apache load VERY high, disabling server

[lexthoonen]

Hi, on an old server of mine, as soon as apache is started, the load average that I get to see with 'top', that normally is under 1, now just steadily climbs up and up to easily 150, in fact disabling the webserver from serving any webpage.

I've checked netstat, and I'll try to upload the output. The ip's that are in there I've blocked with iptables. But that doesn't help or so it seems. I see nothing weird in the error logs.

As soon as I stop apache, the load goes back to normal. As soon as I (re)start it, up it goes again.

What can cause this and how do I get rid of it?

Thanks!

p.s. It's an old server, fedora3 or so, and I've got a new one to which I'll transfer the domains, but until that's completely done, I'd like this one to run as it has for years...

p.p.s. I wanted to upload the netstat as a .txt file, but it wouldn't let me as my file is 30 something kilobytes, more than the maximum 19 something. So it's now called netstat.rpm but you'd have to change the extention back to .txt ok?