WWYD - long post

M.Amy

I live in a historic (ie really old house) that is infested with bugs and specifically spiders.

I really, really have a phobia about spiders.

Normally, each spring I have the house sprayed in an eco-friendly fashion to kill the bugs. Two sprays usually does the trick to keep the spiders outside.  This year DH said no because I was pregnant.  So of course the house is really infested. I kill (or try to kill) at least 5-10 spiders a day. Sometimes they are in the nursery. This upsets me because when we finally put DS in the nursery to sleep I am going to worry about spiders in his crib.

I have mentioned wanting to spray to DH a few times and he has always remarked sarcastically about me wanting to poison my son over killing a few spiders. The spray is safe unless DS somehow manages to lick the spray while it is still wet. In the past it has only taken an hour for the spray to dry and I leave the house while this is happening.

So, I am thinking of getting the house sprayed without DH knowing. Would you go behind your DH's back to do this??

 

Laura Cochran

I would lie, cheat or steal to prevent spiders from being anywhere around me.

robynlesley

I would get my pediatrician to back me up that a spider bite is far more dangerous than the bug spray.   As long as you and the baby are not in the house when it's being treated, you'll be fine.

Is there a family member's house you and the baby can stay at while it's being done?

Your DH is being unreasonable... my DH sprayed with RAID for ants (by our windows) when I was out one day. I came back and the smell was done. Your baby should NOT be around potentially dangerous spiders.

(I hate spiders myself.)

coquina

I agree with Robyn, get the house sprayed.

M.Amy

robynlesley:

I would get my pediatrician to back me up that a spider bite is far more dangerous than the bug spray.  

Great idea!  I will call the office on Monday.

DH and I are sooo overprotective of DS right now, we are just going about it in different ways on this one.

M.Amy

After JUST killing two spiders in the nursery (I made DH do it) I said "I have a solution to this problem, I will call the dr's office and ask what he thinks about the spray." DH said, "Okay, that works for me."

Thanks Robyn for the great idea!!!

Now all I have to do is convince the dr....

gotchagomo

I'm usually not the "save-the-spiders" type, but let's back up for a minute...are the spiders poisonous or harmless? I live in a restored 1900 house and we get an influx of jumping spiders every year also. These are non-poisonous. They actually eat other small creepy-crawlies. I think using an insecticide would be fine if they bother you THAT much, but I don't have my house treated because I think the spiders are more harmless than a houseful of insecticide--even odorless, the gases linger. Now,if your spiders are poisonous, geez, spray away!!

GeneGoddess

Well, you could go eco-friendly and grab a few Daddy-long-legs (aka:  Harvestmen).  They technically aren't spiders...  And they are incapable of biting humans (pinchers are too short).  They eat insects and other spiders and just one or two will completely scare off any bug in your house.  My parents did that in TX when they built their house (no doors/windows invites in insects, installed and they were trapped inside.  One night with DLL and EVERYTHING vanished).

 

AND, as an MD, the spray is probably worse.  Spiders bite fairly rarely and only a few species really cause any problems (brown recluse, black widow, etc).  Most of the "spider bites" I see and treat aren't from spiders, they are sporadic staph or MRSA infections.

liza0828

Can you spray and then go away for the weekend or something?