Talking to friends recently, I was told that they keep "old chestnuts"
(horse chestnuts, that is) in the four corners of each room in order to
deter spiders. It is supposed to be an old remedy. I have never heard
of this before and can't imagine what can be in chestnuts which so
offends spiders.

Can anyone shed any light on this? My friends didn't seem to know how
it worked, but seemed to think that it did. Don't get me wrong: I still
love spiders, but there are places where I'd rather they didn't set up home!
--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay

"Spider" wrote in message
...
Talking to friends recently, I was told that they keep "old chestnuts"
(horse chestnuts, that is) in the four corners of each room in order to
deter spiders. It is supposed to be an old remedy. I have never heard of
this before and can't imagine what can be in chestnuts which so offends
spiders.

Can anyone shed any light on this? My friends didn't seem to know how it
worked, but seemed to think that it did. Don't get me wrong: I still love
spiders, but there are places where I'd rather they didn't set up home!
--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay


My daughter and son in law have Horse Chestnuts in most rooms of their house
for the same reason ............................... and it works. They have
plenty of Horse Chestnut trees in their grounds so are never short of them
:-))

Give it a try :-)


Mike
--

....................................
Today, is the tomorrow, you were worrying about, yesterday.
....................................

'Mike' wrote:
Can anyone shed any light on this? My friends didn't seem to know how it
worked, but seemed to think that it did. Don't get me wrong: I still love
spiders, but there are places where I'd rather they didn't set up home!
My daughter and son in law have Horse Chestnuts in most rooms of their house
for the same reason ............................... and it works.

See, we have horse chestnuts all over the house, but it's nothing to do with
the spiders and all to do with the small children. Unfortunaetly it doesn't
seem to deter them.

wrote in message
...
'Mike' wrote:
Can anyone shed any light on this? My friends didn't seem to know how
it
worked, but seemed to think that it did. Don't get me wrong: I still
love
spiders, but there are places where I'd rather they didn't set up home!
My daughter and son in law have Horse Chestnuts in most rooms of their
house
for the same reason ............................... and it works.

See, we have horse chestnuts all over the house, but it's nothing to do
with
the spiders and all to do with the small children. Unfortunaetly it
doesn't
seem to deter them.

What? Small children? Too late now ;-} Aspirin held firmly between the knees
;-0

Mike


--

....................................
Today, is the tomorrow, you were worrying about, yesterday.
....................................

On 08/11/2010 18:55, wrote:
wrote:
Can anyone shed any light on this? My friends didn't seem to know how it
worked, but seemed to think that it did. Don't get me wrong: I still love
spiders, but there are places where I'd rather they didn't set up home!
My daughter and son in law have Horse Chestnuts in most rooms of their house
for the same reason ............................... and it works.

See, we have horse chestnuts all over the house, but it's nothing to do with
the spiders and all to do with the small children. Unfortunaetly it doesn't
seem to deter them.


That's delightfully wicked, Vicky! :~} Perhaps you're not throwing them
hard enough!

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay

In message ,
writes
'Mike' wrote:
Can anyone shed any light on this? My friends didn't seem to know how it
worked, but seemed to think that it did. Don't get me wrong: I still love
spiders, but there are places where I'd rather they didn't set up home!
My daughter and son in law have Horse Chestnuts in most rooms of their house
for the same reason ............................... and it works.

See, we have horse chestnuts all over the house, but it's nothing to do with
the spiders and all to do with the small children. Unfortunaetly it doesn't
seem to deter them.

I have a few horse chestnuts in a bowl on the sideboard, and it works, -
I hardly ever see a small child in my house. 8-)
--
Gordon H
Remove "invalid" to reply

Gordon H wrote:
See, we have horse chestnuts all over the house, but it's nothing to do with
the spiders and all to do with the small children. Unfortunaetly it doesn't
seem to deter them.
I have a few horse chestnuts in a bowl on the sideboard, and it works, -
I hardly ever see a small child in my house. 8-)

Where do you live - I'll post you some!

It seems to be the latest "silly season" story - it was all over one of the Sunday tabloids, but I was too far away to read any more than the headline.

In message ,
writes
Gordon H wrote:
See, we have horse chestnuts all over the house, but it's nothing to do with
the spiders and all to do with the small children. Unfortunaetly it doesn't
seem to deter them.
I have a few horse chestnuts in a bowl on the sideboard, and it works, -
I hardly ever see a small child in my house. 8-)

Where do you live - I'll post you some!

5500 miles from my grandson and 12000 miles from my granddaughters.
:-)
--
Gordon H
Remove "invalid" to reply

On 08/11/2010 18:36, 'Mike' wrote:
wrote in message
...
Talking to friends recently, I was told that they keep "old chestnuts"
(horse chestnuts, that is) in the four corners of each room in order to
deter spiders. It is supposed to be an old remedy. I have never heard of
this before and can't imagine what can be in chestnuts which so offends
spiders.

Can anyone shed any light on this? My friends didn't seem to know how it
worked, but seemed to think that it did. Don't get me wrong: I still love
spiders, but there are places where I'd rather they didn't set up home!
--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay


My daughter and son in law have Horse Chestnuts in most rooms of their house
for the same reason ............................... and it works. They have
plenty of Horse Chestnut trees in their grounds so are never short of them
:-))

Give it a try :-)


Mike


Thanks, Mike. I'll have to go on a conker hunt then

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay

"Spider" wrote ...

Talking to friends recently, I was told that they keep "old chestnuts"
(horse chestnuts, that is) in the four corners of each room in order to
deter spiders. It is supposed to be an old remedy. I have never heard
of this before and can't imagine what can be in chestnuts which so
offends spiders.

Can anyone shed any light on this? My friends didn't seem to know how
it worked, but seemed to think that it did. Don't get me wrong: I still
love spiders, but there are places where I'd rather they didn't set up home!

It's supposed to do with a gas/smell they give off, it also is supposed to
have an effect on moth so some put them in their wardrobes too. They do
contain saponin, a natural soap, so maybe it's true but if so why do the
trees suffer with leaf miner moth.
I've never seen any scientific proof either way.

-- Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

On 08/11/2010 23:02, Bob Hobden wrote:


"Spider" wrote ...

Talking to friends recently, I was told that they keep "old chestnuts"
(horse chestnuts, that is) in the four corners of each room in order to
deter spiders. It is supposed to be an old remedy. I have never heard
of this before and can't imagine what can be in chestnuts which so
offends spiders.

Can anyone shed any light on this? My friends didn't seem to know how
it worked, but seemed to think that it did. Don't get me wrong: I still
love spiders, but there are places where I'd rather they didn't set up
home!

It's supposed to do with a gas/smell they give off, it also is supposed
to have an effect on moth so some put them in their wardrobes too. They
do contain saponin, a natural soap, so maybe it's true but if so why do
the trees suffer with leaf miner moth.
I've never seen any scientific proof either way.

-- Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK


That's interesting, Bob. I shall have a go with chestnuts, just to see.
But, no, I don't understand why chestnut trees suffer with miner
moths. Similarly, I always get greenfly in my chives, even though the
onion family is supposed to deter them. Wierd.


--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay

On 08/11/2010 23:34, Sacha wrote:
On 2010-11-08 18:32:36 +0000, Spider said:

Talking to friends recently, I was told that they keep "old chestnuts"
(horse chestnuts, that is) in the four corners of each room in order
to deter spiders. It is supposed to be an old remedy. I have never
heard of this before and can't imagine what can be in chestnuts which
so offends spiders.

Can anyone shed any light on this? My friends didn't seem to know how
it worked, but seemed to think that it did. Don't get me wrong: I
still love spiders, but there are places where I'd rather they didn't
set up home!

It's one of those stories/myths/old wives' tales and who knows? Some
people swear by it, others swear at it as they slip on the conkers and
break their limbs. Others have said that they've done scientific tests
and found that having built two bridges, one of wood, one of conkers,
the spiders chose the conker one. Go figure!


You could be right, Sacha, but I may try it out anyway. No doubt if it
did work, you'd be one of the first people to use it. As to the bridge
puzzle, it may simply be a case of the lesser evil. Spiders may *just*
be able to tolerate conkers but, if the wood in the bridge was treated
with something noxious and the scientists forced them to use one bridge
or the other, the natural conker bridge would undoubtedly win.

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay

On 11/11/2010 14:09, Sacha wrote:
On 2010-11-11 13:34:22 +0000, Spider said:

On 08/11/2010 23:34, Sacha wrote:
On 2010-11-08 18:32:36 +0000, Spider said:

Talking to friends recently, I was told that they keep "old chestnuts"
(horse chestnuts, that is) in the four corners of each room in order
to deter spiders. It is supposed to be an old remedy. I have never
heard of this before and can't imagine what can be in chestnuts which
so offends spiders.

Can anyone shed any light on this? My friends didn't seem to know how
it worked, but seemed to think that it did. Don't get me wrong: I
still love spiders, but there are places where I'd rather they didn't
set up home!

It's one of those stories/myths/old wives' tales and who knows? Some
people swear by it, others swear at it as they slip on the conkers and
break their limbs. Others have said that they've done scientific tests
and found that having built two bridges, one of wood, one of conkers,
the spiders chose the conker one. Go figure!


You could be right, Sacha, but I may try it out anyway. No doubt if it
did work, you'd be one of the first people to use it. As to the bridge
puzzle, it may simply be a case of the lesser evil. Spiders may *just*
be able to tolerate conkers but, if the wood in the bridge was treated
with something noxious and the scientists forced them to use one
bridge or the other, the natural conker bridge would undoubtedly win.

There'd be conkers all over the house if I thought it did work! Recently
(maybe last Sunday) I read an article about someone who had the aversion
therapy for arachnophobia and found herself stroking a tarantula's leg
at the end of the first session. One woman sat in tears through the
opening phase of the course but conquered her fear by the end of it
while only one (IIRC) failed completely.


There's no doubt that the therapy works if you're prepared to try it.
When you have a serious problem, it can completely transform your life.
The trouble is, so many feel that they "can cope if they have to",
that they don't give therapy a chance. Perhaps it's the therapy that
*really* scares them? Pity, if so.

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay

I think the explanation is much simpler. I have a phobia that doesn't adversely affect my life. It is inconceivable to me that I would ever *like* the object of my phobia. It's not the therapy per se that puts me off, it's the knowledge that during the course of it I would need to get nearer the object of my therapy. Why on earth would I want to do that?