Tyler fears spiders. I think he acts like a little girl about them. And now I know why. When you grow up in California, you have legitimate reasons to scream like a girl when you see a spider. But me, being the lifelong Girl Scout, outdoorsy woman that I am, I get as close as possible and put the spider in a tupperware container for closer inspection. Idiot. Ignorance is bliss my friend. Because yesterday I found a very large black spider hanging out on our patio wall as I was raking. I had the brains to get Charlie inside and as far away from it as possible. And that's when all smarts stopped. I found a tupperware container and went back to the site. I flicked, yes flicked said spider from the lid to the container (both in my bare hands I might add). Tyler was in the shower during this whole stupid parade. And when he got out I showed him my prize. Well his jaw dropped and he got really really pale. "Do you know what that is?" he breathed. "It's just a spider," I replied. Yea, it was a BLACK WIDOW!!!! Not just a spider! Only one with venom 15 times as powerful as a rattle snake or cobra. Let me repeat. 15 times!!! I didn't think it was one because the red marks were only on the bottom, not the top, as I have been told at every zoo on the west coast! Grrr.
So we wikipedia-ed black widows and learned some things that are not really reassuring since hearing anything after venom 15 times as strong as a rattle snake or cobra was useless. But apparently adult females (which this one was) are the biggest and nastiest. The have a territory and eat all other spiders in their territory, so it's likely that there are no more out there. Also, they don't attack (thank God for me and my stupidity). They just hang out in their thick web and wait. So the only way you are going to get bitten is if it accidentally lands on you or you destroy its web and it fear bites you.
The exterminator is coming tomorrow with something specifically for black widows because they are resistant to many insecticides! Needless to say all excitement about our fake lawn has been dashed by one of the deadliest spider in the world. And they do lay about 1000 eggs, so we are on a mission to find its web and the little cotton ball fuckers (after the exterminator does his thing).
Oh yea, and we taped the tupperware shut for good measure and threw it in the dumpster.
Posts
2 comments:
EEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKK!
THAT'S CRAZY!! I am not in very afraid of spiders, as a rule, just like you. But I have to say, I would FREAK OUT if I found a Black Widow. FREAK OUT!!!
Hm. Just another point for my case that you should move back to Illinois. We only have non-poisonous barn spiders that are large (see Kate's blog), but relatively un-threatening. (read: Without giant, poisonous fangs).
Love you, glad you're safe and that the big, bad exterminator is coming...
illinois has brown recluse. virginia has both!
thats a horrible story but i will say since my fear of spiders is irrational i wouldn't be any more scared of a black widow than a regular ol' spider.
i was never afraid of daddy long legs but it turns out they're not spiders. and it also turns out that "daddy long legs" refers to 2 different kinds of things and one IS a spider. but the little guy i'm used to isn't.
Post a Comment