Okay, I noticed the discussion about mosquitoes and how spiders are useful in getting rid of them etc. But I would anyday have mosquitoes sucking my blood than spiders in my room (I have arachnophobia - self diagnosed..... I cannot sleep if I've seen one and I feel like there are spiders crawling all over me).

And unfortunately I've seen a couple in my place! HELP! What do I do to get rid of these arachnoids. Are there any bug sprays here and if so an anyone tell me what they are called (brand names please, my german is non-existent, so I have no idea what I am looking at in stores and I do no want to live in fear until I learn the language).

I used to use one for cockroaches and those sprays kill anything that moves. Any equivalents here?

Also any posionous varieties here? (my imagination is further fueling my fear).

I have a similar 'ug' feeling towards spiders. I have found two methods most effective:

1) Find a tolerant girlfriend (or partner of your chosing) willing to take care of the dirty work without judging you for standing on a stool in the corner, or (after you stop srieking) accusing her of being an inhumane murderer.

2) A trick I leaned when still in Toronto with a coakroach problem. I lived on the 13th floor and when I found one or the little bastards (on the cieling especially - argggg), I would get a bucket full of hot water and a broom stick and get him into the water to roast a bit, then throw him out the window - meanwhile yelling abusive warnings to the rest of his family that if they do not leave them and their 72,000 children will suffer the same fate. It didn't solve the problem, but it definitely made me feel better...

Andrew

Have that, but when she travels, and I see one, what do I do?

That is hilarious (and I am thinking about it). Fortunately I've seen no roaches (and I hope I never will). ugh.... these bloody spiders...... I managed to chase one out of the window without having to get too close, but there's another one that ran into the bathroom..................!
Thanks, though, I'll keep you posted if I find another (less embarassing) solution!

Heya there

Having grown up in Australia where dangerous spiders are simply a fact of life im pretty much used to them however they are NOT allowed in my house.

My partner being a creatures-of -all-descriptions-lover refuses to kill them for me. So when hes not around I spray them til they are white. But be comforted in the fact that apparently the spiders in Switzerland are harmless ( small comfort I know but better than having a Sydney Funnelweb take up residence )

As for buying spray to get rid of them , I found looking at the pictures to be the best way when my german was non-existant or even now when I have no idea what something is called. You should be able to find that sort or stuff in most larger supermarkets or if not try Jumbo ( a gardening- DIY superstore).

Hope this helps

Enjoy
kt

This is an old thread so I may be a bit too late to help! But anyway, Migros and pretty much everywhere I think (in Basel anyway) they sell a spider spray. It is in a yellow can and has a picture of a big nasty one on the can.

This yellow can has become by best friend in Summer as the local spider population bring their extended family over to our place and take up residence on our balcony.

The spray works brilliantly! It can also be used as a deterrent to keep the little buggers away and lasts for many weeks. It really really works and is WONDERFUL stuff! I wish I could have got this stuff in the UK when I lived there!

Hope you can find some of this stuff in your area - otherwise I could open a new ebay store!

Better run now, before the Spider Protection League find me.....

cheesenonion

Sydney funnel webs are cool. Just get the cat to play with it (cats are immune to funnelweb poison for some reason). But now I know why my parents were so paranoid when we played in the garden as kids - they didn't have an anti-venom then.

My husband is slightly less scared of spiders than I am, so he usually disposes of them. But I always pray that his annual military stint doesn't happen during summer, because then there's no-one to kill them and I have to sleep with the bedroom window closed!
I've started spritzing them with window-cleaner which stuns them long enough for me to wack them with my shoe. I can't kill a moving spider because I've convinced myself that it'll jump on my face and bite me to death.

Im in shock... what are these spiders everyone is talking about... I didnt think Switzerland had proper spiders (Ive seen tiny ones and daddy-long-legs)... are they big... I am terrified of spiders (huntsman types esp)... are there any like that here... I thought I had bid farewell to spiders when I left Sydney, please inform me of what I am to expect come summer!!!

Heya

As I said above most of them, and if you believe my fiancee all, are harmless to humans.

And I can say that in my year here in Switzerland , I have not seen anything bigger then a daddy long legs.

Hope thats a comfort..

kt

Yellow spray can with a (shudder) picture of a spider, huh? Alright I'll hunt for it tomorrow....will keep you posted on how it works.

Just out of curiosity: Have you ever seen a doctor about this? I believe arachnophobia is very well "curable" and yellow cans don't last forever..

Yep, yellow can. In amoungst the mosquito repellants etc.

As for the size of the little devils, no they are not terantula size. (phew!) However, when they are ganging up on you one warm, summers eveing and holding you hostage in your appartment, because to go out of the balcony door you have to come face to face with one of the family, it's just not funny!

I wish I could send my two cats out there to sort them out but all they can do is lick their lips and paw pathetically at the window pane.

It's all very silly I know! Funnilly enough, I can cope with the spindly house ones that just sit in the corner of the room, predictably.

English house spiders used to really freak me out simply because they would jump out on you in the middle of a nice relaxing episode of Eastenders (relaxing???) causing you to jump out of your skin and spend the rest of the evening with the hoover nozzle in one hand, a glass in the other and slippered feet!

Fortunately in our appartment it's mainly the balcony residents who cause the problems because they just love to pop down from the sky and kiss you on the face in the middle of your summers evening chat with a friend or read a book with a nice glass of wine relaxation session. Little darlings.

Perhaps I should find a hypnotist or something? But then it would be a family affair cos no one likes them taking over the balcony. And I don't like killing creatures but it's a matter of them or me!

cheesenonioncrazyspiderhatingperson

Im not worried about whether they are harmless or not - a funnelweb and a huntsman are equally scary.... I just dont like big furry/hairy ones... they seriously terrify me... does anyone know if there are big furry ones here?

If you are talking Tarantula(?) type big and furry, then you are quite safe.

Clearing old wood out of a barn last week I was approached at speed by 4 very large black ones (bigger than any I've ever seen). My Swiss girlfriend is convinced they were black widows (no matter what I said she wouldn't believe contrary) but they ran far too fast for me to catch and kill. Is that normal here?

I thought I was the only arachnophobic freak! Thank god for this forum.

Anyway, for those who would like to know the name of this spray it is called "finito". Found it in the aisle where you find mops etc. It had a picture of a cockroach (there were others with ants etc. but I figured that if it can kill a roach it can kill anything).

I sprayed randomly around my windows and at one point a medium sized spider just dropped dead. So the spray works. Thanks all!!

Seriously I hate to kill creatures for no reason, but I just want them to stay away... apparently the spray works to keep them away too. (disclaimer to make myself feel better)

I found a great way to kill crane flies/ daddy long legs.
I think it's slightly more humane than pulling legs and wings off.

Hot water, not too hot to scald yourself but more than lukewarm.

In the summer I wander round the house with a pint glass full of hot water, grab a daddy long legs, dunk it in the water, it seems to die instantly. This may work for spiders, I haven't tried yet as they tend to be harder to catch - especially the big black hairy house spiders we get in the Wiltshire countryside they are really fast! Oh I think I just heard andrew1306 shrieking

Obviously this tip is no good for you wusses that can't go near them!

Chris

My skin is crawling and my heart is racing on this topic but I just have to know... how big is the biggest... Ive seen huntsmans the size of a plate and that is just plain wrong - if there is anything bigger then say 5 cm diameter Id like to prepare myself... ie down in the cellar am I going to turn around and see some furry spider staring at me and let out a scream louder then any Swiss person has ever heard!!!!

Hi Victoria, I think Baris had a point - if the problem is as bad as you say then you should probably seek treatment for it. I grew up in a few countries with big spiders (Australia included) so it never bothered me. I don't mind them in the house - in fact I *like* having spiders in the house because they catch all those damn mosquitos in the summer.

In Australia of course there were screens on all the doors and windows so the mozzies weren't an issue. I usually killed any funnel webs I found in the house, but spiders such as the huntsman usually see themselves out when it cools down outside.

As for the spiders I've seen in Switzerland I haven't seen very many that would get my pulse racing in terms of size. Of course the definition of "big" varies according to what people are used to seeing. "huge" might mean 4cm to some people. The biggest I've seen was in my cellar but it was probably only 8cm across(including legs, body probably only 0.5cm), I think I've only seen one of that size in the 6 years since I've been here.

But look on the bright side - they will all be much more scared of you than you are of them! The only spider which concerns me is the funnel web because they are angry and agressive little buggers - but you have *nothing* like here!

Here's something my girlfriend photographed a couple of months back:

But don't worry - it was in MEXICO

Baris was talking to the other arachnophobe on here but yes I should have seen someone years ago!! My problem came from a bad incident with a funnel web as a child and I have never gotten over it!!! That photo was awful and I am glad it wasnt here... I am shaking all over from it!! Ok, well Im not going down to the cellar anymore! Thank you for letting me know what to expect!