Spider Training
This past week, Teddy and I have been very busy preparing for the Attic Mission. We’ve held regular Q&A sessions with Otter Keeper, to find out as much as we can about the attic. These sessions have been very useful and we have learnt a lot! For example, did you know that Christmas decorations are stored in the attic? This means that it is technically Christmas all year round up there! (It could also mean it’s where Santa lives…)
However, in Friday’s Q&A (our least favourite so far), we found out that although there is a chance Santa may live in our attic, there is a much better chance that there are spiders up there. This is bad news because Teddy is very scared of spiders. I’ve had to come up with an additional spider-training module, at very short notice.
Phase one went well. I drew a picture of a spider and told Teddy that spiders are really not very scary, and he felt a lot better. We discussed spiders a lot and developed an important theory: spiders are scared of Glowsticks. Otter Keeper said this wasn’t the case, but he later admitted he has never actually seen a spider when he’s been holding a Glowstick.
Phase two involved looking up spider pictures on the Internet. It turns out phase two was a very bad idea, and I now wish we hadn’t done phase two at all. Actually, I don’t really want to talk about phase two. Phase two ruined everything. I’m never doing a phase two of anything ever again. Ever!
I’m trying to be brave for Teddy, but the truth is the Attic Mission may have to be called off altogether. Unless, that is, I can come up with a really clever plan..
Tell Teddy I am very scared of spiders too! I hear that they don’t like the smell of Horse Chestnut trees which is were conkers come from. Hope this helps! x
I am also very scared of spiders. They do not like water. If you spray them with water it stuns them and you can run past them. Arm Teddy with a spray bottle and you guys are good to go.
Thanks for the advice, Reznora! This sounds like a good idea, but can I use a bucket of water?
I’ve asked Otter Keeper to take me to the park, to get conkers, or maybe a whole tree…
I have been told that spiders are more afraid of me than I am of them which must mean they are very afraid of me but this information doesn’t help because I am still afraid of them.
@Wilf It sounds like everyone is afraid of everyone else, Wilf. Which doesn’t help anyone! Spiders are complicated, but if you want to hide under the sofa with me and Teddy, I can make room…
Spiders are deathly afraid of shoes. Fill a bag with all of Otter Keeper’s shoes and scatter them everywhere in the attic. This will keep the spiders away, and keep Otter Keeper from going to work. Hw can stay home and play instead! (If he finds out, let giraffe take the blame.)
Hmm… Could you get a portable fan for Teddy? I don’t think spiders like wind very much. If Teddy sees one, he could turn on the fan and send them tumbling away!
@Heidi
That is a very well formulated plan, Heidi. It has so many good bits! I’ll get started rounding up the shoes. I’ll also place Giraffe next to the shoe rack…he likes to play there anyway.
@Hailey Otter That’s a brilliant idea! I will see what I can do. I think there is a fan stored under the stairs, but there could also be spiders there. This problem needs some thinking…
I make friends with my spiders, they do a lovely job of eating all the other insects I don’t like hanging around.
@Brenda Hmmm I suppose making friends with the spiders *could* work. But, but, well… they are just so spidery!!!
Dear Otter, as luck would have it, I had a spider encounter today, and I tested your glowstick theory. I am sad to report that the spider was not afraid of the glowstick. It didn’t move at all, so thinking back, it might have been paralysed with fear. I did make a loud noise, and it backed away, so I think spiders are afraid of loud noises. Could you and Teddy be extra noisy when you go on the Attic Mission?
@Wolfie Thanks for the spider info, Wolfie. This is alarming news, to say the least; however, the good news is both Teddy and I love making noise… so this could all work out for the best after all!
Perhaps Otter could improve his and Teddys attic suits to be spider proof?
Maybe they could have mirrors attached to them and the spiders would see their own reflections, get scared and runaway.
Love the attic story and surprised it took you this long to come up with one. Attics are the bestest places in the world for having an adventure after all. Can’t wait to see how Otter and Teddy get on.
Love Otters Grandad
Otter, don’t give up. I’ll send you extra glowsticks, I’m sure you are right spiders are scared of them. I’ll also send some lovely Tiptree jam to go on your toast.
You could ask Keeper to sing his favorite song very loudly while you are going into the attic. That might do it.
Step on them!
Watch out for black widows too!
Watch out for black widows! Be LOUD!
I can do a load voice to, like boooom. Maybe this would be helpful when you are in the attic. Don’t be scared, it will be ok. Love Spencer. Spencer is an otter too, he is the King otter.
How did you how did spider is the weather out like you put some smelly stuff on you and then the spiders will not like the smell
Don’t worry about spiders they can be sometimes friendly and some spiders eat bad spiders so don’t worry