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Cat Forum / Cat Anecdotes / October 2004Big softy
I admit it, I hate spiders. Besides daddy-long-legs (ues, I know they aren't exaactly spiers but they have 8 legs and look alot like them) which I can stand as long as they stay up in the corner sof the bathroom eating mosquitos, spiders tend to cop a rather quick shoe if they dare come into the house or get too near me outside (but otherwise I'll leave outside spiders alone) There's a particular type of spider that seems to come in alot, and gets regularly smooshed. Its dark brown with lighter brown markings, and the female carries live young (coz when you smoosh those ones, the little ones scatter all over the place). I didn't know whether these types of spiders were dangeorous or not, so, gathering up all my courage and fighting an almost overwhelming urge to smmosh it, instead of killling the next spider of this type I saw, i managed to catch it in a clean take-away plastic containder. I put the container in th ebathtub so that the furris coudn't mess with it and tracked down an exterminator that was willing to identify it for free. The catch was, that I had to take the spider to the exterminator - if the exterminator came here, that wold be a $70 call-out fee. No thanks. But with Cary, it was often hard to get out of the house, the exterminator wasn't necessarily at the office, and even if I did go out on necessary and unavoidable errands, I'd forget to take the spider with me. After 5 days, spidey was still in the plastic container, in the bathtub, andlooking very sorry for itself for lack of oxygen, food and water. The guilt was too much. In the end I had to summon up even more courage, and let the poor thing go in the from garden (well away from the house). Now I know that the life of one spider is no more and no less valuable than another, and I've smooshed two more spiders of that type since I let the captured spider go, indeed one of the latest smooshed ones could well be the same one I let go the previous week, because I certainly couldn't tell. But why did I feel I couldn't let the captured spider die, whilst still being happy to smoosh other spiders with my shoe? very strange... Yowie > same one I let go the previous week, because I certainly couldn't tell. > But [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). > Version: 6.0.769 / Virus Database: 516 - Release Date: 24/09/04 You'd bonded with that spider?? ;> I don't kill spiders, I capture them and let them go. The only things I kill (directly anyway, I kill a whole lot of things indirectly by not being a vegan) are roaches, ants, and mosquitos. Hugs, CatNipped Is it a little furry? And fairly large? Almost sounds like a Wolf spider. They are harmless to people and love to eat Miller moths and other spiders so I tolerate them. But mine never come inside. http://images.google.com/images?q=Wolf+spider&hl=en&btnG=Google+Search They are pretty easy to catch, too. TBird <--- also hates spiders and has had close encounters with Brown Recluses which were in fact white and really scarey looking > I admit it, I hate spiders. Besides daddy-long-legs (ues, I know they aren't > exaactly spiers but they have 8 legs and look alot like them) which I can [quoted text clipped - 40 lines] > Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). > Version: 6.0.769 / Virus Database: 516 - Release Date: 24/09/04 Its not large compared to other spiders we get here (the ones Bev is talking about down thread are huntsman spiders and usually have the leg span of a large human hand, and can even get to the size of a dinner plate in places), but yes, the spiders we get look much like wolf spiders. Which is weird - what are American spiders doing in an Australian house? Yowie > Is it a little furry? And fairly large? > [quoted text clipped - 61 lines] > > Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). > > Version: 6.0.769 / Virus Database: 516 - Release Date: 24/09/04 Yep, sounds like a wolf spider - they show remarkable parental care of their young. Wolf spiders is the common name for a very large group of spiders and are found throughout the world (except antarctica, nach). Tish >Its not large compared to other spiders we get here (the ones Bev is talking >about down thread are huntsman spiders and usually have the leg span of a [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > >Yowie Are they dangerous is the big question. Are they likely to bite Cary? Is the bite a bad one or just a nip and sting? Or do they generally go about their business without bothering people too much? If they are not agressive, then I may be convinced to relocate them rather than smooshing them. Though smooshing them tends to be a reaction rather than a concious decision. Yowie > Yep, sounds like a wolf spider - they show remarkable parental care of > their young. Wolf spiders is the common name for a very large group [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > > >Yowie Like all spiders, they will bite if pestered (picked up and squeezed). I have found that they are generally easy-going and will not go looking for trouble. If you can do so, I would recommend re-locating Wolfie to somewhere that has reasonable humidity (any streams near you?) and good vegetation cover. Tish >Are they dangerous is the big question. Are they likely to bite Cary? Is the >bite a bad one or just a nip and sting? Or do they generally go about their [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] >> >> Tish hey, I bite too when picked up and squeezed :-) The biggest worry is a spider in a pile of blankets or clothes, if its agressive it will bite, if timid it will try to run away first. I'm hoping the wolf spiders are sensible, and will try to run away. Our place is full of clutter, a spider's delight :-(. The captured spider was released into the front garden, furthest away from the house. But I think they live in the fence, because they always seem to be in the back of the house (lounge room, dining room & kitchen). We live on top of a diverted stream, with an open drain grill in our back yard. Should I drop the wolfies into there? (No guarantees they won't just get smooshed though) Yowie (is there anything this group, colectively, *doesn't* know????) > Like all spiders, they will bite if pestered (picked up and squeezed). > I have found that they are generally easy-going and will not go [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > >> > >> Tish "Yowie" <yowie9644.DIESPAMDIE@yahoo.com.au> had some very interesting things to say about Re: Big softy: >(is there anything this group, colectively, *doesn't* know????) If there is, I haven't come across it yet. :-)  Signature"The universe is quite robust in design and appears to be doing just fine on its own, incompetent support staff notwithstanding. :-)" - the Dennis formerly known as (evil), MCFL I read more about it - sounds like you had a wolf spider. TBird <---- pretty sure. > I admit it, I hate spiders. Besides daddy-long-legs (ues, I know they aren't > exaactly spiers but they have 8 legs and look alot like them) which I can [quoted text clipped - 40 lines] > Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). > Version: 6.0.769 / Virus Database: 516 - Release Date: 24/09/04 > I admit it, I hate spiders. Besides daddy-long-legs (ues, I know they aren't > exaactly spiers but they have 8 legs and look alot like them) which I can [quoted text clipped - 40 lines] > Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). > Version: 6.0.769 / Virus Database: 516 - Release Date: 24/09/04 When we were house exchanging on the Gold Coast we saw some of the biggest spiders we had ever seen. We also saw some when we exchanged in your area. We didn't kill them although I couldn't help a bit of shuddering. I think they were wolf spiders. My New Zealand friend lived in Brisbane and came over to the coast to stay with us. She lived with a fly spray in her hand and zapped every spider she saw. "God I hate them," she remarked. I reckon spiders have their place in the scheme of things. If I know they're not poisonous I can live with them. I rescue Daddy Long Legs and am inclined to move mother and babies from the nooks and crannies of the back patio before hosing it down. Bev SignatureThe email of the species is more deadly than the mail. > why did I feel I couldn't let the captured spider die, whilst still being > happy to smoosh other spiders with my shoe? very strange... Smooshing is very fast, so as deaths go, it's not a terrible one for a spider. Whereas slowly starving, dehydrating or suffocating is much worse, I'm sure. I would have a hard time seeing that, as well, and I've smooshed many bugs in my time. Joyce |
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