></div><div>Although it took making you proclaim your love for ponies for a second to fix.</div><div><br></div>

 

[twokniveskatie]

Mockturtle, I am so glad I am not the only one! I don't know as I could deal with tarantulas at all. I have only been in the southwest in the winter, and haven't seen any. Do they hibernate?? Then again I'm not going out at night looking for them.&nbsp;<div><br></div><div>Mutt and I were amazed at my ability to hurl myself the length of the van from a sleeping position. He is still reluctant to sleep with me. I wonder what dogs think, sometimes. Mama sleeping. Mama shrieking. Mama throws self across van knocking dog ass-over-tincups.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>I must confess that my preference for relocation is more about squeamishness than any Buddhist principles. I would be willing to kill to protect my space, but I abhor guys. Especially big guys. I don't mind human though.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>I will likely just bomb like you said, air it out for a few days, then restock with sleeping pad and bag and a pack of basic gear, until I see if they are really gone.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div><br></div>

 

[yesican]

<p style="margin: 0px;">I feel your fear Katie...really.&nbsp; I won't even pretend the desire to want to pro-exist with spiders.&nbsp; I'd be wrapping&nbsp;that vehicle in plastic and bombing it with a bug bomb "fogger"--ends all wars. &nbsp;It's the American way!!!</p><p style="margin: 0px;">Like Mockturtle, learning to desensitize to spiders OUTDOORS has been going well for me.&nbsp; However...indoors is totally different.</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">Rae</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p>

 

[mockturtle]

That's right, Rae!&nbsp; Our space is our space and we have the right to defend it.&nbsp; That said, I would never kill a frog even if I found it inside my RV.&nbsp; <br><br>Spiders do kill an amazing number of insects, though.&nbsp; And tarantulas kill rodents, too.&nbsp; [Beware of language.&nbsp; You can always turn the sound off. ;-)].<br><a target="_blank" href=""><br></a><br>

 

[mockturtle]

They're actually not very dangerous, I guess.&nbsp; Just creepy.&nbsp; My brother had a pet tarantula in Vietnam and never got bitten.&nbsp; The best thing might be to pick it up with something and take it outside.&nbsp; You DON'T want to step on one.&nbsp; A woman I know did and she said the legs curled up around her foot. <img src="https://vanlivingforum.com/images/boards/smilies/eek.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"><br>

 

[SoulRaven]

There is a very simple solution to spider/bug problems in your van, use a bug bomb... take out all food, strip your bed and wash the sheets etc. and then close up the van tight and fire off the bomb and let it work its magic... When the bomb has done its job nothing will be alive in the van... Then air the van out thoroughly, after that go in with a cleaning solution and scrub down the van, then put everything back in your critter free van and enjoy...<br>

 

[rattlesnake joe]

<p>I was once told that there are more spiders per acre than anything else.&nbsp; They are everywhere.&nbsp; I live in a fiberglass house on wheels that is sealed.&nbsp; My Casita travel trailer is a molded bottom like a bath tub,&nbsp; then the molded top is put on and sealed.&nbsp; It is waterproof and bug proof.&nbsp; It looks like an egg.&nbsp; The only way a spider can get in is by hitching a ride on something I bring in.&nbsp; I was a US Marine and was taught cleanliness with a capital " C ".&nbsp; Keep your area clean and squared away is my advise.&nbsp; Or buy a 17 foot Casita travel trailer and live worry free.&nbsp; I'll even sell you mine with a bug free warranty.</p>

 

[Zap]

My wife has a deathly fear of arachnids. For two nights last summer we caught two&nbsp; tarantula spiders in our little rented cottage. One was strolling across the floor, the other was in the bathroom sink, just below the light switch.<br>

 

[mockturtle]

My wife has a deathly fear of arachnids. For two nights last summer we caught two&nbsp; tarantula spiders in our little rented cottage. One was strolling across the floor, the other was in the bathroom sink, just below the light switch.<br>

&nbsp; If that didn't kill me outright, I'd at least have nightmares for weeks! <br>

 

[twokniveskatie]

Some of these posts will give me nightmares for weeks I am almost grateful for the lack of signal, too weak to do YouTube! I will save the link though, Mockturtle, maybe play it when we are sharing a campfire. Then you can hear me scream like a boy.&nbsp;<div><br></div><div>Y-wave, I am proud owner of the black one with the white smiley face. Actually a whole bunch of them. You know the saying " it takes a village....to evacuate the van".&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>I have learned not to squash spiders for another reason. My dad stepped on one when I was little and the hatchlings....seemed like a million....went scurrying. My mom stayed at grams for a long time.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Soul raven- that's what &nbsp;gonna do. Mutt says not critter- free though </div><div><br></div><div>Rattlesnake Joe, clean and organized is not an issue. I have OCD. Ask the gang who have camped near me about cleaning and arranging my van</div><div> when my mind is in chaos I at least can have neatly folded bloomers!</div>

 

[rattlesnake joe]

<p>Ah twokniveskatie neatly folded bloomers is the first step on the long road to enlightenment.&nbsp; Is not cleanliness next to Godliness?&nbsp; So it follows then...</p>

 

[thinker]

good lord.

 

[mockturtle]

What are you guys smoking, anyway?! <img src="https://vanlivingforum.com/images/boards/smilies/crazy.gif" align="absmiddle" border="0"><br>

 

[karl]

2KK, you crack me up! kinda remind me of a friend - the more stressed she is- the funnier she gets.<br>Agree with Steve, not going to use the b word though- afraid of gov't monitoring, don't cha know<img src="https://vanlivingforum.com/images/boards/smilies/wink.gif" align="absmiddle" border="0"><br>Think I read somewhere how arachnids prefer neatly folded bloomers-&nbsp; <img src="https://vanlivingforum.com/images/boards/smilies/biggrin.gif" align="absmiddle" border="0"><br>

 

[twokniveskatie]

Karl! You make me wanna rip my clothes off!&nbsp;<div><br></div><div>Been awhile since a boy made me feel like that </div>

 

[Les H]

We have those bold black and white critters here too. And they ARE bold, they dont back down easy. Not terribly poisonous, but pretty freaky when something small as a dime stands up to you and says in a Jersy accent "" Hey buddy, whatru lookin at?!?"" frist time I found a black widow under a concrete block, I Definatly jumped back a couple feet. DONTDon't want to mess with them. But the one that really surprised me was the Australian Funnel Web ( about the size of a quarter, then add legs, poisonous but not usually deadly) that I saw here. Seems they like crawl spaces where its dark, damp, AND where the pipes, wires, and insulation is under southern homes in lue of a basement, that I have to go into for work. Yellow jackets with FAA numbers on theirf hind ends, skeeters that draw a pint of blood, OH AND WHILE I'M AT IT, NOONE told me about the scorpions here in Alabama. Jeez, even the plants have stickers, thorns or poison leaves!
( Jk, I love it here compared to Ny :0)

Kate, you scream like a boy?!?