You know those spiders you
get on the ceiling, right up in the corners. The ones with little bodies and
long legs?
Well I’m no lover of spiders,
in fact I am terrified of them, but I don’t mind these - Pholcidae.
Not that I’d want to touch
one and I’d probably freak out if one touched me, but they do tend to mind
their own business.
They are known as cellar
spiders, daddy long legs spiders and carpenter spiders amongst other things.
I’ve learned something about
these unassuming, rather delicate looking creatures and I think this deserves a
drum roll….
They are natural predators of
house spiders (Yay!). And they have been known to kill redback spiders and huntsman
spiders, not with their venom, but with their speed.
This is another predator of
spiders. I knew he’d get into this post somewhere! Credit to my eldest son Rob for taking the
photo of Dusty the Spider Eater (he also tries to eat snails, worms and bees - well let's be honest, he's a springer spaniel, he'll eat anything) making himself comfortable on my pillow – and credit to him too for the photo
in the last post of Sad Dusty with my trainer
I like spiders, even the big fat hairy ones. I'm not keen on getting a face full of web when I walk round the garden at this time of year though and have taken to holding an arm up diagonally in front of me as I go. The neighbours probably think I keep an attack ninja in the undergrowth.
ReplyDeleteLol, love the image of you ninjaing your way round the garden, Patsy :-)
DeleteIt must be a good year for these 'pin-heads' as I call them. I've never seen so many before. Also, I wondered why there were so few house and field spiders - now I know! Tim 'n' Ted said to tell Dusty bees are worse than big fierce dogs cos they bite very hard. They send woofs and tail wags, too
ReplyDeletexx
We seem to have one in almost every corner, Pat. I really don't mind them at all. I will tell Dusty what Tim 'n' Ted said - very good advice :-) x
DeleteI don't mind picking those spiders up, Teresa.They don't feel too scuttly (I know there's no such word, but I can't think of another), and are easy to scoop up. Go on. Give it a try. I dare you!
ReplyDeleteI think scuttly is a great word, Frances and if there's no such word, there should be. I think I'll pass on trying to pick one up - I don't think I could reach anyway and on the odd occasion they land in the bath, I call someone else to move them :-) x
DeleteI quite like spiders as they're so fascinating but I didn't know that about those long legged ones! Great photos, Teresa.
ReplyDeleteI agree about them being fascinating, Rosemary, but not the big house spiders. I can't stay in the room if one is there until someone braver than me has caught it and put it outside x
DeleteWhat a beautiful photograph. Dusty doesn't look as if he'd hurt a fly let alone a spider.
ReplyDeleteLooks can be deceptive, Maggie! I dread to think what he'll be like when the crane flies start coming in! x
DeleteSpiders do an excellent job in keeping the fly population down. Please don't hurt them, Teresa.
ReplyDeleteHurt a spider, Keith? I wouldn't get close enough!! And my mum who was even more scared of them than me used to quote the saying. "If you want to live and thrive, let a spider run alive!" x
DeleteI like spiders and don't mind catching them and taking them outside. My husband sees to all mice, shrews, birds and the small rabbit our cat once brought in, and I see to all insects. I always knew we were well-suited.
ReplyDeleteI once saw a daddy-long-legs put up a tremendous battle against a spider after wandering into its web. He looked as if he would win the fight, but I helped him withdraw anyway, just in case he got too tangled up to keep on attacking, amid much shrieking from the two younger daughters.
What a perfect study of lovely Dusty, Teresa. He is so beautiful. xx
Sounds like a perfect arrangement, Joanna. I have - very rarely if my husband wasn't here and I was in desperate need of spider removal, captured them using the glass and card method and taken them outside.
DeleteWe once had to move all the living room furniture to get to a little mouse one of my cats brought home for me - very much alive. It took hours, but eventually we managed to catch him and put him safely outside :-) x
I'm scared of many things... but not spiders.
ReplyDeleteTwo of my granddaughters held a tarantula at school last month, Wendy - when they were telling me about it I pretended to be so pleased while inside I was squirming. I would love not to be scared of them x
DeleteI am quite brave with the glass and card method but I am oh s-o-o-o-o-o-o-o careful! I think I'd have a coronary if one got on me. Theatrical shudder!! Couldn't hurt one though.
ReplyDeleteDelightful Dusty - here again. Gorgeous :o) xx
I'm not too bad with the glass and card unless they move - and the way some of them LOOK at you! They KNOW :-) x
DeleteTeresa, for a few years now I've been using a spray called "No More Spiders" which includes essence of horse chestnut. I spray round the corners of the living room, near air vents, under the sofa etc. Perhaps it's the placebo effect or something but I don't seem to see so many of the big ones.
ReplyDeleteI must admit, Kath, I've put horse chestnuts round the house and - touch wood - it does seem to keep the huge spiders away so I think there's something in it. Mind you, already seen one massive one indoors which is early for them isn't it - doesn't bode well x
DeleteGreat facts. I'll look at spiders in a whole different light from no on. Personally I don't mind the little ones but I'm not a fan of the big hairy ones.
ReplyDeleteMy mum used to reckon some of those big hairy ones wore hobnail boots, Colette and I can't think of them without seeing them wearing boots - I suppose they might for all I know, I'm always running away too fast to notice :-) x
DeleteI was sitting typing yesterday when a large-bodied, short-legged spider started to abseil from the bottom of the curtain. I did the brave thing with a tumbler and a postcard and relocated it to the side passage. I agree there seem to be far more of the long-leggedy ones than usual. I counted five in the bathroom alone! There's one behind the bedroom door which I hope is eating all the clothes moths.
ReplyDeleteThat was brave! I had a mouse spider hiding behind my notebooks, but he went off up the wall and now I don't know where he's gone. Those long-leggedy ones do seem to love bathrooms don't they! x
DeleteHi Teresa, great picture of Dusty, I could see him on the cover of Your Dog...
ReplyDeleteI'm not a fan of spiders. It amazes me where that one in the bath hangs out all day before appearing when it gets dark. Imagine all the hot soapy water washing down the drain???? One of life's mysteries. xx
If they go down the plughole, they come back out of the overflow, Susan. If you leave a towel over the side of the bath they can climb out so you don't have the problem of them in the bath when you want to use it. I had one drop in the bath with me once and disappear beneath the bubbles - I have never jumped out of the bath so fast - there was water all over the ceiling! x
DeleteThanks for the heads up Teresa! I keep dusting these spiders down from the corners of my ceilings. I shall leave them in peace from now on. Spiders in general I am OK(ish) with until they land on me - like most people I imagine. That said, one giant one (I kid you not) landed on my bare arm as I was being shown round a plot of land by a burly builder. I didn't want to shriek or appear 'soft' so I brushed it off with barely a whimper. I still shiver at the thought... X
ReplyDeleteEw - I'm shivering at the thought too. The only time I ever run these days is if a spider is chasing me :-) x
DeleteI feel OK about spiders in England because I know none of them are poisonous. Same with snakes. It would be a different story if I lived in certain countries though. And I do live in horror at the idea of some dreadful poisonous spider coming in a consignment of bananas or something and taking up residence in the UK!
ReplyDeleteI don't even like to think about poisonous spiders! I don't mind snakes at all.
DeleteThere was a huge spider sprinting up my bedroom curtains last night and two in the bath this morning, plus another one dangling from the shelf. Feeling rather invaded at the moment - and it usually gets worse in September doesn't it :-) x