A beautiful widow......(you may find her creepy)

[Hotwings]

Beautiful spider pictures! I wouldn't want a black widow though lol. I kinda like spiders. Are daddy long legs a spider or something else?

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

I started to type a response but thought I'd better check my facts first. This was very interesting and something I didn't know about daddy long-legs:

http://spiders.ucr.edu/daddylonglegs.html

 

[luvmychicknkids]

LilRalphieRoosmama, many people have squished a "huge" spider just to discover she was smaller than they suspected and covered in (now running everywhere) babies. I can imagine that would freak you out if you were pretty scared of spiders.

I had one that lived in my shower when I was a kid, Peaguy.

She was my buddy. My mom is NOT a spider fan, so it drove her insane. I named her Harriet and the whole family had strict instructions not to touch her.

I think they are spiders, Hotwings, but I have never got close enough to count their legs.

I am gonna admit this....a grand daddy long legs is one of the few things I am terrified of!!!! And I KNOW they can't hurt me.

 

[wegotchickens]

Daddy Longlegs are spiders and have potent venom, but they have itty bitty teeth and can only kill bugs.

I still have bunches of black widows in my garden beds, and they're hatching tons of babies! I may be overrun with them next year because they hatched earlier than they did last year. Last year I removed most of the egg cases. Missed my window this year.

My widows are well-mannered and get out of my way when I need to work in the beds. I just tap on the sides of the beds to let them know I'm coming.

 

[luvmychicknkids]

My widows are well-mannered and get out of my way when I need to work in the beds.

I am just LOVING this sentence.

Really gave me a smile.

 

[wegotchickens]

Quote:
I am just LOVING this sentence.

Really gave me a smile.

Why thank you!

Soooo many people freak out when they hear I have widows in my raised garden beds. But I'm a live-and-let-live kind of person outdoors. If I think dandelions are wildflowers then why are bugs bad and birds good? It's all wildlife, and spiders are beneficial.
If they were aggressive then we'd have a different story, though....

Gotta say, I thought silk-wrapped strawberries were kinda icky until I saw the berries the slugs got hold of. After that, wiping the silk away seemed easy!

 

[LinckHillPoultry]

Not a big spider fan here, but I love the pictures and I agree with everything you guys have said. I don't mind seeing them, but once they're on or coming towards me and are too close, I have a problem.
Spiders are the only things that I am extremely squeemish towards.
You see, I can walk outside, find a big 'ole black snake and pick it up, but ughhh I cannot find it in me to touch a spider.

I think it's their looks and all the eyes they have that they stare at you with. I respect what they do for the environment and how they are good pest control.

We can get along as long as we are not near eachother. It's that kind of relationship.

 

[wegotchickens]

Ironically, I'm with you LinckHill.

I hate spiders, they creep me out. Heaven forbid one should get on me.

And I get along great around snakes.

But the widows seem to be respectful and helpful so I let them be.

 

[luvmychicknkids]

You see, I can walk outside, find a big 'ole black snake and pick it up, but ughhh I cannot find it in me to touch a spider.

LOL, that is exactly how my father is.

He had me out picking up and playing with every non-venomous snake around when I was just tiny (I guess I learned early to love the creepy crawlies) but he freaks out over spiders.

Somehow I learned to love them all.

 

[EllyMae]

Once I started noticing how many flies were getting caught in the spider webs on the porch, I started changing my mind about spiders. Now the wolfies still scare the bejeezus out of me BUT I am doing so much better. Kinda mind over matter. I ask myself, Why in the world is a being MY size afraid of a being so SMALL?
Everything in nature is there for a purpose...just don't try to figure out mosquitoes...