Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

[Terri O]

Well--looking at those links I dont think this is what we have. I just saw one by the back door and I will have to go and look closer. That is cool that you can shine a flashlight and their eyes shine in the beam! I will have to try that some night! Terri O

 

[raimnel]

I am a spider killer! sorry! LOL there are some that I will allow to live with us, but nothing that looks scary. when we came home last night there was this "baby" garden spider in the hall hanging from a picture. I was ready to kill! DH and kids stuffed it in a jar.

we did have one of those wolf spiders in our camper, that thing was sooooo big and when I flattened it

(they need a smilie puking LOL) later we found out what it was and vowed to kill them if we see any more.

have a good day

 

[babylady4]

I am going to get on my soapbox. Wolf spiders are so named due to the method of how they hunt their prey; they do not spin webs, they actually hunt. This has nothing to do with their bite.

I would be HIGHLY suspicious of ANY information posted on Wikipedia; anybody can go in and alter the information at any time. It is also VERY generalized; local DNR sites would be a better resource.

Here is a link from the CDC on the poisonous spiders of the US. Spiders do not run around biting people for no reason whatsoever; they bite if they are messed with either intentionally or not. They are like snakes in a way, preserving their venom unless they REALLY need to use it.

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/spiders/

Sorry but I LIKE spiders. They are a worthwile to have around and are very interesting to watch. They keep insect populations down and are an indicator of how how healthy our environment is. If you want to kill them for getting in your house that is fine, but leave them alone outside please.

Ok, getting off soapbox now.

One of the things my kids and I enjoy doing is feeding the spiders that hang out on our porch. The kids get a first hand view on how spiders trap and prepare their dinners. They respect spiders and are not afraid of them at all, and they know they run the risk of getting bitten. TO, if you ever see an Argiope spider you are a lucky individual! They are large black and yellow spiders that are found in tall grasses. They spin a web that contains a giant zig-zag in the middle, and the spider is usually found in that zig-zag.

http://www.insectimages.org/browse/subthumb.cfm?sub=58000

This one is a favorite of mine too. They have iridescent green chelicera (I looked it up) right in front of their face.
http://www.insectimages.org/browse/subthumb.cfm?sub=13181

Here is a link to the spiders in WI. This can help you identify what you have.
http://www.insectimages.org/browse/TaxThumb.cfm?order=12

 

[Sweetfolly]

Just posted my extra Runner drakes for sale if any of you are interested (they've been on CL too, if any of you recognize them!): https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=4720890#p4720890

I don't know if you're online at all with the new little one, amyable, but those are full siblings to the ones Julie got. Lighter color though - hers are the darker, prettier color (in my opinion) - like this one that I held back (it's a girl, named "Hazel"

)

Anyways, we're looking to put up a pole barn yet this fall so we have more space to breed and grow out the Cochins next year (I've got the entire family hooked now, mom's dead-set on traveling to all the big shows and winning

), and I've been busy getting quotes for materials. It looks like it's going to be a 3k+ project.

Oh, and we got to the fair last night and the Cochin and her chicks were gone. No one ever called me back.

No one ever bought the little donkey that had rubbed his eyebrows raw either!

 

[bigzio]

Early Evening To All... busy day here like usual. I wish you were closer Terri. I gave the neighbor a 5 gal pail of pickles today. That's the second one he got from me. Suzie has another double batch of relish workin til tomorrow. We did another 15 pints of salsa. Done with the salsa and the relish. I'm just glad folks can use the harvest.

I always took tons of cherry tomatoes to work for the lunch room. I always shared the extra garden stuff with the city folk that wanted it. It was amazing how fast the stuff would go home with everyone. I was happy with the empty boxes, and seemed rewarding someway.

I forgot to mention that next year wippet might have Iowa Blues for sale. While they aren't recognized by APA...just a thought I'd better share, that I failed to share before.

fordmommy, are you aware of the place by waupaca that processes poultry? I heard from jim that it exisits....I would gladly pay for the service. Any help would be a blessing. I'm still trying to find the place.

~ bigzio

 

[babylady4]

BigZ, I know a family who processes. They set-up an assembly line and process all day. Not sure if that is who you are thinking of....
Here is a link I found, hope it helps.
http://www.manta.com/mb_44_C300F_50/poultry_slaughtering_and_processing/wisconsin

You have dill to go with those cukes???

 

[Hens and Roos]

Boy busy day here today, Terry O your pictures look great! Where did you learn about growing potatoes like that it seems like a neat way to go. Sorry about your little dog

maybe she knew it was time....

Our Welsummer babies are starting to get wing feathers already!

Spiders aren't my favorite but I just leave them along-I'd rather they be around to eat insects. I do like the barn swallows-they like to eat misquitos and every year they build a neat above one of our windows-4 babies in there this year.

Hey Annarie, we'll probably see you at the Portage show, I have to fill out the forms for the oler 2 kids to show-of course they will be showing against each other.

Well DD wrote the rough draft of her project book, now she just has to type it up and finish the other part of it.

 

[Raiquee]

Well I am back in Wisco safe and sound! And first thing I do is run to my garden to see the mountains of ripened red tomatoes, piles of cukes, bushels of peppers, handfuls of beans and loads of eggplant to discover....HALF MY GARDEN DEAD!!!!!

So, our roommate (idiot face for right now) decided gardens don't need to get watered? I guess? Almost all my tomato plants are half dead, my cuke plant still provided 8 big cukes, but was wilted and sad, my acorn squash that I killed and it came back to life got a powdery mildew, the jalepeno plant fell over, and my eggplants are stunted from no water.

Lucky that idiot face didn't have the ducks! GRRAH! So I carefully watered my neglected garden while apologizing continously and promising them water in the morning as well.

In good news my volunteer tomato plants all set fruit while we were on vacation, and have the fruit in a "string line" almost, and the fruit kinda has the shape of san marzano tomatoes at first, but then blow up into an globe shape. Still no idea what they are.

TO) You were in Muskego? You were literally 5 minutes from my house. Wish I would have known! Nice harvest too!

DrH) Way to get sappy on us!!

Annarie) I thought of you the entire time I saw those nasty storms go over NL!

 

[Terri O]

Nice links BL4! I enjoyed looking at the spiders. Decided that the one that is in my bathroom is a jumping spider OR a wolf spider...cant decide. And ole mushroom butt on theporch must be a type of crab spider. The ones with the zig-zag are in our garden all the time. They are beautiful! I always thought the zig zag was where they repaired their web after a catch. My dd24 cannot stand spiders and she says it is because long ago when she was 6 and her brother 3 they took a rubber maid tub and caught all the garden spiders and put them in the tub. Then they ran over to me with about 75 BIG spiders to show me...they were all fighting and rumbling in the bottom of that tub. I told them to take them back to the garden and let them go right away! She says the picture in her mind of those spiders piling out of the tub now gives her nightmares! I can still see those kids watching the spiders...
So I still have no idea what kind are in the corners of my rooms! I only got through 5 pages of the link though...maybe tomorrow!
Too bad about the garden Raiquee--can you save any of it? My tomatoes are done now too; canned the last of them into stewed tomatoes with zucchini tonight. Kitchen smelled heavenly!
No Mayo again today...thinking it's not good.

Off to bed for me! Sleep tight, dont let the spiders bite

Terri O

 

[fordmommy]

BL4 you have been mis-informed. Wolf spiders DO have webs. They look like funnels. They are specifically named "Funnel-Web Wolf Spiders". That's partly how they and their homes are identified.

http://fireflyforest.net/firefly/2008/09/21/funnel-web-wolf-spider/

http://www.termite.com/spider-identification.html#wolf

http://bugguide.net/node/view/88343/bgimage

As for wikipedia...that's the #1 search engine on the internet. Just because you don't like them or use them, doesn't make them wrong.