Advice on Spiders Please : Do Not read if they bother you

[Ben551]

*** IF YOU ARE SCARED OF SPIDERS I ADVISE AGAINST READING THIS THREAD***

Dear all,

I have a bit of an issue that I would like some advice on please.

My wife and I are still new at this and, although we seem to be handling all manner of problems as they come up, there is one that has us a bit stumped.  Our place is set against the New Zealand bush and contains all manner of insects, including spiders.  Unlike our Australian cousins across the ocean, we are lucky in NZ and don't have very many poisonous spiders (the few that are poisonous are very rare and hardly seen). We also don't have snakes in NZ, or any major preditors, so hey... it could be worse right?

The problem is, when we do get spiders they are... a little bit bigger than people are used to. 

After getting some horrified reactions, we added a warning to our listing in the best way we could think of, added it to our guest book, and started telling people at check-in of the dangers of leaving the windows open.  But honestly, people are STILL surprised when they find a spider and seem to approach it with genuine terror!  Each time this happens, we feel a bit guilty.  I don't want guests to feel horrified, but... I can't change it.  It's hot here right now and people want to leave windows open.  When they do that, spiders come in... simple as that. 

I know we're not responsible for the insects of New Zealand... and there is no point laying awake a night worring if guests are going to find any... but I just wonder if we should be doing something else?

Here is the warning we have on our listing, which we also include in our guest book:

◉ Trees, bees, birds and more! ◉
Please note that the cottage is located in the forest and is surrounded by trees, nature and natural wildlife. There are flowers, birds, bees and insects in the forest. This can mean a small amount of pollen or insects may enter the cottage during your stay. This is very rare, however it can happen if windows are left open for long periods. If finding a spider would bother you, or if you are severly allergic to pollen or bees, we recommend you reconsider your stay with us. Although we are meticulous and thorough, we cannot promise the space will be entirely free of these things. Living in New Zealand is both wild and beautiful so we accept these small things as part of the wonderful life we have.

How does that sound?  I thought it sounded ok.  The problem is that I don't know if this is a warning is suitably proportionate to the "size" of the spiders I'm talking about here.  I also don't think there is any way to illustrate this without sharing a picture.... I hate to do it, but I'm going to post a link to one that our guests caught and photographed... we caught another this morning about 2/3 the size of this one, but still very large.  I dunno, they just seem to get fat and healthy in our bush... Bundle the cat likes to eat them (weirdo). These certainly aren't the biggest NZ has either, they can be dinner plate or toilet seat sized up in Auckland, so frankly I'd take Wellington spiders any day...

Link to picture of our average spider invader:

https://spiderid.com/picture/52075/

Feel free to not follow the above link and just give me general advice based on whatever size of insect you imagine would bother you.  Bear in mind, most of our guests are not New Zealanders, they are British, European, American, Chinese.... etc.  Actually, I've lost track of the countries...

~ Ben

[Ben551]

@Huma0 Yeah I worry about that too whenever I see Bundle chasing a wasp or something. But he seems to be smart enough to dead all things before eating. 

We have 2 other cats including the smartest of all the cats: Mogget. He is the cat that, if it’s too cold for him in the morning, wakes me up by gently placing a paw (claws retracted) on my face and pressing down... first lightly...then with more force... to wake me enough to let him under the covers.

Moggets side of the story this morning: Paw on face did not result in bed nest opening. Disappointed. Considered options. Paw on face was adjusted to include claws momentarily. Following “ouch” bed nest opened. Paw with claws successful. Noted for future.

[Huma0]

@Ben551yes I have a smart one too. Pinot has worked out how to open my bedroom door and also knows when I am going to bed and will come to join me. That's not a problem as she snuggles down and doesn't seem to need the toilet all night so I can close the door and sleep peacefully.

The problem occurs when she decides to enter in the morning instead, leaving the door open for the other two (Grigio and Merlot) to trundle in. It's then that I get a furry face in mine or a gentle paw punch in the face. I don't mind too much really. There are worse alarm clocks than a purring fur baby.

However, Merlot, who was a gravely injured street cat when he found me, is not very agile nor graceful and tends to fling himself on the bed like a rocket launcher, landing with an almighty thud. That's a less attractive way to be woken up!

[Ben551]

Lol @Huma0 sounds like my kind of alarm clock 🙂

[Jo13]

@Ben551 

@Huma0 

Thank you for your wonderful cat stories, they made me laugh. Cats have so much character.

Mine is not interested in spiders, but she likes to snack on mozzies and fish moths. Whip scorpions and buzzing flies send her into crazy-cat-parkour mode.

[Huma0]

@Jo13  I love to watch them when they're trying to catch flies and they do those little somersaults! (spelling?) 

I once had a beast of a bee buzzing around my kitchen. This was shortly after I had been stung repeatedly in the head, so I was really quite nervous. Grigio seemed to pick up on this, waited until the bee buzzed past him and very casually punched it. I don't think he hurt it luckily, but it flew straight back into the garden. Grigio was definitley my hero that day!

[Jo13]

@Huma0 

What a champ! Is Grigio the gorgeous cat in your listing photos?

I'm sorry about your stinging experience, how awful. 🤕

I also love to watch cats catch flying things-they are so funny (and acrobatic)!

[Huma0]

@Jo13 

No that's Pinot, his sister, who decided to photobomb as many pictures as possible when the Airbnb photographer came round.

This is Grigio (sitting in a very small box):

He's a big cat, or "a cat and half" as the vet likes to call him, but a softy. You could tell that he was going to be large when he was a kitten, because he had such a big head and big paws.

[Jo13]

@Huma0 

Grigio is one handsome cat. 😻He looks massive, especially in his tiny box! Almost Maine Coon size. What a beautiful specimen of tabby cat.

Thank you for the pictures, they made my day. As a guest I am thrilled if a host has pets. When I visit London day I will be sure to remember your listings. 🙂

-Jo

[Huma0]

@Jo13 

Thanks. Yes, he is rather handsome 🙂

It's funny because all of my cats are moggies and I didn't choose any of them for their looks (I agreed to take Pinot and Grigio before meeting them and Merlot just turned up in the garden), but I seem to have lucked out. They are all very good looking!

[Betty124]

Adorable!!

[Betty124]

What a studly cat!

[Helen427]

@Huma0

A dab of vinegar always used to sort those pesky bee/ wasp stings, just remember we would be hungry without them & to view them through there little selves & how they must see us.

Currently nurturing a chrysalis back to well being who decided to metamorphosis during the blustery weather we had recently & took a tumble from a swan plant pod where it decided to attach to - I think it's the same caterpillar that ventured part way up the outside wall & wasn't as confident as a sister sibling born earlier that latched herself up above the doorway!

[Sarah977]

@Huma0 It's possible that cats could even eat poisonous spiders with no ill effects. Down here they'll eat scorpions and not be affected adversely.

[Ben551]

@Sarah977  I agree, I think cats have natural resistance to things we mere humans don't.

[Maree25]

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