Last week I posted this picture on Facebook.

 And my response to my own photo was:

“Oh God. What do I do! Should I wait till the hubby gets home. Eeek. I hate spiders.”

My friends sympathetically expressed fear for my imminent safety. Amy from Selfish Mom firmly stated I should move. I firmly contemplated it. Sarah from In the Trenches of Mommyhood advised me to get 47 paper towels and step on it, but I wasn’t keen on spider guts on the floor. Kim from Kim World thought I should duct tape the cup from the floor, because Amy from A Million Boxes thought the spider was fierce enough to knock the cup over and escape. As the banter ensued, I pretty much hopped on one foot and freaked out.

In the end, I man’d up. Only because my toddler and baby were looking at me like I had lost my mind. Due to an extended period in which I contemplated my move, the spider, I think, started to suffocate. So it was rather limp when I slid a piece of paper under the cup and ran for the door. As I got ready to toss it outside, it ‘woke’ up with the additional oxygen and started to ricochet in the cup. I threw the cup out the door and figured it was on its own.

When my hubby got home later the day, he asked why there was a sippy cup rolling around on the driveway. Needless to say, here is the ultimate question. Where the heck are these spiders coming from and why are they in my house? (Okay, that’s two questions.)

According to Pest World, seeing spiders and other creepy-crawlies is normal for this time of year because, heck, they are pretty smart after all and they want out of the cold. 

Yet, what kind of spider was my toddler’s sippy cup? Was it a nice spider who was thinking I was a spider-hater? Or an evil spider that was secretly contemplating my demise behind the green plastic? Well, Pest World’s website has images where I can compare what I have, with what is on the website. Since I would probably would freak at the pictures, I’ll leave that to you all (and my hubby.)

However, I like ladybugs. They aren’t too creepy so I checked out the ladybug section on Pest World. There was a section on Habits (they eat bad bugs), their Habitat (they look for warm places in the winter), their Threat level (they can leave a foul-stain causing odor.) Huh. Not very lady-like is it?

There was a section on home remedies to get rid of them and, of course, if all else fails or it is a bad situation – call the professionals. There is section on the site where you can enter your zip code and see who can help!

All in all, I really like the Pest World website. I thought it was really informative. Actually would be a great website for the kids to check out too for science projects or other nature science learning. I also like the layout; very easy to navigate and there was a consistency throughout so once you knew the format, it is really easy to get the information you need.

So when I posted the picture of this spider on Facebook, little did I know I would be writing a formal paid post about it, but my clearly palpable reaction to this spider was felt across the social media sphere, seconded only to my dislike and distrust over ants. But that is a whole other post….

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PestWorld.org is your go-to resource for everything you need to know about bugs, rodents and other household pests. You can identify your infestation, find helpful prevention tips, pest photography and videos, educational articles on a variety of pest topics, and more. In the fall, pests often enter our homes seeking shelter from colder weather, so it’s important to take steps to pest-proof your home. Pest issues are better handled by licensed pest professionals. They have the knowledge, training and tools to properly identify a pest species and recommend ways to safely remedy an infestation before it becomes a serious problem. You can find a pest professional in your area by entering your zip code in the Find a Pro database on PestWorld.org: http://www.pestworld.org/find-a-pest-control-professional/.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of the National Pest Management Association. The opinions, images, thoughts and text are mine.