[OP]
Member
...are two of my least favorite things.
I was just walking out to check on the roofers progress on my shop when I saw this critter sitting in wait on the web it's built behind my spa:
Attachment 45815
I'm gonna do a little googling before I go out there and arbitrarily send him/her to arachnid heaven. But if it's poisonous, or has any other evil traits, off it goes!!!
Yikes...
- Marty -
Last edited by Marty Walsh; 11-30-2006 at 7:45 PM.
Contributor
What, "big enough to photograph well" isn't an evil trait?!?Originally Posted by Marty Walsh
But if it's poisonous, or has any other evil traits, off it goes!!!
Yoga class makes me feel like a total stud, mostly because I'm about as flexible as a 2x4.
"Design"? Possibly. "Intelligent"? Sure doesn't look like it from this angle.
We used to be hunter gatherers. Now we're shopper borrowers.
The three most important words in the English language: "Front Towards Enemy".
The world makes a lot more sense when you remember that Butthead was the smart one.
You can never be too rich, too thin, or have too much ammo.
[OP]
Member
Lee,
Although that's justification, I'm not so heartless as to kill something just to kill it. (Although rattlers and cottom mouths in the yard get dispatched pretty quickly by either Denise or I!)
Upon finding this link, I've decided this lucky bug will live to see its next birthday (or at least tomorrow). The main reason is that one of its primary food sources are mosquitoes and bees/wasps. I like that!
- Marty -
Moderator
No expert, and I slept in my own bed last night... but it looks like a harmless garden spider to me.
Please help support the Creek.
"It's paradoxical that the idea of living a long life appeals to everyone, but the idea of getting old doesn't appeal to anyone."
Andy Rooney
Moderator
Marty,
Even those rattlers and cottom [sic] mouths serve a good purpose and keep mice/rats down....
Member
That's the same spider that someone else had across their gate awhile ago.
Are you folks neighbors?
You're right. It's just a garden spider. Very good to have around the place.
Mark Rios
Anything worth taking seriously is worth making fun of.
"All roads lead to a terrestrial planet finder telescope"
We arrive at this moment...by the unswerving punctuality...of chance.
[OP]
Member
Chris,Marty,
Even those rattlers and cottom [sic] mouths serve a good purpose and keep mice/rats down....
Unfortunately for the rattlers and cotton mouths, I'd prefer to deal with the rats/mice myself than to have those venomous slitherers around. Denise was getting up on the tractor a while back, when a rattler slithered out from under it. Denise knew how to deal with...a single shot .410 and there were no more worries...
When the snakes are that close to us, they loose. Sorry...
- Marty -
Moderator
Don't kill it!! It's a good guy!! Err...gal.
--
The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...
Contributor
You can tell that from the top side?
Yoga class makes me feel like a total stud, mostly because I'm about as flexible as a 2x4.
"Design"? Possibly. "Intelligent"? Sure doesn't look like it from this angle.
We used to be hunter gatherers. Now we're shopper borrowers.
The three most important words in the English language: "Front Towards Enemy".
The world makes a lot more sense when you remember that Butthead was the smart one.
You can never be too rich, too thin, or have too much ammo.
Member
The timber rattlers, pigmy rattlers, cottonmouths, and copperheads by my house get transplanted down by the creek. They serve to keep my house clear of rodents and the like.Marty,
Even those rattlers and cottom [sic] mouths serve a good purpose and keep mice/rats down....
By the way, I live in the Cottonmouth capital of the USA (according to the nature channel).
Guest
spiders don't bother me...
snakes don't bother me...
but clowns !!!
aaaaaaaarrrgh !
Moderator
Size. The males are quite small...and "she" likely eats them after they do their duty...kinda a one-shot existence, if you will. (Or like having children...)
http://enature.com/fieldguides/detai...&curPageNum=11
BTW, this variety can get very large in size...I had one almost 2" across two years ago outside of my shop.
Last edited by Jim Becker; 08-29-2006 at 6:12 PM.
--
The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...
Member
Marty, what you have is an Argiope aurantia, or a common black and yellow garden spider. We had about 4 or 5 webs of them last year. They are fun to watch. As the they get older, the female, which is what you have, will weave an egg sack before she then dies. Get yourself a small grasshopper and put it in the web. The old girl will have it wrapped in silk in under 10 seconds. I am not a spider fan, but these are harmless and as Jim said, good for the environment. Check the web early in the morning, it might have a coating of dew on it and you can see the extent of her work.
Argiope is pronounced as if you said the following letters in quick sequence: R.G.O.P.
Best Regards, Ken
Contributor
I ink I ust ained i ongue.
Yoga class makes me feel like a total stud, mostly because I'm about as flexible as a 2x4.
"Design"? Possibly. "Intelligent"? Sure doesn't look like it from this angle.
We used to be hunter gatherers. Now we're shopper borrowers.
The three most important words in the English language: "Front Towards Enemy".
The world makes a lot more sense when you remember that Butthead was the smart one.
You can never be too rich, too thin, or have too much ammo.
Member
Marty, my sentiments about Rattlers, cotton mouths and copperheads are EXACTLY the same as yours, ( I do leave prairie racers, bull snakes etc alone, since they are non poisonous and eat rodents, that is unless they get too thick and are eating the quail eggs,
The first, (and only) spiders like you show, that I ever saw was at my daughters house in Denton, Tx a few yrs back when I was doing some remodeling there. They ended up with 4 webs on their long Ranch type porch and were extremely large. The two largest, had bodies nearly 3" long and really covered a large area on the web with their legs. I was kinda fascinated by the heavy zig-zag pattern they would spin back & forth across the middle of their web, and they really caught a lot of mosquitos and bugs and never bothered anyone. The colors were a really bright yellow and black with some white, and really caught your attention. I've never seen them anywhere else and have always wondered if they were common in some other places.
Last edited by Norman Hitt; 08-29-2006 at 11:50 PM.
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