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19/04/2008, 20:27 Rich1972 Joined on 18/04/2008 Charente/Vienne Border Posts 64 Big Spiders in Charente? Hello I'm moving there soon , about halfway between Angouleme and Poitiers, having bought an old farmhouse that has a grenier. I'm just wondering what the spider situation is like in the area? I live in Devon at the moment, in a rural position, and naturally I get large house spiders running around occassionally. Sometimes they can be very large, almost 3 inches across. What I want to know is whether there are a lot of large spiders that come into your home in the Charente area? And how large is 'large'?? (I'm a bit of an arachnaphobic...) Bws Rich    Report

19/04/2008, 20:59 Panda Joined on 29/01/2008 Charente (16) and Vienne (86) Posts 238 Re: Big Spiders in Charente? Thanks for that Rich, I'm VERY arachnaphobic and you've got me all jumpy!!  Never seen any massive spiders here in the Charente , thank goodness, but it only takes a small one to get me going!!    Report

19/04/2008, 21:13 Rich1972 Joined on 18/04/2008 Charente/Vienne Border Posts 64 Re: Big Spiders in Charente?  Panda wrote: Thanks for that Rich, I'm VERY arachnaphobic and you've got me all jumpy!!  Never seen any massive spiders here in the Charente , thank goodness, but it only takes a small one to get me going!! Sorry!! It's pathetic, but the only aspect of moving to France that actually really, really bothers me is having an influx of giant spiders in the house. During the summer and early autumn here in Devon I'm fanatical about not leaving windows open in the evening and stuffing towels under the front and back doors so things can't get underneath and into the house. Before I started my regime I did get some very large spiders inside. I accidentally left my bedroom window open one night and I literally heard a spider fall down onto the carpet, it was so large. Anyway, I just wondered what the situation was over in Charente. I should think the grenier has some things living up there as it's ancient and untouched but in the long term I don't want an infestation of giant arachnids :-( Hopefully they're not the norm in Charente!    Report

19/04/2008, 21:19 Panda Joined on 29/01/2008 Charente (16) and Vienne (86) Posts 238 Re: Big Spiders in Charente? Hmm, well I don't want to say this but I've never seen spiders here as big as those I encountered in Gloucestershire where the countries biggest spider was found at 5 inches, made all the nationals, YUK! I have however seen some fat ones, you know big round bodies, mostly outside though, I am one for believing in tempting fate so if I get a big one in the house the evening I will blame you!!  I'm looking around as I type this.  I'm a real idiot where spiders are concerned and have actually fainted when I awoke to find one running across my stomach!!      Report

19/04/2008, 21:34 Rich1972 Joined on 18/04/2008 Charente/Vienne Border Posts 64 Re: Big Spiders in Charente?  Panda wrote: Hmm, well I don't want to say this but I've never seen spiders here as big as those I encountered in Gloucestershire where the countries biggest spider was found at 5 inches, made all the nationals, YUK! I have however seen some fat ones, you know big round bodies, mostly outside though, I am one for believing in tempting fate so if I get a big one in the house the evening I will blame you!!  I'm looking around as I type this.  I'm a real idiot where spiders are concerned and have actually fainted when I awoke to find one running across my stomach! I have no words to express the horror I felt upon reading your post. If that happened to me I think I might drop dead on the spot.  I don't even want to think about the 5 inch one :-(    Report

19/04/2008, 21:43 Panda Joined on 29/01/2008 Charente (16) and Vienne (86) Posts 238 Re: Big Spiders in Charente? It's interesting when you think about these things logically, why are we so scared of something that CAN NOT HURT US!  I have shared a tight spot with a snake here and whilst my heart jumped I know that if I encountered a spider as close as the 2 metre snake which I almost inadvertently picked up in my chicken house I would have screamed the place down yet the snake could have bitten me and it would have hurt, what is that about??    Report

19/04/2008, 22:01 Rich1972 Joined on 18/04/2008 Charente/Vienne Border Posts 64 Re: Big Spiders in Charente? It's totally irrational, which only makes it worse, lol. I'd take my chances with a snake any day of the week over a massive spider, no matter how harmless it was.      Report

19/04/2008, 22:13 chris pp Joined on 30/08/2005 Vienne '86' Posts 1,679 Re: Big Spiders in Charente? There are no spiders in the region that you are talking about that are any larger than those in the UK and they are none that are dangerous to humans. Have you considered getting help? I'm serious, if something is that troubling it may well be the best course of action. Chris http://www.planetepassion.com Association Planete Passion - French Wildlife in the English Language    Report

20/04/2008, 10:16 Quarmby Joined on 24/03/2008 Posts 22 Re: Big Spiders in Charente? I lived in a house in the Limousin bit of France profonde,  and I think everything within a five-mile radius that had six and eight legs came to move in with me. If it really bothers you, buy a house in a town.    Report

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