Natural remedy (not)
Our office seems to be some kind of paradise for spiders. Big spindly ones, little weedy ones, huge chunky ones that have genuine mass – they all seem to love it. They’re also dead keen on the (outside) loo.
Now, I’m not a total wuss when it comes to our eight-legged friends, but I’m a good 80% of the way there. If they sit still and don’t do anything, fine. If they’re somewhere threatening, then first choice is catch and release (at a safe distance); splattering is definitely the position of last resort, but it’s not out of the question. My office, my loo, and my comfort out-ranks theirs.
So, last week when on our delayed lunchtime constitutional we happened across a conker tree cheerfully shedding its wares, I thought it was time to do some empirical testing of the “Spiders don’t like conkers” rumour. I’ve always suspected it was total rubbish, but hey, conkers are nice things in their own right, so collecting a few bagfuls and depositing them in corners in the loo and the kitchen (as a slow start -the rest of the office can always be treated if necessary) wasn’t a hardship.
Nearly a week in, and it’s looking suspiciously like the only way conkers deter spiders is if you throw the conker at the offending creature. However, I do have a number of nice piles of conkers, so we’ll see … Worst case I can claim some rustic decorative charm.