Isn't She Lovely?

[ratamahatta]

now that's what I like to see!!!!!

 

[raylaconico]

The only bugs I hate are flies because they bother the crap out of me when I'm in the shop in the summer time and I hate maggots too:barf:. There's a bunch of these spiders around my house since I haven't sprayed any pesticide. They don't bother me except when their webs get out of control and I have to clean them up. All 4 spiders that she has eaten are also black widows, either males or juveniles. I haven't done this sort of thing since I was a kid. I only kept her because she was so unusually, perfectly, beautiful and bigger than any others I've seen. She has captured a lot mor of my attention than I thought she would. She really is very beautiful IMO the more I look at her and see her in action. She seems to be doing good in the bowl and is surprisingly active. I did cover the top of the bowl but I will not let her eggs hatch if she has any.

 

[Katdaddy]

While that is true, fatal bites are pretty rare.

Unless you keep them as pets in your house!

 

[blackfeetmageet]

Man I love snakes and lizards but I hate spiders !!!

:thumbup:

 

[nifrand]

In the mid 50's I worked with my father who was an electrician, and it was my job to run the bx under the houses.Saw a bunch of BW's up close and personal.Complained to my father and his reply was "they won't bother you if you don't bother them",Yea right.A couple days later he told me to catch as many as you can.I can get you b $.50 each.He had a friend that worked at Cal
and was doing research on an antitoxan.Well I used to mak a bunch of money after that.A couple years after that a gf of mine and I were feeding my 4H
animals and in the barn she got bit by one and I squashed it.Her leg swelled and they had to cut her jeans off at the hospital.Bad ju ju.Have seen a bunch of them throught my life and they never fail to amaze me.
Ray that is a beauty.
Randy

 

[xbxb]

I used to spray bugs for a living for a couple of years. I've got some stuff that will drop that like a hot potato. After killing that kind of stuff for a while you get used to them. They're really not too tough.

 

[haggismonger]

One little hint I might add to complement the panty hose trick, is once you get the pantyhose stretched over the mouth of the fish bowl and keep it in place with one of those produce rubber bands or something equally as secure, take it into the kitchen and fill it with boiling water and kill that thing immediately.

 

[mtnfolk mike]

uuuhh.... i'll pass on that big beauty... don't care much for spiders man..:thumbdn:

 

[chminle]

hopefully this doesn't get out of hand quick. i'd watch arachnophobia over and over again until i'm convinced spiders are not your friend if i were you.

 

[nydude]

Ray, that is creepy! That's usually the first step when an individual goes mad enough to try to take over the planet. Next you will build a secret lair on the side of a mountain, atop a big tank filled with sharks!

Seriously cool though.

did you say sharks with laser beams attached to their heads... hmmmm!

 

[j_d]

Nice spider. I brought one back from Virginia and kept it in a big jar for a while. The wife and I argued every day and after a couple of month she wore me down. But while I had her I fed her crickets from the pet store. The bait store would have them too. Feed her alot and she will grow. It was the most bad ass, interesting insect I had ever seen and had no fear of people. I tried to find a home for it but couldnt find anyone that would take it so I put it into the freezer overnight.
Josh

 

[raylaconico]

I used to spray bugs for a living for a couple of years. I've got some stuff that will drop that like a hot potato. After killing that kind of stuff for a while you get used to them. They're really not too tough.

I find that just about any bug spray will kill a spider. They are very delicate with poison. Do you know anything that will drop a fly? I have never found anything from the stores that will drop a fly in the summer time. I've tried them all.

 

[JCavSD]

She'd look even lovelier on the bottom of my shoe.

 

[Noshtero]

Ya count me out on spiders. That looks like about a half a can of Raid right there.

 

[C Bryant]

Very cool Ray

 

[haggismonger]

I find that just about any bug spray will kill a spider. They are very delicate with poison. Do you know anything that will drop a fly? I have never found anything from the stores that will drop a fly in the summer time. I've tried them all.

Resolve carpet cleaner. Works great on wasps, too.

 

[raylaconico]

I just added some more pictures to my first post....

She just cought the 4th spider I gave her last night. She now has 4 of them wrapped up in a ball. I guess she's getting ready to suck them dry if she hasn't already..

I'm not worried about getting bit because I don't touch her. I wouldn't touch an adult female black widow because obviously they're poisonous.

 

[raylaconico]

Resolve carpet cleaner. Works great on wasps, too.

Really? I know I can kill them flies with regular Raid when the weather gets cooler. In the heat of the summer nothing works that I've tried. I even tried some spray from Lowe's that is made for flies and they don't drop. They just fly away and come back when the air clears.

 

[komondor]

Good job Ray.

I LOVE spiders. I keep them alive in my house because they eat those annoying flies-- disgusting creatures. Spiders mind their own business.

However, I have no tolerance for bees, wasps, hornets. Anything that flies and stings is going to die in my house.

Although we don't have anything venomous in Vermont, so I'm not sure what I would do if I saw a widow in my house. I would probably have to kill it. Or scoop it into a cup and release outside.

 

[komondor]

Vacuum cleaners work great with flies.