Garden Friend (Snake)

[Cole_Robbie]

I have these guys around the house. I rescue them when they get stuck in the sink or bathtub. My own name for them is "face-jumpers," because they can jump a foot or so in the air to catch prey, like moths. I just looked it up and the actual name for them is White-Spotted Jumping Spider, so I wasn't that far off.

[imp]

Originally Posted by dmforcier

I leave wolf spiders well alone, and will even rescue one. They are friends.

Web spiders in the house are a no-no.




You might consider getting a restraining order..

Oh, that is useless as they can't pick it up and hold it to read it. Plus, the snakes would litter as they have no pockets to put the forms in.

[SteveP]

Around here we have a lot of Black Widow and even more Brown Recluse. When I find those I go into kill, spray, bomb, kill kill kill mode. No doubt some collateral damage occurs, but sadly this is war.

[AlittleSalt]

Steve, we had the same problem here in the late 80s and 90s with Black Widow and Brown Recluse spiders. Everyone we knew back then was spraying and killing them any way they could.

[HudsonValley]

Officially, the Brown Recluse does not inhabit my area, but there have been several sightings in recent years suggesting that it has expanded its habitat. Black Widows definitely live here, but I haven't seen one. I'd probably scream like a banshee. Actually, if I made a list of critters that have made me scream bloody murder, it would include black and yellow garden spiders, salamanders, a baby fox that I mistook for a lost puppy, house centipedes, hornworms, and a suicidal squirrel that ran under my tire one morning on my way to work. Robert, I can't imagine how you managed to take that awesome photo of your slithery friend...

Cole Robbie, your jumping spider looks like a cartoon character. I wouldn't want one in the house, though. <<shudder>>

[Cole_Robbie]

I've gotten a black widow or two in the greenhouse...lurking on the bottom of a flat of plants I was carrying. (yikes). Mud Dauber Wasps are their natural enemy.

The recluse and the harmless cellar spider look very similar. The easiest way I can tell them apart is by their behavior. Cellar spiders hang on ceilings and walls, out in the open. The recluse is true to its name. It likes to hide, then scurry away when exposed.

[My Foot Smells]

I had my fishing pole anchored between the slats of the dock one afternoon, and the line went straight out - doink, doink - a big one. when I went to get the pole, there were two wasps circling my pole - I hestitated. after examination, I found that the wasp were gearing up to attack a tarantula by my pole.

I went for the pole real quick, and the red wasps (2) hammered my pinkie knuckle. 17 pound cat on the line reeled in, but, man, my hand hurt.

After about an hour, my hand looked like a boxing glove.

[Jimbotomateo]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

I've gotten a black widow or two in the greenhouse...lurking on the bottom of a flat of plants I was carrying. (yikes). Mud Dauber Wasps are their natural enemy.

The recluse and the harmless cellar spider look very similar. The easiest way I can tell them apart is by their behavior. Cellar spiders hang on ceilings and walls, out in the open. The recluse is true to its name. It likes to hide, then scurry away when exposed.

Gloves? Hard for me to remember them. Fishing gloves probably wouldn't work in the event of wasps. We were fishing up in the Sierras in a place called Dead man creek. Catching the heck out of brookies but the squeeters were so mean we couldn't deal with em. . Swarming and biting us everywhere.. We were wearing fishing gloves and they were biting right thru em! . I'm sure HTG knows the place since he grew up in that area.. Jimbo

[Cole_Robbie]

A girlfriend of mine a long time ago lived next to an old strip pit mining lake. I remember laying on a trampoline, and I got bit through the trampoline and through my t-shirt. Florida and Caribbean mosquitoes never could have pulled that off. They are not nearly as big as the Illinois ones. I haven't been very far north of me, but in Minnesota and parts of Canada, I have heard that they resemble small birds.

[Jimbotomateo]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

A girlfriend of mine a long time ago lived next to an old strip pit mining lake. I remember laying on a trampoline, and I got bit through the trampoline and through my t-shirt. Florida and Caribbean mosquitoes never could have pulled that off. They are not nearly as big as the Illinois ones. I haven't been very far north of me, but in Minnesota and parts of Canada, I have heard that they resemble small birds.

. Yes , they are the Minnesota state bird! . I was down on the big river by St Paul and the Squeeters were biting me and my pal Jon thru a t shirt and heavy Flannel shirt.. He was spraying deet on the back of my shirt and it was completely covered in mosquitoes. I think they we're drinking it like Kool Aid.. Jimbo

[AlittleSalt]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

A girlfriend of mine a long time ago lived next to an old strip pit mining lake. I remember laying on a trampoline, and I got bit through the trampoline and through my t-shirt. Florida and Caribbean mosquitoes never could have pulled that off. They are not nearly as big as the Illinois ones. I haven't been very far north of me, but in Minnesota and parts of Canada, I have heard that they resemble small birds.

I had a family of friends move down here to Texas from Flint, Michigan that often talked about the huge mosquitos there.

I told them they should have bought a 410 and went mosquito hunting.

[dmforcier]

Unfortunately you can't eat them. Only vice versa.

[AlittleSalt]

They also told me they didn't have to go hunting - that they were the ones being hunted.

[weaselbean]

Down East NC. No joke here.

[JLJ_]

Originally Posted by Gardeneer

. . . Once i saw a snake, showing a big bulge in his throat. I caught him, holding it from its tail and shaking. He spit the frog out and the frog ran away happily.

:::cheering:::

JLJ <~~ likes nearly all frogs and toads