Spiders, Spiders Everywhere - and not for Halloween!

Now that autumn weather has arrived (winter, too? - we have already had snow here!) all the outdoor creatures seem to be getting ready for the colder times ahead. I think the spiders might be the first in line here. I have been noticing more of them everywhere in the house. My motto when I see one is to tell it that I am going to get the vacuum and will be back soon - if you leave now, you will be safe until our next encounter. But that only applies to spiders that appear to be harmless. I don't give the Black Widows any options. Fortunately (for me!) I have only found one widow in the house and it was already dead - smashed in our bed, on my side! I had to leave the room for a bit - it was a big one! Yesterday I went to turn on the shower and there was a large spider in there! I found a dead one in the fold of the sleeve of my robe - on the outside. And while I was sitting at the computer, another came dancing down the wall beside me! So I am going to have to put out the spider traps - they help with the spiders that crawl around the baseboards but they sure don't get the high climbers that I have been seeing lately. And just how do they get in the house? All the doors and windows seal well and we don't stand at the door and hold it open for them.... And why do they come out in the daylight - they should wait until dark! I would probably really be surprised if I could see what goes on after we are in bed!! I can just picture all the spiders calling to each other from their various locations and meeting under the nightlight to play cards or share maps of their favorite places to hide.

I have read that here in central Oregon, there could be as many as a thousand spiders per acre with up to 400 different species per acre. Now doesn't that just make me feel better.... Let's see, we live on five acres.... And Black Widows are said to present at probably 50 % of the homes around here. I have consistently found them in our shop and garage. Every year I say we are going to set off bombs for them, but we never seem to get around to it. So I just suck them up with the shop vac when I see them! If you are planning to be a spider for Halloween this year, don't come knocking on our door!!!