Greetings from the arachnid family. :)

[wegotchickens]

Quote:
She's Banana Spider. I've never heard that they whistle. I wouldn't want to make her mad to find out...
http://www.surviveoutdoors.com/reference/spiders/banana_spider.asp

We have a similar spider we call a Writer Spider (Garden Spider) because it makes a big zigzag in the center of the web. We used to feed them crickets so the kids could watch the spinnerets working. I never heard one make a noise, but until they got to know us they would bounce on their webs when we got close. When they learned we'd feed them, they'd hold really still and reach their arms out for the crickets.

Right now I have at least 1 Black Widow spider in each of the garden beds. I tap the side of the bed when I get ready to work in it and they go hide until I'm done. I don't like their webs, but if I have to choose between a ripe strawberry with some webs on it or a non-webbed strawberry with big slug holes... well... Webs do wash off!!

Friends/neighbors don't like my little helpers, though. They prefer my aphid eating ladybugs instead! I joke that I should put up a sign with a spider pic & "This garden protected by".

One of my widows is already getting pretty big. I shook some dirt off a garlic bulb and the dirt scattered onto some web. She ran out of her hidey hole, saw me, and ran back into her hole. My eyes are going bad, but I could still see that big red hourglass!!

 

[dangerouschicken]

We had plenty of tarantulas in Texas, and they always scared the hell out of me. I don't know what I would have done if I would have seen that wolf spider, luvmychicknkids. AHHHHH!!!!

would probably been it.

 

[dangerouschicken]

When they learned we'd feed them, they'd hold really still and reach their arms out for the crickets.

That is AMAZING!


I bet if you fed crickets to the spiders, then fed the spiders to the chickens, they would do the same

 

[ivan3]

The jumpers are the raptors of the spider clan and are fun to watch. They are also one of the few that, when they do get ya, cause pain not unlike a wasp sting (in the shoes? NO!). Most of the time I don't know I've been bitten by a spider until I notice the tale-tell patch of semidigested tissue at the site of the bite.

But, hey, I'm not going to crab about it...

 

[wegotchickens]

Quote:
That is AMAZING!


I bet if you fed crickets to the spiders, then fed the spiders to the chickens, they would do the same

Most definitely!
Although I know my chickers have seen one of the widows and didn't eat her. In fact, she pulled back from it like "Uh oh!" So maybe they don't taste good?

Feeding the garden spiders was a turning point for me. My 4 year old daughter was brave enough to catch the crickets for it, but scared of the spider. I'm scared of spiders, too, but had to be brave for my sweet baby. After a summer of watching the spiders act like pets I became a devoted advocate of companion planting and using no pesticides.

 

[goatkeepers]

That's really neat!! I love seeing all y'alls pics of the spiders. Here, in NC, we see a lot of "writing spiders". It looks like they "write" in their webs.

 

[luvmychicknkids]

Glad to see lots of spider lovers (or at least tolerant) out there.

They are amazing, extremely helpful, creatures. I tend to relocate my black widows, simply because my kids are always picking up rocks and sticks.....better safe than sorry. I do make sure they go to a safe and comfortable location, however. I would have probably freaked over the one in the shoe, however. Not much I am afraid of, but I HATE surprises!!!! I think most people kill spiders out of fear, so I always love the opportunity to point out how beautiful and helpful they are.

Cute story about my dearest friend. She is an animal lover and hates to harm anything but squashed every spider she saw because she was terrified to do anything else. I couldn't just do nothing so I tried all the "free exterminator" speeches, etc, to no avail. FINALLY, I figured out what to do. I used her fear. It took a bit, but I seriously got her convinced that every spider she squished had the potential to "come back" from the dead and bite her in her sleep!!! I don't think she ever REALLY believed me but it wasn't worth the risk and she now cups and relocates them!!!! LOL

 

[dangerouschicken]

I am a dedicated organic farmer, as well. We don't have that many big spiders here, though. Mostly I have an army of ladybugs

 

[luvmychicknkids]

Ladybugs are cool. I really need more...don't see near enough of them at my house. And sooooooo cute!!!!

 

[dangerouschicken]

You can buy them in a bag at Home Depot! I kid you not! Get some and add them to your plants......