The Itsy Bitsy Spider… (Warning: Spider Photo!)

[Tobermory]

Remember that song from when you were little?

This spider who’s been hanging out in my garage isn’t so itsy bitsy although the photo does make her look larger than she is.

Yes, a black widow. She has spun her web near the floor by the garage door. My husband wants her gone: “What if she jumps out at us?” Okay, sweetie, there, there. They don’t do that. Yes, they’re extremely venomous, but they’ll leave you alone if you leave them alone.

I’ve removed her egg sac since I don’t want a bunch of baby black widow spiders running around, potentially getting into the house where the cats will try to play with and eat them. But Mabel (yeah, I named her), can stay for another few days. I’ll relocate her across the street in a wooded ravine after I’m tired of tormenting my husband. You should see him when there’s a snake!

 

[verna davies]

Great photo.

 

[misty8723]

Regarding husbands and snakes. Once years ago we were getting ready to move to a new place. Cleaning the garage, I came accross a baby snake caught in a web. Cute little thing, tongue coming out hissing at me. I got a stick and proceded to gently extricate him from the web, all the while hubby was hollering, get away from the snake! Leave the snake alone! He was afraid the mother would show up. I rescued the baby and just laughed at him.

We were at a science museum once and they had a giant snake, I don't recally what kind. The handler had him and we were allowed to go pet the snake. I hustled over to check it out, while hubby hung way way far back.

Now I don't think I would like a black widow hanging in my garage, lol. We've had Argiope spiders around, their webs are lovely.

 

[Tobermory]

Regarding husbands and snakes. Once years ago we were getting ready to move to a new place. Cleaning the garage, I came accross a baby snake caught in a web. Cute little thing, tongue coming out hissing at me. I got a stick and proceded to gently extricate him from the web, all the while hubby was hollering, get away from the snake! Leave the snake alone! He was afraid the mother would show up. I rescued the baby and just laughed at him.

We were at a science museum once and they had a giant snake, I don't recally what kind. The handler had him and we were allowed to go pet the snake. I hustled over to check it out, while hubby hung way way far back.

Now I don't think I would like a black widow hanging in my garage, lol. We've had Argiope spiders around, their webs are lovely.

Something similar happened to me. My husband was sweeping out the garage and I was just outside doing something or other. Suddenly he let out a shriek manly shout of warning. There was a small, light-colored snake trying desperately to get out of the garage but having trouble on the smooth floor. Nothing to grip. I had to stop my husband from trying to beat the poor thing to death with a shovel. I took the broom and gently swept it out until the ground was rough enough for it to slither away.

No, we really shouldn’t let the spider stay, although I don’t really think it’s a problem. I’ll catch and release her tomorrow.

 

[fionasmom]

I have let black widows hang around if they are in a part of my property where no one will interact with them, but do get rid of the egg cases as well. They really are beautiful in their own way.

A friend of my husband contracted typhus, evidently from a flea in the backyard, in the greater Los Angeles area. That made DH paranoid about all insects. He also has a thing about anything that is dead, including humans. A few months ago a feral was killed by a coyote and neighbors came to tell me. Sadly, although in the case of this guy he was entirely untamed and a likely candidate to run into a coyote, he was in two pieces. I got ready to go collect him and DH told me to take my phone "in case anything happens and you need to call." Like, what did that even mean? It was already after dark and I told him "look, princess, you are going to have to come and hold the flashlight and just keep your eyes closed." The day we found the dead possum in the garage he was like one of those cartoon characters who runs through the door without opening it and you see the outline of their arms and legs crashing through the door.

 

[Tobermory]

The day we found the dead possum in the garage he was like one of those cartoon characters who runs through the door without opening it and you see the outline of their arms and legs crashing through the door.

Shrieking Yelling in a manly way, though, I’m sure.

I agree about black widows being beautiful. I had actually noticed her before, but Thursday morning was the first time I got a look at her belly and saw the hourglass. Oopsie! Poisonous spider alert! Which is what the hourglass is supposed to do: warn off potential predators.

 

[Norachan]

So pretty! I love that you named her Mabel.

I have a big spider who hunts near my front porch light. I call him Mr Creosote

 

[CL56]

ROFL...
And here I thought I was the only one with a wimpy overly cautious husband !

 

[Kat0121]

That's a great pic but I do NOT like them at all. We used to get them in our house in Colorado. One night, we sent DD off to get ready for bed. A couple of minutes later she starts screaming. DH and I ran to her room and sitting in her dresser drawer under her nightgown was a huge black widow. We saw them in the shed and in the crawl space a lot but that was the only one we ever saw in our living area. We never bothered the ones in the shed or crawl space but that one was treated like what it was. An intruder. My DD could have easily gotten a nasty bite and a trip to the ER.

 

[Tobermory]

That's a great pic but I do NOT like them at all. We used to get them in our house in Colorado. One night, we sent DD off to get ready for bed. A couple of minutes later she starts screaming. DH and I ran to her room and sitting in her dresser drawer under her nightgown was a huge black widow. We saw them in the shed and in the crawl space a lot but that was the only one we ever saw in our living area. We never bothered the ones in the shed or crawl space but that one was treated like what it was. An intruder. My DD could have easily gotten a nasty bite and a trip to the ER.

Yeah, I definitely don’t want them in the house.