Story Friendly? Scary? Reminder To Clean Your Room This Summer

[psp3000]

I clean my room at least once a week at most two times a week as I am not much of a messy person.

Last night I was sitting in bed on my laptop in the dark just trying to find cover art for Berserk to add to a media server and then planning to test audio and subs. Everything was fine and dandy.

Too fine and dandy...
That day was almost perfect even...
Too perfect...

I even had some cake !

Then all of the sudden I see some legs...
travelling across the front of my keyboard near the screen...

I yelp and nearly throw my laptop and then I turned the lights on it was a spider I have no idea how it got in and where it came from !

I know that I was depressed for a bit but I still attempted to clean each week but I still had no idea how it spawned. But I did make my room pretty humid and I think that's what they like.

Anyways, I turned the lights on and there is was on my bed. I was in shocked and didn't know what to do or have the courage to put my foot on the bed. It's attempting to crawl under my laptop and laptop stand. THEN it gets back on the visible part of the bed.

I remember I have air freshener so I spray it with that but no it didn't work. So now it basically has perfume on...

It quickly escapes to an unknown edge nowhere to be found. I am freaking out !

I take off everything with my dish gloves on and the pole of a mop. I see nothing. This is not good.

I get the courage to carry each item to the washer because if I don't do anything or wash my bedding even though I already washed it recently I will be paranoid and afraid for the rest of the night.

So, as I am carrying the first bedding item to the washer with my dishgloves on and plop it into the washer I notice something on its way in. THE SPIDER IS IN THERE !

Problem solved, I couldn't catch and euthanize it so sadly it has been drowned. Oh well. But I am still paranoid and suspicious as I tend to see things when low on sleep so I think to myself that there is a chance that I DID NOT ACTUALLY SEE RHE SPIDER INSIDE THE WASHER. But I will assume and believe that I did and that IT IS DEAD.

This entire situation inspired me to deep clean so while the laundry was being done I swept and mopped and sprayed. I often forget that I live somewhere where creatures are always trying to break into people's houses as it has been a while since I've seen one.

I didn't sleep until 2:00AM. But it was worth it because now there's nothing I have to do this coming weekend.

I'd much rather deal with the Silverfish, House Centipedes, and Lizards.

So, please make sure to clean your room this summer. Don't let the creatures get you. Please.

 

[Mooncry]

You'd rather deal with house centipedes?? BLEH!! Those things are fast and way more likely to bite, also they're so creepy. ;_; I get them rarely but they're my least favorite bug to encounter in the house.

Anyway, I'm glad you're now safe from the spider!

 

[psp3000]

You'd rather deal with house centipedes?? BLEH!! Those things are fast and way more likely to bite, also they're so creepy. ;_; I get them rarely but they're my least favorite bug to encounter in the house.

Anyway, I'm glad you're now safe from the spider!

They are fast?

I usually always catch them so maybe the ones in my area are slow or I am just that good at catching them. I had no idea that they bite this is good to know if I encounter one in the future again.

I think the creepiness may be due to the leg shape, because I think the legs make this shape ^ along the sides of their body which could make it look more scary because some spider speices legs also sometimes have the same shape also the length is terrifying as I think they can get pretty big or can some in various sizes....

 

[Forever Sleep]

I know spiders aren't popular but, I actually don't mind them. They eat the other pests. Spiders that live in our houses don't fair well outdoors. I used to think my Dad was doing them a favour returning them to their natural environment but, he was probably sending them outside to die.

I'm not so welcoming to other creatures to be honest. The ones that spawn en masse and cause damage are more disturbing to me. I get it though. Lots of people fear spiders. I hope you are creepy crawly free now.

 

[NoPoint2Life]

As someone who is terrified of all bugs, I totally get it.
And then as someone who also has severe contamination OCD I can totally appreciate the whole Cleaning part of your story. But I can't help thinking that all sounds a bit extreme for the average person. I guess I'm just curious if you have any type of OCD?You sound very clean to begin with if you already are possibly Cleaning twice a week. Did you wash the bedding because you thought the spider might still be in there? Or was it like a contamination issue where it grossed you out that it had been on your bed?
Recently, I saw something black on my bedding, and since I couldn't think of any clothes or anything it would have come from. I assumed it had to be a bug and freaked out, but did manage to get whatever it was into a tissue and throw it out. Then I used Lysol spray on my bedspread. These kind of things freak me out too, but I am way too lazy to do something like spur of the moment Wash my bedding if it doesn't need to be changed otherwise. Believe me, I get it though. If a bug had been on top of an item of clothing, then that item would be thrown right in the hamper.
Whenever I see a bug at home, I am on bug alert for the next 24 hours constantly looking around for anything.
I'm just saying don't beat yourself up thinking you are not clean. Those suckers can come in anywhere.

 

[psp3000]

I guess I'm just curious if you have any type of OCD?

I don't think so but I do have an issue with touching things and have even had scars and open wounds on my hands multiple times from an over washing habit but it is under control for now if under control over washing means just resorting to using hand sanitizers that also include vitamin E. Also it's pretty interesting considering that I also have a skin picking issue (have had it for many years very badly) and a skin condition.

Did you wash the bedding because you thought the spider might still be in there? Or was it like a contamination issue where it grossed you out that it had been on your bed?

A mixture of both. Thankfully I decided to wash it instead of letting the spider rent out my room for the night or I wouldn't never found it or I would have to worry about it possibly being female and then laying eggs making it a bigger issue than what it originally was.

I assumed it had to be a bug and freaked out, but did manage to get whatever it was into a tissue and throw it out. Then I used Lysol spray on my bedspread.

If I were able to catch it or brave enough to catch it like you did I most likely would've just used disinfectant too instead of doing an entire deep clean.

 

[NoPoint2Life]

I don't think so but I do have an issue with touching things and have even had scars and open wounds on my hands multiple times from an over washing habit but it is under control for now if under control over washing means just resorting to using hand sanitizers that also include vitamin E. Also it's pretty interesting considering that I also have a skin picking issue (have had it for many years very badly) and a skin condition.

My genuine advice to you is seek out a possible OCD diagnosis. Washing hands was and continues to be the hugest thing for me. I have made a lot of progress in other areas, but I don't feel like I will ever have control over the hand washing. And hand sanitizer is even worse for your hands.
I had open wounds on my hands so bad and for so long that I had to be treated at a wound center at the hospital. I can't even tell you the nightmare it took to finally heal them. They still get dry very easily and I have to apply handcream constantly. The skin picking in itself can be a part of it. I have had acne my whole adult life and I am definitely a picker. It's yet another intrusive thought.
Medication can actually help. I was put on Prozac. It got me to a place where I was more able to tolerate trying to overcome the things that disgusted me. I remain on it today.

I sincerely wish you the best of luck
Feel free to DM me anytime.

 

[L9 CHOCOIRL]

After reading this i'm scared to go to bed

 

[iLikeFrogs]

ughh critters invading the bedroom is so scary. you js reminded me that there's a feral spider in my room so I have to clean it to get it out; thanks for reminding and I hope that it'll be easy to get them critters out of your room

 

[psp3000]

ughh critters invading the bedroom is so scary. you js reminded me that there's a feral spider in my room so I have to clean it to get it out; thanks for reminding and I hope that it'll be easy to get them critters out of your room

feral...?

does this mean that they can also be domesticated

also did this mean you have a pet spider or you mean there is one on the loose in your room

if so I hope you can catch it and that it isn't a dangerous one that can bite

if it is a pet I think sometimes they are cute but from a distance (their "paws" are so cute also I think jumping spiders are nice I also like the kind that like to just hide under substrate for naps etc.) also what species ?

also update regarding creatures and critters: I bought some creature spray for the house so I will be very safe from the creatures now !

 

[iLikeFrogs]

I have " domesticated" some spiders in the past. Mostly, it was a silent mutual agreement that if they stay in the corner of my room where I don't get rid of their webs, I will find and give them some flies to eat and let them grow. Thankfully there's no dangerous spiders where I live so most of the time it's just some freaky-looking fellas. it's not easy to coexist with them while having arachnophobia tho

 

[Kali_Yuga13]

I have " domesticated" some spiders in the past. Mostly, it was a silent mutual agreement that if they stay in the corner of my room where I don't get rid of their webs, I will find and give them some flies to eat and let them grow. Thankfully there's no dangerous spiders where I live so most of the time it's just some freaky-looking fellas. it's not easy to coexist with them while having arachnophobia tho

I' cohabitate with small spiders like the one's that have a little web in the corner of the bathroom. Other's I put a cup over, side a piece of paper under it and put them outside. I think they're good luck. I draw the line at my personal space though. If a hunting spider were in my bed it would probably get squished. Nothing personal haha.

 

[The Actual Devil]

This is going to sound paranoid, but I think it's actually helpful. If you have a home with those decorative strips of wood (or other material) running along the corners where the walls meet either the floor or the ceiling, bugs can squeeze into those places easily. I call those strips "moulding." They are also usually found around doorways and windows. If you pull off the moulding with a prybar or a claw hammer, you will often see that they are hiding gaps in the walls, windows, doors, etc. Bugs use these gaps to infiltrate your home and move about between rooms. Likewise with the edges of socket covers (light switches, electrical sockets, utility (gas, ethernet, aux, cable) sockets, etc.).



What I suggest is buying a caulk gun and some tubes of cheap, indoor quality clear caulk (usually called silicone sealant instead of caulk). You can get tubes that can be squeezed by hand that don't need a caulk gun, but those can actually be more expensive and may exhaust your wrists after a short while. You can also get colored or white caulk if you care about how it looks when you're done.



So, what you can do is use this stuff to run a thin bead of sealant along the edges of all the moulding in your home, thus cutting the bugs off from a main hiding spot and point of egress. Lots of good YouTube videos on how to caulk.

Now, I recommend the clear stuff earlier in case you are renting and need to hide your DIY job from your landlord. You can use a prybar to peel back a small gap between the surface and the moulding and use the clear goo like you're trying to glue the surfaces together. Just run a small bead between them, and then tap the moulding back into place with a rubber or wooden mallet (regular hammers may leave marks). Quickly clean up any excess that squeezes out with your finger or damp (not soaking wet) paper towels.
Don't use the prybar on the socket covers, just take them off with a screwdriver. The covers might be tight enough to keep bugs out, and usually don't need to be sealed. You can also get nicer socket covers that have a foam or rubber lining that seals the gap nicely in a no-mess manner.

If your landlord is more like a slumlord and your apartment isn't very nice, just get the cheapest stuff you can and seal off all those gaps without bothering to make it look nice with the prybar method.

Also, the Blood games were so awesome! Blood 2 was my favorite. Highly underrated.

 

[psp3000]

This is going to sound paranoid, but I think it's actually helpful. If you have a home with those decorative strips of wood (or other material) running along the corners where the walls meet either the floor or the ceiling, bugs can squeeze into those places easily. I call those strips "moulding." They are also usually found around doorways and windows. If you pull off the moulding with a prybar or a claw hammer, you will often see that they are hiding gaps in the walls, windows, doors, etc. Bugs use these gaps to infiltrate your home and move about between rooms. Likewise with the edges of socket covers (light switches, electrical sockets, utility (gas, ethernet, aux, cable) sockets, etc.).

View attachment 168257View attachment 168258View attachment 168259

What I suggest is buying a caulk gun and some tubes of cheap, indoor quality clear caulk (usually called silicone sealant instead of caulk). You can get tubes that can be squeezed by hand that don't need a caulk gun, but those can actually be more expensive and may exhaust your wrists after a short while. You can also get colored or white caulk if you care about how it looks when you're done.

View attachment 168260View attachment 168261View attachment 168262

So, what you can do is use this stuff to run a thin bead of sealant along the edges of all the moulding in your home, thus cutting the bugs off from a main hiding spot and point of egress. Lots of good YouTube videos on how to caulk.

Now, I recommend the clear stuff earlier in case you are renting and need to hide your DIY job from your landlord. You can use a prybar to peel back a small gap between the surface and the moulding and use the clear goo like you're trying to glue the surfaces together. Just run a small bead between them, and then tap the moulding back into place with a rubber or wooden mallet (regular hammers may leave marks). Quickly clean up any excess that squeezes out with your finger or damp (not soaking wet) paper towels.
Don't use the prybar on the socket covers, just take them off with a screwdriver. The covers might be tight enough to keep bugs out, and usually don't need to be sealed. You can also get nicer socket covers that have a foam or rubber lining that seals the gap nicely in a no-mess manner.

If your landlord is more like a slumlord and your apartment isn't very nice, just get the cheapest stuff you can and seal off all those gaps without bothering to make it look nice with the prybar method.

Also, the Blood games were so awesome! Blood 2 was my favorite. Highly underrated.

very good tip(s)! and I had no idea that they made socket covers with foam and rubber lining I will be on the lookout for those for any future moves !

this almost exactly what I did after the event as I previously had some areas caulked and totally forgot that they eventually need to be re-caulked + some areas I didn't caulk or notice before

and then usually after that (for example the first time I caulked when I got to the place) either the same day after it dries or a day later I spray one of those gallon bug sprays (usually after a serious deep clean or sweep after the re-caulking) around the boarders of the ceiling and windows and also outdoors around the door frames, window frames etc. also making sure to get rid of any weeds or bushes close to windows and doors

this one below is good but there are many good brands but I like this one because of its electronic wand so then you don't have to tire hands or fingers from clicking a spray nozzle or wasting it because you can't do much of a spray or misting motion

 

[NoPoint2Life]

This is going to sound paranoid, but I think it's actually helpful. If you have a home with those decorative strips of wood (or other material) running along the corners where the walls meet either the floor or the ceiling, bugs can squeeze into those places easily. I call those strips "moulding." They are also usually found around doorways and windows. If you pull off the moulding with a prybar or a claw hammer, you will often see that they are hiding gaps in the walls, windows, doors, etc. Bugs use these gaps to infiltrate your home and move about between rooms. Likewise with the edges of socket covers (light switches, electrical sockets, utility (gas, ethernet, aux, cable) sockets, etc.).

View attachment 168257View attachment 168258View attachment 168259

What I suggest is buying a caulk gun and some tubes of cheap, indoor quality clear caulk (usually called silicone sealant instead of caulk). You can get tubes that can be squeezed by hand that don't need a caulk gun, but those can actually be more expensive and may exhaust your wrists after a short while. You can also get colored or white caulk if you care about how it looks when you're done.

View attachment 168260View attachment 168261View attachment 168262

So, what you can do is use this stuff to run a thin bead of sealant along the edges of all the moulding in your home, thus cutting the bugs off from a main hiding spot and point of egress. Lots of good YouTube videos on how to caulk.

Now, I recommend the clear stuff earlier in case you are renting and need to hide your DIY job from your landlord. You can use a prybar to peel back a small gap between the surface and the moulding and use the clear goo like you're trying to glue the surfaces together. Just run a small bead between them, and then tap the moulding back into place with a rubber or wooden mallet (regular hammers may leave marks). Quickly clean up any excess that squeezes out with your finger or damp (not soaking wet) paper towels.
Don't use the prybar on the socket covers, just take them off with a screwdriver. The covers might be tight enough to keep bugs out, and usually don't need to be sealed. You can also get nicer socket covers that have a foam or rubber lining that seals the gap nicely in a no-mess manner.

If your landlord is more like a slumlord and your apartment isn't very nice, just get the cheapest stuff you can and seal off all those gaps without bothering to make it look nice with the prybar method.

Also, the Blood games were so awesome! Blood 2 was my favorite. Highly underrated.

Thank you for scaring the shit out of me lol. And I was already afraid and on major bug alert due to a window AC unit being installed in my bedroom yesterday. I am terrified something will get in.