Spiders

[MariaRegina]

I'm glad if I can tell an oak from a beech, so I really don't know what a random tree I saw ten years ago could be :o All I remember is that they were smallish. And about five thousand miles from China

Chinese Elm trees grow in the USA. They are considered to be a nuisance as they volunteer quite readily.

We have to keep digging them up. Some neighbor has a big tree that seeds everywhere.

 

[Naraoia]

Hmm, might actually have been it. I looked up Chinese Elms, and it seems they also plant them here in Europe (I've never been to the USA ). As I said, it was a long time ago.

 

[MariaRegina]

Any suggestions about black widows -- the extremely poisonous variety found in Southern California.

We have them everywhere now that they are busy laying eggs.

 

[pgp_protector]

Any suggestions about black widows -- the extremely poisonous variety found in Southern California.

We have them everywhere now that they are busy laying eggs.

Spider Elimination, Control of Spiders

We do not suggest trying to control black widow spider, brown recluse spider or other spiders or scorpions with the use of pesticides purchased in grocery stores, hardware stores or big home supply stores. They rarely work! As you can see, all of the suggested pesticides are professional wettable powder or microencapsulated formulations.

So Googling it appears the best control is the wettable powders & microncapsulated formulations.

 

[MariaRegina]

I prefer natural means of controlling spiders. Chemicals are not my cup of tea.

I set those sticky traps inside our house. They catch a lot of interesting creepy crawlers such as flies, gnats, wolf spiders, silver fish, or an occasional earwig or centipede (those two are rare). Sometimes, we will catch a black widow spider, but they are very elusive and often spin a web next the the light in my Victor Flea trap (the Ultimate circular one that has a dome).

I have noticed that certain spitter spiders with very long legs have an appetite for black widow spiders. Whenever we find one of these long-legged spiders, we carefully relocate it.

Since we are encouraging these spiders to settle around our property, the population of black widows has decreased.

There are those blue mud dabbers who also like to capture spiders to feed their young.

Once while waiting for my son to finish his Karate class, I sat outside and watched a deadly battle between a huge black widow spider and some yellow jackets. She would spin her web adjacent to a water sprinkler. Then she would wait with her red hour glass visible. A yellow jacket would spot the red and zero in on it. She would suddenly drop, and then the wasp would get caught in her web. Immediately she would circle it carefully while enclosing it in a web cocoon. Next, she would deliver some careful bites. Paralysis would set in very quickly and then enable her to drop it to the ground where she had a pile of these cocoons stored. In about 5 minutes, the deed was done, and she would resume her position awaiting her next victim. She would succeed in capturing about one yellow jacket every 5 to 7 minutes.

 

[Hespera]

I prefer natural means of controlling spiders. Chemicals are not my cup of tea.

I set those sticky traps inside our house. They catch a lot of interesting creepy crawlers such as flies, gnats, wolf spiders, silver fish, or an occasional earwig or centipede (those two are rare). Sometimes, we will catch a black widow spider, but they are very elusive and often spin a web next the the light in my Victor Flea trap (the Ultimate circular one that has a dome).

I have noticed that certain spitter spiders with very long legs have an appetite for black widow spiders. Whenever we find one of these long-legged spiders, we carefully relocate it.

Since we are encouraging these spiders to settle around our property, the population of black widows has decreased.

There are those blue mud dabbers who also like to capture spiders to feed their young.

Once while waiting for my son to finish his Karate class, I sat outside and watched a deadly battle between a huge black widow spider and some yellow jackets. She would spin her web adjacent to a water sprinkler. Then she would wait with her red hour glass visible. A yellow jacket would spot the red and zero in on it. She would suddenly drop, and then the wasp would get caught in her web. Immediately she would circle it carefully while enclosing it in a web cocoon. Next, she would deliver some careful bites. Paralysis would set in very quickly and then enable her to drop it to the ground where she had a pile of these cocoons stored. In about 5 minutes, the deed was done, and she would resume her position awaiting her next victim. She would succeed in capturing about one yellow jacket every 5 to 7 minutes.

That is a remarkable story! Probably most people would be oblivious to this drama going on right in front of them.

 

[brinny]

Here is a thread for posting your favorite pictures and videos of the world's spiders.

This is information on the world's deadliest spider:

The Brazilian Wandering Spider, aka Banana Spider

Worlds Deadliest Spider: Brazilian Wandering Spider, Banana Spider » Right Pundits

*shivers*

 

[Naraoia]

That is a remarkable story! Probably most people would be oblivious to this drama going on right in front of them.

It's also a rare person who calls the creatures caught by sticky traps "interesting"

 

[Penumbra]

Any suggestions about black widows -- the extremely poisonous variety found in Southern California.

We have them everywhere now that they are busy laying eggs.

I spray bug spray at the base of my entrance door and at the base of my patio door. This is where the majority of creepers get in. The spray lasts for 3 months, and bugs that craw over it generally die.

 

[canehdianhotstuff]

I use this lovely thing called my foot, and mush them, it is fun.

 

[Gracchus]

Any suggestions about black widows -- the extremely poisonous variety found in Southern California.

We have them everywhere now that they are busy laying eggs.

Do be aware that they aren't always black. Males and immature females can be striped in red, yellow and brown. These are said to be not dangerous.

I once found a very large female with very attractive yellow and brown stripes. She did have the characteristic red hourglass on her abdomen. I treated her as dangerous, which is a good practice with all wild animals.

The females are said to become darker with each moult.

I am very careful about getting firewood from wood piles, and I try not to stick my hands into uninvestigated dark crannies.

 

[Naraoia]

I use this lovely thing called my foot, and mush them, it is fun.

What barbarism! *sniff* </hypocrisy>

 

[brinny]

What barbarism! *sniff* </hypocrisy>

LOL i'm too skeeered to use my foot...i usually spray them with something to disable them, then throw them in the toilet and flush them to "be sure" they don't shneak back in my apt, like while i'm sleeping

 

[Naraoia]

LOL i'm too skeeered to use my foot...i usually spray them with something to disable them, then throw them in the toilet and flush them to "be sure" they don't shneak back in my apt, like while i'm sleeping

I don't usually kill random creatures that cross my path, but I hate mosquitoes (they bite!) and flies when they come indoors (buzzing drives me nuts!). If there's an unfortunate fly in my room, I gleefully smack the life out of it with a dirty t-shirt, then trample on its mutilated corpse to make sure it stays dead. After you spread their guts on the floor, they usually don't sneak back...

 

[brinny]

I don't usually kill random creatures that cross my path, but I hate mosquitoes (they bite!) and flies when they come indoors (buzzing drives me nuts!). If there's an unfortunate fly in my room, I gleefully smack the life out of it with a dirty t-shirt, then trample on its mutilated corpse to make sure it stays dead. After you spread their guts on the floor, they usually don't sneak back...

ewwwww LOL squished flies are disgusting

 

[Gracchus]

I kind of like spiders. I like insects too, in general, but I can't abide roaches.

 

[Hespera]

I kind of like spiders. I like insects too, in general, but I can't abide roaches.

Then stay out of the tropics. You have to either learn to ignore them, or leave.