Is this just a coincidence?

[Biggles]

Over the years I have had quite a few large spiders of various types take up residence in the shack. They never did any harm and I became quite used to them either watching from a wall or scuttling around when I had cause to shift something. A year or so back I made a crystal set which now sits quietly talking to itself 24/7 in the background through some headphones. Why leave it on all the time? Because I am like that and anyway it's free! The strange thing is that since I did this I haven't seen one spider in the shack. I was wondering if for some reason the spiders were averse to the noise, or is it just some bizarre co-incidence? It is not time of year related as there has been at least one complete year of operation.
Alan.

[Aaamusements]

Perhaps they don't like the station?

Have you tried playing something by David Bowie?

[g4aaw pete]

Hello Alan

it's been well reported in the media that spiders have been more abundant during 2014 than previous years due the favourable weather conditions.
If none are evident in your shack, I'd say the crystal set might well be responsible!

Regards
Pete

[Omegaman]

Originally Posted by Aaamusements

Have you tried playing something by David Bowie?

Hilarious!!!
Well done that man....

[Biggles]

Good one...but the last thing I want in the shack are spiders from Mars. I can't change the music as the crystal set can only pick up one station where I live. I'm only five miles from a 50kW MW transmitter which somewhat swamps other transmissions. I might try switching the set off as a control experiment. Other suggestions?
Alan.

[60 oldjohn]

Alan not wanting to go OT but year after year we had Jackdaws nesting in the disused chimney, we used the upstairs room occasionally but after a clock was put on the old chimney breast. They never nested in that house again. I expect they could hear the regular ticking and left. Cant comment on spiders though.

John.

[ms660]

If it's an ordinary coil in the xtal set then try a spider coil.

Lawrence.

[dave walsh]

Maybe you can find an answer on the Web?

Not Bowie-"Boris The Spider" [The Who]

"Where's he gone now I can't see
Maybe he's as scared as me" Chorus BTS etc

I think you are very brave to post your enquiry within such a largely rationalist Forum Biggles
Dave

If spiders burnt to death in a mains unit, would this produce anachrid smell?

[Skywave]

Can you develop your crystal set so that it works on the World-wide Web?

Originally Posted by Biggles

Over the years, I have had quite a few large spiders of various types take up residence in the shack.

Then I'd be outa there hot-foot! I suffer from acute arachnophobia.

Al.

[turretslug]

Supposedly, they have "ears" (or the arachnid analogy thereof) in their legs, making them tremendously sensitive to slight transmitted vibration, eg. insect hitting web. Perhaps evolution has made them inherently wary of sounds that aren't in the look-up table, like a crystal radio headset on a surface, and they keep well clear.

There's money to be made in an effective spider deterrent- quick, down to the patent office before someone else on the forum... And zero running cost is always a plus-point.

[ms660]

These were in my shed, sometimes they come into the house, I like them, they are wild not pets, the body is about 100 mm long.

To counter act the above OT, my guess is it's vibration from the headphones etc.

Lawrence.

[dave walsh]

Yes I'm Pro Spider-they are clean, quiet and eat bin loving flies/blue bottles etc. There's always the odd one of those pests in the workshop out of season-very annoying. I could do with a Spider or two!
Dave W

[Restoration73]

Many years ago I thought my hamster might like some music so I dangled an earphone in his cage (Radio 1 with Tony Blackburn) - he chewed through the lead in a few seconds
so I assume it was not to his "musical" taste.

These were in my shed

Stick insects.

[Simon_V]

Don’t discourage your 8 legged friends. If you have spiders you will have very little of anything else as they eat anything that moves. Many don’t like wood lice though!

They are clean, extremely efficient killers and Modern World Spiders e.g. those native to the UK would struggle to bite a human as their fangs cross and curve over each other so its more of a gathering up action rather than striking straight down.

Having kept, in the past Old World Spiders e.g. Tarantulas which have straight fangs and can bite you it’s amazing watching them work out how to kill something like a large armour platted beetle.

Simon

[Aaamusements]

Some people put conkers in the corners of their rooms to discourage spiders - I've seen them in boats in the marina too.

It doesn't seem to work.

[Herald1360]

Does that station just loop "There was an old lady......" ?

[Lloyd 1985]

How on earth can spiders be clean?! They eat things that have been walking about on and eating dog poo!!

If the crystal set is responsible for getting rid of the spiders, then I'll be building a few! My guess is there's probably one of the types of spider that eats all the others on the loose in there, we have the things here, they have really thin long legs, and small bodies, just when we think we have got rid of them all, we find more of them!! They breed quicker than mice!

Regards,
Lloyd.

[Boater Sam]

Conkers do discourage spiders but you have to pierce the case and change them annually.
You can buy a spray of conker extract, that works well, we have to spray around the boat before we go abroad every year other wise we are inundated with them when we get home in the spring.
Don't think they are so clean, they defecate on your curtains and windows so probably everywhere else too.
Arachnophobes of the world unite!

[colly0410]

Hmm, given me an idea: As SWMBO is terrified of spiders I'll try leaving the clock/radio on all the time, I don't suppose it'll use anymore juice if the radio is left on. If that doesn't work I'll try the conkers. I'm not usually bothered about spiders, but. One hot summers day I was flat out starkers on the bed watching a spider on the ceiling, it then fell onto me, blind panic followed.

Many years ago I was camping at Brean Sands when I woke up with a big black beetle attached to my earlobe, I screamed like a girl, oh how my girlfriend & mates laughed, it made my earlobe bleed..