I tolerated the big spider because it was hanging out in an out of the way corner where I couldn't easily reach it without risking spider remains on the ceiling.
The cloud of baby spiders that showed up overnight motivated me to get the shop-vac from the garage and take care of business.
Those aren't spiders, they're Daddy Longlegs
> I tolerated the big spider because it was hanging out in an out of the way corner where I couldn't easily reach it without risking spider remains on the ceiling.
Those are Daddy Longlegs and aren't spiders. They are actually pretty cool insects:
Those aren't spiders, they're Daddy Longlegs
Kent,
Those are small brown spiders, with extremely long legs that are pretty common in this area. They are the ones that leave the "cobwebs" in the corners.
I have had them in my office and sometimes the house. They are definitely not Daddy Longlegs.
I have never seen the "babies" before. Interesting.
Jimmy
Those aren't spiders, they're Daddy Longlegs
> Those are small brown spiders, with extremely long legs that are pretty common in this area. They are the ones that leave the "cobwebs" in the corners.
>
If they spin silk, they aren't Daddy Longlegs. I'd kill them just in case they're Brown Recluse Spiders, although the Brown Recluses are pretty ... reclusive. [Edit: the thorax doesn't look globular enough for a Brown Recluse]
Those aren't spiders, they're Daddy Longlegs
I think it's a type of cellar spider Wikipedia. Here's a better picture I snagged from Wikipedia.
Those aren't spiders, they're Daddy Longlegs
> I think it's a type of cellar spider
Surely they eat other insects that you probably want to have eaten.
Those aren't spiders, they're Daddy Longlegs
That's part of why I tolerated the one, but 50 was more than I could live with. I'm sure that some of their cousins are still around where I can't see them.
I think I imported these when I moved the office into the house. Before the move I would see these at the office and at home I would mostly see wolf spiders when the weather turned cold. Now I have the cellar spiders year round and the wolf spiders come and go with the cold weather.
There is a similar species that dwells in and out of my office.
Never allowed them to get that size.
Praying mantis kept them at bey for many years and their numbers are dwindling. They are killing each other off.
The shop vac has been my best line of defense against pests since around 1978.
That one expired last year and the new one has twice the power.
With all the traffic from deep woods and fields and what may be hibernating with the firewood that makes its way into the office, there is no surprise what may raise its biting head above the baseboards.
We give the place a once over at least once a month and more often when critters present themselves.
Ladybugs are caught and released to the wild.
😉
"It is true that brown recluses like hiding in dark corners. They’re nocturnal and shy away from daylight and, sometimes, the outdoors. Hence the name. But they are not waiting in these dark corners to bite you. It’s possible to live with the spiders and not get bitten. Take the rather extreme example of a Kansas family that lived for six years in a house infested by 2,055 brown recluse spiders. Total bites: Zero."
plagiarized from: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/11/poor-misunderstood-brown-recluse/
There is a link to the story of the Kansas family, interesting read.
Vern,
That's a good read. Thanks for the linky.
Dave
I lived in Missouri for a bit. Had the pest company spray quarterly. They also had little sticky traps around the house to monitor activity. Every month, there would be 20 to 40 brown recluse dead in the traps. My house was about 20 feet from a heavily wooded area and the house itself was 35 years old. We had quite a bit living in the walls and attic.
No one ever got bit. It did cause a bit of a hollow feeling when I'd find my toddler sitting with a half dead recluse in her hand. Thankfully, no bites.
