Safe way to eliminate "Arachnophobia" quality spiders?

[mamaKate]

My boys have pitched in and we're finally building a coop big enough to house everybody. The problem is that I'm redoing a really old chicken coop that I've used to store non delicate items. I don't know if it's because of the recent flooding but I've never seen so many spiders! We found literally dozens--maybe even a hundred or more brown recluse spiders. Some are dead but most aren't. I cleaned out the shed last spring and it wasn't like this. So the issue is : how can I make the coop safe for my sons to work in and not harm the birds? They don't live in there yet but they do wander underfoot while we work. Oh, I forgot, there ARE currently birds in there. A wren is raising a clutch of 5 in a shelving unit.

 

[DawnM]

When we have to work somewhere thats buggy or spidery we just send in the chickens first. They do a really good job at getting rid of most of the critters.

 

[mississippifarmboy]

Personaly I'd worry more about the wren than the spiders. But then again, I like spiders. so nevermind.

The spiders won't bother your chickens though...

No idea how to kill them as I never kill spiders, but maybe someone will jump in with experiance in that area.

 

[mamaKate]

The chickens do like spiders, but we had to tear off the old roof and there were literally rows of them on the top of the wall.

 

[mamaKate]

I'm ok with some spiders. We have a tarantula in a bedroom and a species of huge yellow orb spider that make awesome webs on the west side of the house. Recluse are definitely not cool, though. I've had some nasty bites. We tried spraying some of them directly with the only bug spray we had. It was cat flea spray and it didn't phase them at all.

 

[aggie9296]

I doubt they are brown recluse, because they are, well, reclusive. Probably common house spiders or wolf spiders. Still bite though not poisonous.

I use a general purpose heavy duty bug killer called Demon WP. Kills spiders and roaches but is safe around animals once dry. Should have it at your local Ace or DIY pest control place. It's a powder you mix up and spray.

Even kills our lovely "palmeto bugs" here in FL. Our Terminix guy offered us a bug spray program. I told him what I use, and he said that's what they use.

 

[JulieNKC]

Quote:
x2. Take a broom and knock them to the ground, your chickens will take care of the rest. I made my coop from an old shed, there were tons of huge wolf spiders. Chickens took care of them fast.

 

[mamaKate]

Thanks for the tip. They are brown recluse. Unfortunately, I've become way too familiar with them. They're called recluse because they hide really fast if they notice a threat. They bolted for cover when we started ripping out boards. I rather like wolf spiders we never kill them or the common house spiders "cause they eat (guess what?) Brown recluse!

 

[JulieNKC]

Quote:
Our coop was covered in brown recluse too. I go bit by a wolf spider when I began work on the coop, it fell in my waist band and bit before I could get it out. Swelled up and oozed stuff out forever.

I stopped work on it after that til my chicks were big enough to clear out the bugs.
House spiders I like, if I find them inside I will scoop them up and put them outside. Since I ususally have chickens waiting outside the door for me it doesn't save them anymore though, now they become a snack.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Quote:
Unfortunately, the brown recluse is not a shy spider. They swarm our house every fall when the weather cools down. If you cross paths with one scurrying across the carpet they can be very aggressive. To the point where I've had them jump on me just for walking to close to them. In the house I use a good old fashioned shoe to be rid of them. Outside, I douse them with bee killer. They die. My son has a pet tarantula, and I don't really mind spiders, but these little nasties are the worst! With 2 small children, I have to be dilligent about checking everywhere for them. I've found them under the covers in my bed, and even curled up in my clothes inside my dresser. I kill every widow and fiddleback I see around here. At least the black widows stay out of my house though. Oh, and I was always told wolf spiders are poisonus as well, not that I'm going to get up close and personal with them either. Good luck, and please be careful.