First it was three bats that got into the house. First bat went straight to the ceiling and just hung there until I got my son's kiddy bug net from the dollar store to catch it. Second bat two weeks later went missing for a few hours until I saw it's little hands hanging from candle holders that were outside that I had placed them on the kitchen counter. Put a big box over everything and slid cardboard under to get it outside. The third bat got in maybe from the basement outside door and flew around the house until I got the door open and it flew out. Then there were the three jumbo sized spiders that someone thinks were called wolf spiders. One in the shower with me, one I watched in the basement rafters until I got dizzy and woke up my DH and the third in the living room. The next scare was the three snakes. Had been painting the basement and must have disturbed the caulking around the window. Went down to do laundry and there was one snake stretched out a crossed the window ledge. Found out real soon my DH is dreadfully afraid of snakes so I looked around and got the double tipped skewers used for campfires and twirled it around and got it outside. Came back in and there was another one just falling onto the floor. Chased it down and no sooner I looked up at the window again and there was a third one. My DH quickly jumped up on the washer and with a caulk gun I had been using and caulked the heck out of the window. These three snakes were all the same size so we are thinking it was a live birth as opposed to eggs. Needless to say I used to win the screaming contests with my older sister so I did a lot of screaming and everyone stayed locked in their bedrooms while I was usually left to deal. After all we do live in a forested area and they really need to stay out of the house. The bats may have been attracted to the lights in the house as our security light was hit by lightening and wasn't working at the time when they got in.

I would not have coped with any of these things not even one of them. I feel sick at the site of spiders and I have never been confronted with a bat or a snake. I had a grasshopper in my studio yesterday and could not do a thing until I got it out. I tried throwing stuff at it. putting the fan on it. but when I tried to get near it I just felt sick. I know that a grasshopper won't hurt me but there is no logic involved when a phobia is involved. Last year I digitized a spider for my website and I had to do it with my eyes closed, well sort of I had to keep looking away from the screen and collecting myself then looking back at it. You would think living in Australia I would be used to insects and spiders.

1 comment

by capoodle 28 Feb 2011

Had some crickets in the basement and when you try to get them think that they will be jumping so I used a broom and came down ahead of where they might jump not where you see them. When we got the termite treatment hadn't seen much of anything. Think the crickets were attracted to the potatoes that we used to keep in a cool spot.

Oh i hate bats we used to get them in our house 55 years ago & i would just leave till my hero dad would come home & catch them .I am shivering just thinking about them :(:(carolyn

1 comment

by capoodle 28 Feb 2011

I babysat for the lady across the street when I was a teen and she told me about waking up to something touching her (not at this house) and when she saw it was a bat calmly scooted out of the bed and called the fire department. They are less confrontational than a spider bit but still belong outside.

Glad that wasn't me! spiders I can manage - bats and snakes - NOT!
I've had a bat where I worked. I'd had to walk by it and at first hadn't noticed it as it moved over a bit after I went by (it was in the back of the store where we kept stock). When I got what I wanted and was headed back to the store area. As I was coming up to where the bat was I looked and at first didn't realize what it was and then it moved (musst have been injured). I looked around for something to hit it with or cover it or something! Then I saw a half full box and grabbed it and pushed it down on the bat hoping that would keep it in place or knock it out. I knew my dh would be showing up in a couple hours and I could geat him to take care of it. Which he did.
Hope you take it easy from all your creatures for a bit - that's enough for a while!

1 comment

by capoodle 28 Feb 2011

Yes, I'm hoping the trio of three's are over for a very long time. We have replaced caulking and weather stripping and this should have solved most of the entry points. They will move in if your not vigilant that's for sure.

Yesterday my DH killed the first poisonous snake of the season, but it was outdoors. I would not be so calm if they were in the house! You're very brave!

1 comment

by capoodle 28 Feb 2011

When I realized how terrified my DH was of the snakes I knew I had to step up. They were a strange color with coral on the belly cream on the sides and a black top. Never did figure out what kind of snakes they were. Were told that snakes of different kinds will winter together so they must have been a hybrid type. They were about two feet long and not much bigger around than a fat pencil. Not sure if they were poisonous.

so if there is a winner on this Sunday, of the scary story i don't know , but i have enjoyed it, i don't know what that says about me,? but i did have a good laugh. on anther night i will tell you about a hotel in Ireland that when i turn on the lights there were bats on the ceiling o i guess i just did ,good night and hugs all around Toni lee

1 comment

by capoodle 28 Feb 2011

I'm guessing you didn't sleep in that hotel room that night. It's not uncommon for bats to get in they don't need but a sliver of an opening.

We sometimes have small snakes in the garden and lots of spiders but bats I am terrified of. If one came into the house I would have to move out!!!

1 comment

by capoodle 28 Feb 2011

I surprised myself of course after finishing screaming at how I dealt with getting them out of the house. Just knew I would not be sleeping until they were out. There should be some type of big bug vacuum to suck them up so you don't have to get too close.

oh golly me, are you ever brave. not me i would have been hanging down from the ceiling together with the bat, screaming blue murder.every one in the neighbour would hear me.my false theeth would be laying on the floor, helping me scream...lol

1 comment

by capoodle 28 Feb 2011

To catch the bat I put on leather work gloves and used my son's insect net. It made a screech sound but wasn't confrontational. I was shaking for a while after the incident. The second bat was easier to catch after it was found. With the first two we shut off most of the lights but the third bat I put all the lights on so it kept flying hitting the floor once and then a few more circles around the room and my screams it flew out the door. We did find that the wind had blown off a cap of the eaves so we made a plastic flap for if there were anymore bats to get out but they can't get back in. Found the missing part to the eaves in the woods and we used construction adhesive and screws so it should never come off again. We now walk around the house looking for any missing parts.

I can not stand spider webs-they're just so large ,sticky & refuse to come off if you walk into them. At night I go down the backyard with a torch in 1 hand & a stick being waved madly from side to side to break any webs in the other. The spiders insist on redoing the webs again & again, why don't they move elsewhere I was here first

2 comments

by capoodle 28 Feb 2011

A spider found a place on my daughter's car and webbed her lift gate every night. She went through the car wash several times and the web was back the next morning. Finally caught it making a web at dusk and took insecticide to it. They just don't go away easily.

by bevintex 28 Feb 2011

when I walk through one i just know there is a big old spider in my hair. I imagine i can even feel it crawling on me , even if there is no spider in sight for 3 miles i KNOW it is on me! LOL
Bev

Great scott!! I'd still be screaming if snakes were in my house! Don't like spiders, but can kill them, bats...don't care for them either. Then bears, bobcats, skunks...makes my raccoon seem downright tame! You keep those critters over on your side of the mountain...please!! :-)

1 comment

by capoodle 28 Feb 2011

You wouldn't believe what you will find out and about at night in the city, creature wise. I've lived both city and country (now mountains/forest) and these just can be in any setting.

I don't think I will be coming to visit you any time in the near or distant future, lol! Take care and hang in there, hope the worst is over!

1 comment

by capoodle 27 Feb 2011

After removing old caulking and replacing it with a few dozen new tubes and having a termite service come I'm glad to say we haven't had any problems except with the occasional ladybug that gets in.

At least it wasn't the 3 bears!! There is always an upside! I hate critters as well... Never seen a bat up close and personal tho. I think the snakes would have creeped me out worse than the spiders. We have wolf spiders here and they get pretty big. This will be our first year in our house (we now live out in the woods) and I'm afraid of the snakes. Everyone has a story for how to get rid of snakes - mothballs, snake away.... I dunno.... I don't like em and I just want them to live somewhere else! I would never have been able to carry them out of my house alive. It would have required a shovel to beat them to death or a neighbor to get rid of them for me!

1 comment

by capoodle 27 Feb 2011

There were bear paw prints in the basement before the door was put up. After my son and myself mentioned the bobcat it walked right by my husband while he was sitting out in the swing. Don't get me started with the skunks. They spray all the time especially when the wind isn't blowing the smell away.

Okay needed to hear this story! Makes my day seem
way better.
Lets hope the wildlife find better places to be!

1 comment

by capoodle 28 Feb 2011

I think when the leaves are off the trees the creatures/insects are trying to find new homes.

All I can say is I'm glad it happened to you and not to me! I don't like any of the three and probably would have wet my pants fron fright! LOL

1 comment

by capoodle 28 Feb 2011

Not fond of them but my DH was in the shower every single time the bats got in the house so I had to get brave real fast for my kids. Knew there would be no sleeping until they were out.

I'm sorry-but I had to laugh-all I can picture is two grown adults jumping and screaming all over the place. Snakes and bats I can take, but spiders!!!!!!ooohh give me the ebee-jeebies.

1 comment

by capoodle 27 Feb 2011

I screamed and he just didn't want to deal with the problem. We have had a very good laugh about it later.

Wolf spiders Yuck. They are kind of furry and Big. Had one on the bathroom tile once, wacked it and hundreds of baby spiders came off of it. How scary is that! had to chase down the babies too. Give me a bat anyday. I don't do spiders.
Bev

1 comment

by capoodle 27 Feb 2011

Of the three things the spiders freaked me out the most.