Roger's Spider Stronghold is now open!

http://www.buzzfeed.com/patricksmith/the-spider-of-your-worst-nightmares-is-just-casually-hanging#2jbufda

I saw a black widow in the house last night. Am currently plotting ways to kill her without destroying the house.

I've got a very high tolerance for my eight legged friends, but I just don't like widows and daddy long legs.

Doesn't he know they can leap?

I, I am afraid to say, douse them in insect spray until they are weakened then hit them hard with something or stomp on them in good strong shoes.

With ones on the ceiling, you have to watch where they fall and be prepared to move fast.

Are black widows fast movers?

I don't think they are especially quick, but hard to tell. On the rare occasions I've seen them out of the web, they didn't seem especially fast. They do construct the webs in areas that don't give you a clear shot at them. They seem to start with a corner where two walls meet the ceiling and branch out to both sides and the floor. I did spray the general area, including crevices. Just no way of knowing if she was affected.

This may be an opportunity for the daddy long legs to strut their stuff. They invade friendly spiders' webs and kill the occupant - which is why I don't like them. Not sure the want to tangle with a full grown widow, or not.

A black widow web is pretty much the definition of a cobweb, by the way.

I assumed he has a deathwish.

A cobweb on a rain drenched bush - tiny spiders crawling out of the holes in the web

http://www.buzzfeed.com/nhtsagov/animals-wholl-see-you-before-you-see-them

Waiter? There isn't a fly in my coke....
http://www.buzzfeed.com/alanwhite/the-beast-that-ascendeth

Get me a spider or two PRONTO!

http://www.buzzfeed.com/kristinchirico/some-people-just-want-to-watch-the-world-burn#2z26ww4

http://www.buzzfeed.com/jobarrow/spiderdog-spiderdog#2z26ww4

Giant Spiders Invade the UK



Millions of giant spiders are set to invade UK homes, experts warned this week. The warm autumn weather has provided bounteous food supplies for spiders, in the form of flies and bugs. And as the mating season arrives, many will wander into people's homes in search of a partner.

Professor Adam Hart, an entomologist at the University of Gloucestershire, explains: "This year has seemingly been a good one for the invertebrates that spiders feed on." Falling temperatures will also lead spiders to find warmth indoors. But until autumn they will stay on their webs, until they leave to find mates. However, experts said that we should welcome the creatures into our homes. "They often feed on the most common species, preventing a few species from becoming dominant," professor Hart told the Mirror. "We want to encourage people to respect and learn more about their little house guests."

Arachnophobes who would rather not share their homes with the eight-legged creatures are advised to sweep them up and put them in a covered outside space like a shed.

Spiders are apparently high in potassium....
http://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelzarrell/spider-banana

^^^That's a reasonable excuse then. Good doggie! Good doggie! (((pats on noggin)))

~~~~

http://www.buzzfeed.com/thecw/times-quick-reflexes-saved-the-day#h6ezaz

And the horrors keep rolling in!

This Family Have Had A Pretty Massive Spider In Their House For Five Years
http://www.buzzfeed.com/alanwhite/this-family-have-had-a-pretty-massive-spider-in-their-house#h6ezaz

I was walking into the park this morning and the sun was just right to illuminate all of these beautiful sparkles under a tree. Upon closer inspection I discover they're all spiders! There were hundreds of spiders coming out of this tree. This crappy phone photo doesn't do it justice but it was the best I could do.

It sounds like a strange experience - were they very large?

No. They pretty small.