Our house is not haunted with ghosts or goblins.
It is haunted with spiders.
BIG wolf spiders with long legs.
I have found 3 giant ones in the house – and found TWO in our BEDROOM this morning!!! One in the basement. I have never had a spider problem like this, but it’s freaking me out. The vacuum cleaner is my only defense. I don’t want to use a spidericide, but how do I get rid of them!?
Went to Body Pump today with my friends Sara and long time Pumper Catherine who is now my friend and Vanessa my instructor friend and a third friend who reads the blog via the KERF app and said hello! Friends sure make class more fun! Because the weights sure do not 😉
Lunch was a tasting plate of veggies, chips, and coconut black bean dip
Plus a smoothie! Made with 1 cup milk, 1 cup berries, 1 cup spinach, and about 3 tbsp of Vega chocolate mix – leftover from a blog event a while ago. It was like chocolate milk with a fruity zing!
Wheatberries on top for some chew
It’s First Friday, which means downtown will be bumpin tonight! Since we’re headed out of town, I’ve let the fridge get empty so we’ll likely go out for dinner tonight. Fun times!
Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat says
LOL I thought that the things on top of your smoothie were popcorn kernels for a second and figured you’d completely lost it! 😛 Have fun at dinner tonight!
Liz says
Ha! I thought that’s what they looked like, too 😀
Michaela says
me TOO!!! I was like “noooooooooooo way” 😀
I love the plate, Kath!
Kalie says
I hate spiders
Allison says
I know the spider problem all too well! Spray all your window sills, doorways, or anywhere else you suspect they’re creeping in with lemon Pledge. It helped us out a lot when we were having the problem…hope it works for you too!
KathEats says
Oh good advice – do you think other essential oil spray would work?
Allison says
I believe it’s the lemon scent that steers them away, so I would imagine if you used a lemon scented essential oil spray, that would do the trick too.
KathEats says
OK – I’ll look for some lemony things!
emily says
We filled a spritz bottle with water and then added 3 oz (or so) of lemon essential oil and it’s been working pretty well.
Deva @ Deva by Definition says
There is a natural insecticide that we used that uses lemon oil and either thyme and rosemary. We sprayed it all around the doors, windows, etc. It helped. If that doesn’t work, spider spray around all the windows and doors – but on the outside. it does help, but it’s not the most pleasant scent!
Jo says
Spiders don’t like lavender either, so if you don’t have lemon, lavender essential oil probably would work.
Andrea says
Be careful vaccuuming them up to! They can crawl right back out of the vaccuum!
Emily says
Did you know you were nominated for a “Best Blog” by Shape magazine? Check it out: http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/shape-best-blogger-awards-20-healthy-eating-blogs-make-us-go-mmmmm?page=7
I voted for you!!!
KathEats says
I just saw that – thank you!
Christine @ Oatmeal in my Bowl says
Congrats on the nomination.
Delicious Smoothie too!
Johanna B says
At first I thought the wheatberries were popcorn kernals. I couldn’t imagine. Glad you identified them.
lynn @ the actor's diet says
we’ve got a lot of spiders lately too. i think they’re biting me too!
Cait's Plate says
I adore that jar! And the addition of wheatberries. I also 100% approve of your blue corn chips + black bean dip – SUCH a good combo 🙂
Natalie says
try not to vacuum the spiders. they can live in there. a friend of mine once found a few dozen baby spiders coming out of the hose. one must have survived and laid eggs. i would squash them or let them outside. good luck.
KathEats says
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How else do I get them!?
Natalie says
I’m not sure. If you have a really strong vacuum it will probably be ok! Don’t worry! Or, when you vacuum them, just make sure you empty the bag soon after. Good luck!
And, I wish there was a bakery like yours in Canada. I would go often!
Caro says
Yes! My father once saw a spider crawl out of the vacuum cleaner after he vacuumed it.
KathEats says
Ahhhh! I really hoped the roughness of it would work… I keep it running as I return it to the basement
Eileen says
yikes!!! I think you got the vacuum advice from me… I have been doing that for years and never saw anything crawl out, but I guess it depends on the vacuum. I am just too wimpy to squish them though ~ hate dealing with guts :-/ Last night, after finding a stink bug in the office, I just shut the door to trap it inside and moved to another room. Haha. I’m so passive-aggressive when it comes to bugs!
KathEats says
Yeah I leave it on for a while!!
Pamela @ Girl Gone West says
I’ve had a serious spider problem at my new apartment – they’re EVERYWHERE. My couch, my shower curtain, my lunch bag – and all different kinds, too! I’ve just gotten brave with a shoe, a thick paper towel, and the sink (or toilet). You can do it!!!!
Kate says
I agree… don’t vacuum them! They will come back when you least expect it. Ugh!
Keelie says
SPIDERS= LAME. Your eats = awesome!
Angie @ Musings of a Violet Monkey says
Eeeek… we’ve had a spider problem lately, too. It’s something in the weather, lately, I think. Luckily, ours have been “living” outside – but they try to dart inside when we open the door at night. Ick. Killed a wolf spider the other night, as big as a 50-cent piece. :{
I can’t wait for the first freeze… that should help!
~
Kelly says
OMG, I empathize…. I was getting ready for bed the other night and killed one spider and a black beatley type bug within a couple of minutes of each other. Boy, did I have the “creeps” that whole night. Yuck, I can’t stand spiders! Thanks for asking for suggestions on what to do, I’m takin notes!
cville Kelly says
Kath, I’m having the same problem! I HATE spiders, but what I do is take a huge(!) wad of toliet paper, gently pick them up and then run as FAST AS POSSIBLE to the toliet and flush the creepy little suckers! Gives me the heebie jeebies just thinking about it!
KathEats says
I could NEVER get that close to one and feel it squirm in my hand!!!!!!!!
Sarah says
I’ve been told my a few people that this year just seems worse spider wise. I have a live and let live mentality but not when it comes to my shower or my bedroom, maybe because I close my eyes there so I can’t keep track of them. Has anyone ever tried hedgeballs? Do they work?
Meredith says
Yikes! I don’t know which sounds worse, camel crickets or wolf spiders… *shudder*
Are you guys going to any art galleries for First Fridays? I think I am going to go *somewhere* with a co-worker, she is brand spankin’ new to Cville so I want to show her a good time! We should meet up!
Katie @ Peace Love and Oats says
oh my goodness I would be freaking out too. I don’t mind small spiders, but WOLF SPIDERS?? I remember we always found those when we rolled out the mats down at the riflery range at summer camp and they scared the mess out of me! That smoothie looks good though, mine are always like strawberry milkshakes, but I keep meaning to make a chocolaty one!
Sweet and Savvy says
Eww on the spiders!! I think it is the changing of the seasons. They are looking for warm refuge 🙁 They should find it somewhere else! Last year, there was the biggest spider of my life in my bedroom! It was honestly bigger than my hand… and of course my dad was not home.. sigh.
By the way, coconut and black bean dip sounds like such a yummy and interesting combo 🙂
Annette @ EnjoyYourHealthyLife says
oh man, I HATE spiders. I would say to use spray….or just kill ’em with your bare hands 😉
Your smoothie sounds deeeelish!
Laura says
Get sticky mats to catch the spiders. It will also give you an idea of how many you actually have. We had a big brown recluse problem and put sticky mats all over the house. It helped us to know how many we had, where they were, and where we needed to spray poison. I know it’s not the best choice to spray poison, but if it involves poisonous critters, I kind of don’t care.
KathEats says
Is that a special spider mat?
Kristie says
I think she means these: http://www.amazon.com/Victor-Poison-Free-M293-Spider-4-Pack/dp/B001538FEO.
Jennifer says
Those work! They look EXACTLY like the ones that Orkin puts around in the house. The spiders crawl but can’t crawl out. 🙂
KathEats says
Sold.
Ashley says
I haven’t personally tried it, but some of my friends swear by hazelnuts…apparently you just drill some hills in them, and leave them in the corners of the room…
KathEats says
Interesting!!
Ashley says
Holes*
Anna says
Your lunch is all Halloween colors! Love it 🙂
Ashley says
Try Diatomaceous Earth. I purchase my DE at a feed store. It is fossilized skeletal remains of phytoplankton (?). It dehydrating insects by cutting into the exoskelton, and the dehydration causes the bug to die. It doesn’t nend to be ingested, it simply must come in contact with the bug.
Its Awesome! I use it in my basement for spiders and crickets.
Courtney says
I was told about DE when I had problems with carpenter ants. The gentleman said to wear a mask and goggles because it can cut your insides if inhaled. If cats or dogs get into the stuff it can kill them so be careful.
Ashley @ My Food 'N' Fitness Diaries says
Oh boy, I hate spiders so much – definitely one of my biggest fears!
Your lunch plate looks so colorful – yum!
Sarah@The Flying ONION says
Have fun dining out tonight! 😀
Zoe @ loseweightandgainhealth says
Here in England we are also having a bad spider problem at the moment. If I find them in the sink or bath I pour boiling water on them which kills them quickly. Do not hit one with a shoe – I did that once and made a hole in my wall!
If you Google “spider deterrent” you should find a plug in device that emits a noise we can’t hear but they can and is supposed to keep them away. Also ‘conkers’ from a horse chestnut tree. Although a friend of mine has tried both those and still gets them!
I like the lemon tip and will try that.
Hilliary @ Happily Ever Healthy says
Spiders freak me out! Your lunch looks delicious though!
Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga says
Spiders…once when I moved into a new house, we had a horrible spider problem. It was new construction though. I learned from pest control companies like Orkin that it isn’t effective to kill spiders with bug spray b/c of their exoskeleton and it’s impervious to the spray. So you have to get creative. Good luck on that one.
And your smoothie looks great!
Jennifer says
Yes, our pest company told us the same thing.
SkinnyRunner says
i heard something on the radio this morning about fears so i was thinking about mine… spiders. like i start to have major anxiety thinking about them.
i would bomb the whole house multiple times. and if that didnt work, id use grenades. what can i say, they FREAK me out.
kathleen @ the daily crumb says
love the colorful lunch plate!
spiders are definitely up there on my list of fears. yuckyyy!
Health Bee says
The chips look good. Where did you get them?
KathEats says
Whole Foods brand
Lauren @ What Lauren Likes says
Ugh I hate spiders! That would definetly freak me out!
Meghan @ Day-to-Day Crazy says
Spiders are sooOOO gross… hope you can get rid of them soon!
Johanna B says
My basement is full of brown recluse and my laundry room is down there. Every time I do laundry I worry about them getting on me. I completely identify.
Angela @ PattycakesnPancakes says
Coconut brown bean dip! Oh my!!! I’ve got blue corn chips. This I have to make!
Ashley @ Coffee Cake and Cardio says
I don’t mind spiders but the thought of them crawling on me when I’m sleeping freaks me out.
Emmy (WIne and Butter) says
Hi Kath
I have no idea about spiders because I actually kind of like them (weird I know!) but I just wanted to say your smoothie thing looks amazing. Im not generally a fan of powders… but youve really inspired me to make something similar – maybe just a hot chocolate with whole milk!
Anyways I also wanted to do some shamless self publicity and say I have just spent the afternoon researching alcohol for my blog and I would love love love to discuss the results with anyone who fancied checking out my blog. I hope commenting with that doesnt make me sound like too much of an a$$.
Enjoy your weekend! xoxo
Angel7 says
Oh my goodness!!! … My husband despises spiders, and I do not like them either!!! To think of one possibly crawling on us at night scares me!!! Maybe you should have the house professionally sprayed to get rid of them.
Talk about filled to the brim — you could not get any more smoothie in that cup if you tried 🙂
http://faithfulsolutions.blogspot.com/
Jennifer says
Oh, my heart goes out to you. I do NOT like spiders of any size.
We had those huge wolf spiders in Florida after we had our house built. Apparently, they came out of the wood. Scary things and they would put up their front legs and charge us! EWW!!!! I hope the lemon stuff works. Never heard of that before but I’m going to try it up here in PA for the smaller spiders we have.
Good luck!!!
Melanie says
Ah, you gotta love wolf spiders. I’ve had them crawl on me while in bed. But no vacuuming them! They can survive and reproduce in there. Nightmares galore right there. I typically use a large glass and place it over the spider, slide a thick piece of paper underneath, and either take it outside or flush it down the toilet.
Kerry says
Spiders totally freak me out too! Once a few years ago, I woke up to a GIANT spider lowering itself down from the ceiling toward my face. I jumped out of bed and ran from the room. The spider got away, and I didn’t sleep in my bedroom for about a week after that. I wish I knew of a good way to get rid of them without using chemical sprays.
Also, your smoothie looks delicious, and I LOVE the dog jar. Where did you find it?
KathEats says
Lagunitas brewing!
Tracey says
Kerry, that makes me not want to go to sleep tonight! Yikes galore.
Khushboo says
Letting the fridge empty up is something I just cannot do…always replenish it before I “need” to.
jim says
you might consider sucking up some insecticide into your vacuum cleaner, just spray it at the hose and turn on the power for enough time to get the chemicals into the device. I wouldn’t want to wonder if they were living in there.
Sarah @ Sarah's Modern Bites says
That smoothie looks DECADENT! I really love Vega… I just wish it wasn’t so darn expensive! They have a new sports protein as well as a powdered sports drink… I call it running crack because it is that amazing… I couldn’t believe it the first time I tried it… it’s called Vega Sports Optimizer or something… I don;t buy it often because I would go broke but it’s definitely a special treat 😀
I’m so sorry about your spidey problem… that would freak me out too… I wouldn’t be able to sleep! I’m sure you’ll find a way to fix it ASAP! Good luck and Happy Weekend!
Rosa - Fitness, Food, Fulfilled says
That smoothie looks so good!
And I’m not sure why bugs insist on coming indoors. They certainly are not welcome in my house!
Erica says
Kath! We had the same lunch today! Yesterday I made your coconut black bean dip and today i ate it with a bunch of veggies and popchips. SOOOO delicious! Thank you so much.
Sara says
My friends and I were just discussing this the other day…
I believe it’s CHESTNUTS that keep spiders away!! If you put some in a bowl and keep them around the house. Research chestnuts and spiders to see if thats correct, but I remember my mom always having bowls of them around the house 🙂
Yuk!
Molly @ RDexposed says
I know that dog!! Lagunitas glass jar?? I’m sure the brewers intended the jar to be filled with other beverages of sorts. Put that on your to do list for the weekend! 🙂
Mandy says
Try diatomaceous earth for the spiders (and insects) – it’s harmless, earth friendly, and I’ve been spider free for years.
Becca says
The wheatberries on top of the smoothie makes such a cool picture. I love how the smoothie is rising up around them. It’s like the berries just jumped onto a soft smoothie bed!
Kelli says
I know no one wants to hear this… but non-deadly spiders are our friends! They eat insects and are part of a healthy ecosystem. I definitely recommend essential oil usage. The citrus oils are also good natural deterrents for roaches.
Jillian says
Agreed! I’m always surprised how many people are actually scared of spiders. I carry them out to a tree or bush, but only so my kittens don’t get to them 😉
Kelli says
Haha, I do the same. I sometimes feel badly about ruining webs when I’m cleaning. My older brother is actually terrified of spiders. He almost dropped a huge hardcover unabridged dictionary on my pet hermit crab when we were kids, because he mistook it for a spider!
Karen says
We must be having some sort of national spider outbreak b/c I too have squished so many spiders in the past week, and I’m not a bug magnet like you. In fact, I can’t recall ever spotting more than one or two a year. Spiders don’t scare me though; roaches do!
HUGE congrats on your Shape Magazine nomination…so well deserved!
Have a wonderful, safre trip and have fun at your reunion, Kath!
chelsey @ clean eating chelsey says
We get SO many spiders in our house in the fall and winter. It’s disgusting. I hate it!
Kel@The Kel Show says
I had to google wolf spider as I have never encountered one.
OMG! Consider moving. Just kidding of course! You are handling this far better than I would!
Ellie@fitforthesoul says
oOOo have fun tonight! And I’ve never ever heard of wolf spiders and I hope you’re safe and careful! (I googled like person above me) Wow…they look crazy.
wendy sue says
oh god my house has those stupid spiders too- they jump and it’s freaky. Don’t know about your place, but I have a lot of shade over my house, so it’s can be a bit dampish. My last place got tons of sunshine all day and I never had spider problem there.
I even used bug-getta insectide outside my house and I still have them. Try the Blue Ridge Eco Shop(my friend Paige owns it) for a natural solution maybe.
Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin says
Sometimes I miss living in a house, but one of the things I do like about living in an apartment is no spiders! I guess they’re too lazy to crawl up to the 8th floor. 😛
B n B says
Love Halloween and your title makes me want a movie weekend of haunted house movies.
That smoothie looks delish – just like chocolate milk! Is the Vega “chalk-y”?
KathEats says
Not really…it’s pretty good
Katherine says
We had one of those wolf spiders in our laundry room not too long ago and I think my heart rate hit 200! They freak me out!! I was convinced one of my kids would find one and try to play with it and/or eat it and was paranoid for weeks. I haven’t seen anymore and hope that is because we don’t have any!
I’m kind of curious how you managed to drink any of that smoothie without spilling??? It is right to the tippy top of that glass! Haha! I don’t think you could even get a straw in there without some spillage. 🙂
I’m planning on getting some coconut butter this weekend… pumped to try it! Have fun at your reunion!
KathEats says
I just slurped!!
Emma (Emma+Jacob) says
I loooove looking at your posts! Makes me love food even more. I guess I’ve been skimming through too many blogs on healthy living that feature unbelievably teeny weeny portions that makes me wonder that if such small portions are called meals, what in the world are snacks?
Quick question – how long would the coconut black bean dip last in the fridge?
Thanks so much!
KathEats says
Maybe about a week tops?
Stacey says
Find a way to scoop them into a dust pan, and then put them outside? Or kind of push them with something into a shoe box, and then put them outside? There’s got to be a better way than sucking them into a vacuum cleaner!
kristinichole says
Ahhhh WOLF spiders in your BEDROOM??! Pack it all back up and move out!! Haha but seriously, I usually take off my shoe and chuck it at them. Old school style 🙂
von says
Puttng out “sticky pads”, whether specifcally marketed for spiders or for mice, and leaving them for several+ months will work a total miracle for spider reduction. We discovered this purely by accident (we just thought we were catching the spiders), but over time as more and more spiders are caught–and die–on the pads, the less exist to lay eggs. The pads will need to be changed from time to time, but this is SO worth it. We stumbled our way into this when we moved 7 yrs. ago; we probably left the pads out for at least 6 months and now we rarely see a spider of much size as opposed to the wolf spiders and camel crickets that we felt infested with upon first moving.
Obviously, sealing up holes, crackes, etc., through which pests can easily come into your home is of great importance, too.
Good luck! (Who wants to pay a mortage to put up spiders and other critters!!!)
Tracy says
Do you have “hedgeapple” trees in Virginia? We have a couple trees in our yard and have literally hundreds of “hedge balls” in our yard. You can place the big green balls strategically in your house and the spiders stay away. They really work! You can also buy them at some farmers’ markets, but I’m not sure about your location. Here’s a link: http://hedgeapple.com/
KathEats says
Oh fun – I remember those!! I’ll look out for one around town
Tracy says
btw I live in a Kansas City suburb, so definitely a different region than you!
Julia H. @ The Petite Spiel says
It’s a good thing your house isn’t haunted because I think those hungry ghosts might steal your yummy food!
As for the spiders, though, I would probably be screaming if I were in your shoes. Even small spiders get that reaction out of me–I usually have to have someone else go kill them.
Kristi @ Hiding in Honduras says
Spiders…ick!! Welcome to my world…wolf spiders as big as your hand, tarantulas, and scorpions are all a common occurrence here! I don’t know how I’ve been able to survive it but eventually you get tough! I will definitely commit to memory some of the tips of others to try when back in the States, though!
Courtney says
I’m happy to hear I’m not the only one over the spider invasion this year! I have never killed as many spiders as I have this year at our house in Ohio. I’ve lived in various states and never had issues before. Orkin treatment does not help either!
Becs in Britain says
Hi hun, hope you’re having a great weekend 🙂 on your spider problem, my mum-in-law swears by putting conkers in the corners of rooms, and on window ledges, mantel pieces etc not sure why this is supposed to work, but I know quite a few people who do it! Hope that helps. Becs. x
~Christy @ wonderofallthings says
I heard it’s a really bad year for spiders. Have you ever heard of “hedgeballs”? It’s a fruit of some kind (not edible) that shows up in grocery stores around here at least (in MN) this time of year and its purpose is to keep out spiders and mice. You put them on a little piece of tinfoil (to prevent any staining as they decompose) in the corners of a room and let them grow old. No smell, no mess, no spiders. We’ve used them at our cabin and our basement of our house for years. Work like a charm!
Andrea says
I hate spiders too – they FREAK ME OUT! I’ve heard that if you place hedge apples (hedge balls) around the foundation it will keep spiders out…? I live in the midwest so I don’t know if you have hedge trees in VA. Best of luck to you – I don’t think I could sleep!
Andrea says
Don’t know why I don’t learn my lesson about reading all the posts, but yeah, what Christy said!