Do you vacuum spiders? Please, don’t!

Martin Jungfer

14/1/2023

Translation: Veronica Bielawski

Spiders are bound to stray into your living room. Vacuuming them up is almost certain to kill them – which is why you should use other methods to get them back outside.

They say having a spider in your home is a sign of good indoor climate; the eight-legged creatures supposedly enjoy good air. As such, their presence is evidence that the air is not too dry and that it’s free of pollutants.

Still, there are probably far more spiders living in damp basements than in lofts and duplexes. For one, they’ll find more to eat there. And they run a lower risk of dying from dehydration due to dry indoor air. Any spiders in your living room probably just got lost, having fled from the cold outside to another life-threatening location.

After all, there tends to be at least one person in each household who’s rather opposed to having a spider as a roomie. So, how do you best get the little bugger out of your home?

Method 1: vacuum cleaner

If you’re one of those people who descends into utter panic upon sighting a creepy-crawly that’s but a few centimetres in size, you may be glad to take up the fight from a safe distance. Long vacuum cleaner tubes are probably the weapon of choice: point it in the direction of your opponent, press «on», problem solved. Or is it? I have some friends who fear the spider might climb back out of the vacuum cleaner in a rage and go on the prowl for its tormentor.

Here’s the thing: most spiders don’t even make it to the dust bin alive. Long curved hoses in particular kill spiders, as they’re repeatedly thrown against the walls of the hose. Just about any larger eight-legged beastie will die here.

The bottom line is spiders are useful animals. You shouldn’t vacuum – and, in the process, kill – them. So, what can you do if you want them out of your place?

Method 2: carry it out of your home

Admittedly, this is quite the challenging suggestion for an arachnophobe. But it’s better for the environment and your conscience. If you don’t want the spider in your home, you should catch it and carry it outside. That way, it can play its important role in the ecosystem.

However, it’s best not to set it free right in front of your house or patio door; find a place at least 30 metres away. Spiders have a pretty good sense of direction and can easily find their way back to the warm indoors.

Alright. That’s all nice and well, but how are you supposed to catch the sucker? Here are three proven methods requiring varying degrees of courage.

The hand capture

If you know no fear (and why should you?) and have no tools at hand, you can carefully manoeuvre the spider with one hand onto the palm of the other. Cup your hand and carry the spider outside.

The glass and carton coup

The gadget grab

This third option is good for the spider, your blood pressure and Galaxus’ sales: gadgets made specifically for trapping creepy-crawlies. In principle, they work like the glass jar and cardboard, but cost a bit more.

The Kosmos publishing house offers nature handbooks for beginners. They serve as easy-to-use reference books you can consult to identify the species of any spider you encounter at home.

P.S.: No animals were harmed in the research of this article. All statements are based on scientific studies that investigated the killing of spiders in vacuum cleaners.

P.P.S.: If you’re reading this article in Germany, Austria, France or Italy, the links to the book recommendations will, unfortunately, lead to an error page. Books are not (yet) available outside Switzerland. Sorry about that.

Martin Jungfer

Head of Content

Martin.Jungfer@digitecgalaxus.ch

Journalist since 1997. Stopovers in Franconia (or the Franken region), Lake Constance, Obwalden, Nidwalden and Zurich. Father since 2014. Expert in editorial organisation and motivation. Focus on sustainability, home office tools, beautiful things for the home, creative toys and sports equipment. more

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