Spiders in the bath

[SickThings]

If spiders can shoot threads of web out, (like spiderman does!), why do they get stuck in the bath?

[wildwood]

They can't. The only time they can spin a thread that goes up is outside in the wind. Young spiderlings are experts at it and when the thread is long enough it lifts them up high in the air and takes them to new territory (and countries)

[andy-hughes]

They get stuck in the bath because as they make their way around the house, they wander around the rim of the bath, slip in, and can't climb out again. They do not, contrary to the popular myth, climb up plugholes - a spider is far too fussy to go near a dirty plughole, and there is the small matter of the 's' bend which is full of water.

You should not put a spider outside - these are house spiders, and will not survive long outside. They are used to living in the warm, and living off the flies that would otherwise spread around your home. If you don't like to catch them, leave a towel over the edge of the bath, with the hem reaching the bottom, the spider will climb out and be on his way.

[janetsflower]

yuck, horrible thought, i don't want nasty spiders wiping their mucky feet all over my towels. Blast em down the plug hole and leave the plug in. They can hold their breath under water for a bit and come back up, i've seen them do it, so send them the other way. Any in my house usually get followed by agood shot of bleach

[LoftyLottie]

Oh Janet. Spiders just aren't nasty - they are our friends who keep the flies in control. (Mind you I can't handle them - that freaks me out). I just can't hurt them. I agree they do climb back up after being washed down the plug hole - I have witnessed it!

Andy, I don't fancy grabbing a towel to be confronted by a spider so I will not be following your tip about a hanging towel. I am brave enough to offer them the chance of climbing up a hanging length of loo roll and taking them to somewhere else in the house where they can run and hide. I never put them outside when the weather is cold!!

[innocenti]

I had a MASSIVE spider drop out of my bath tap once. And yes I was in the bath at the time, although not for long. Never moved so fast in my life