i’ve recently had a bit of a spider problem. big brown ones, under my couch, on my wall, in my sink. I’ve seen 4 of 'em in the last few days and want to know what they are. Are there any sites detailing what spiders live in my area (with pics) so i can identify these and take care of 'em?
For quick reference try here .
thanks. looks like its a grass spider, so fortuanately nothing to worry about… just damn big and ugly
I would have little faith in that chart. I have written to the publishers, but without reply. As the second row are Australian spiders, despite the heading of USA spiders, the first three of which are not found in the US, I suspect it is not realiable. I have black house and mouse spiders in my backyard! I have just finished writing a book about spiders. I am a recovered arachnophobe who is now totally obsessed by spiders.
At this time of year, a sudden influx will be male spiders, off to find a female. He is probably no longer eating, and only interested in you if you are a female spider. If you think it looks like a grass spider, it might also be a wolf spider. They have lovely patterns on their cephalothorax (the front half). As long as it isn’t a hobo spider or black widow, it is harmless. Even both of those are unlikely to do you harm unless you really pressure them!
Check the palps - the little ‘legs’ next to the fangs. If they have little boxing gloves on them, then he is a wandering male. If you don’t like them, then blow on them gently and they will go away. I round mine up and out the door by blowing on them - but only because I know they have a better chance of meeting their needs outside. Those hairs of theirs are incredibly sensitive, so they will move away from blowing.
Oh, pope_hentai, and us obsessives think spiders are beautiful.
Love thy spider!
Lynne
I’m warning all those who are jumpy around spiders, that link plays a mean trick. There’s a color diagram of a big spider on there, and every now and then (not often) it will jump the littlest bit. It was too sudden to catch the first time around, my eyes just caught a spider twitch, and I had a WTF moment.
You might try checking out this site too: What’s that bug?
Even if you don’t have a picture to submit it’s still kinda neat to wander through and check out all the cool bugs.
(Shudders just writing about them)
Wow, how did an arachnophobe turn into a spider lover? That’s impressive. I’m a confirmed arachnophobe of old, just sharing the planet with them gives me the creeps, let alone being in the same room.
I had to do something about it. I was having nightmares every night and it was starting to ruin my life. I couldn’t even touch a picture of one. So I started studying them. Starting with the little ones on the OTHER side of the window in little webs - I left them there and got to know the individuals. The secret was to give them a name an watch them like pets. It took a while, but once I saw one weave a full orb web, I was hooked.
All my spiders are just in the garden - I slowly learnt how to locate them by the hundred - literally. One wolf spider, Theresa, had over 100 babies on her back last year. She let me photograph her at the top of her burrow all summer, through two lots of young and two bird attacks. When she was killed by birds, I broke down and cried. That’s when I realised my obsession had become as irrational as my arachnophobia.
Tonight I went out to talk to those still around in winter here - mostly trapdoors - nearly 300 of them (many still tiny) within 50 metres of the house. I cannot see a spider now without thinking it’s gorgeous.
Lynne