No, I'm not really afraid of spiders. Many spiders are beneficial. And
some, like the large black & yellow argiope spiders I had flanking my patio
a couple of years ago are strikingly beautiful.

But I don't want spiders in my house. That's not usually a problem. I
think I might find one small spider corpse inside maybe once a year.

This week I've found two small dead spiders on the floor. I vacuumed them
up, didn't give it a second thought. Until this morning when I went into
the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. There was a (much bigger) spider
sitting by the baseboard. I hate to kill them, I really do. But, with a
sigh, I got out the bug spray and blasted it.

EEEEEEEK! A gazillion teeny tiny baby spiders started swarming off this
thing! OMG! How freaky!

Now I'm worried I might have a spider infestation. How can I tell? And
what on earth do I do if that's the case? Call an exterminator? I worry
about the chemicals they use around Persia. (Yes, I know that's a
contradiction but the area I sprayed was one isolated corner in the
kitchen.)

I certainly can't have the house fumigated. (What about lingering residue
from fumigation?!) John is arriving for a month-long visit on Wednesday; we
(and Persia) would have to stay in a hotel for a few days. That's expensive
and it would freak poor Persia out. Plus hotel/motel rooms are hard to find
here. Parris Island (Marine Corps Recruiting Station) holds weekly
graduations for the recruits every Friday. Family members come from all
over to attend and watch the ceremony so rooms are hard to come by. When my
parents died my brothers had a hard time finding rooms except in the most
expensive hotels - The Marriot, The Hilton, etc.

I don't really expect advice, I'm just venting and freaking out a little bit
at the thought of having to deal with this. I'm sure glad I sprayed that
"mama spider" this morning. If I hadn't I know I'd definitely have been
overrun with them. It's still creeping me out.

Jill