Spiders

[Cryptic Excretions]

So I took a pit stop here on my lunch break and on my way back to work I looked at my steering wheel to see that a spider was forming a web. I wasn't inside for that long and the thing had lined it down from my rear view mirror to the steering wheel. A few nights prior to that I'd noticed that 3 spiders formed webs on/around my front door. Anyone else find it cool how fast they work? You'd think they'd run out of that webbing. I wonder if any of them were radio active and if they bit me I'd gain their spider-like powers so that I could sling with webs through the city here (all 2 buildings of it). That would rock.

[Polera]

Since spiders are cold blooded animals they have ample energy to do many things, unlike us humans who waste much of our resources on heat. (well we dont waste it, its a by-prouduct of additional energy systems). Thats why a snake can eat like 1 a week...

Also consider that they are much less mobile.

[6strngs_2hmbkrs]

personally, I'm a bit arachniphopic (did i spell that right?) not extremely, but I jump when I see one. and we have some serious spiders around here, black widows, brown recluses (sp?), I think we even caught a small tarantula in a bucket once.... not sure about that though. but, they freak me out.

[J.Hammett]

I wonder if any of them were radio active and if they bit me I'd gain their spider-like powers so that I could sling with webs through the city here (all 2 buildings of it). That would rock.

Ha Ha! Who knows, it might be possible. I'm a bit arachniphobic too. I don't like those spiders with the big rear body type. THere's just something about their looks that disguist me. I don't mind spiders with the body type of a tarantulas though. Hairy or not I'm fine with those type of spiders. I find it cool how they could make webs in a matter of minutes. It's just not cool if they make in between bushes and you happen to run into it when you're mowing the lawn.

[iiholly]

I have a similar problem in my car. I have spiders all over the damn monte carlo. I hate spiders too.

I was moving some stone with a wheel barrel to a truck the other day, and this big ass spider crawled down my leg. You know one of those with big abdomens that you know if it bites you, you're screwed. I guess it was on the bottom of the wheel barrel or something. I got a bea sting on my leg, and was freaking out because I thought it was a spider bite.

[R. Shackleferd]

Iraqi spiders (http://www.gophergas.com/funstuff/camelspider.htm)

Just be thankful we don't have those running around.

[PonyOne]

spiders don't really bother me much; prefer to let them outside to destroy other insects or be eaten by cats than i do smash them when i see them scurrying across the floor.

cryptic, i'm listening to thunderkiss '65 by white zombie and imagining someone in a kmart spiderman costtume swinging between two buildings in some small american town in super-expensive CGI over and over and over and over. concurrent to music and country-fleeing hospitality coursework, i plan on taking film direction and trying to go into music videos, and maybe make a movie at some point... so... i'm trying to let these ideas run away with me.

back in Oregon, there were some really huge, gross spiders. there was abrown recluse climbing up my leg; i reached down to scratch and there the little bastard was. i screamed like hell and smacked it off; i was 10 and it took me and my friends like ten stomps to kill the thing.

i think snakes are freakin' awesome. i would love to have some sort of snake that didn't eat rodents or small animals so i didn't have to fear for my birds' lives or feel guilt when i dropped little mice in to their doom. also back in Oregon, we'd go along the highway at night with flashlights; rattlers, for whatever reason, like to run parallel to roads, so, we'd wait until we saw one that was fairly alone, and then oneof us would stand in front of it with the light so it would rear up, and then the other would come up from behind and grab the little s--- around the head. then we'd walk around thinking we were so badass.

i also caught a milksnake once back east... what a cool snake that was... i didn't know what type he was at first and was planning on taking him home as a pet; i spent three days walking around the stupid bible camp my parents made me go to with him around my neck and he even slept on my pillow; when i found out he had enough poison to send my 15 year old god-doubting self to whatever it is that we're destined to post partum... i let him go. he liked taco meat a lot though, i thought that was kinda cool.

[PonyOne]

I have a similar problem in my car. I have spiders all over the damn monte carlo. I hate spiders too.
oooh!!! what year is it? is it one of the cool rear wheel drive ones? does it have a 350?? montes are dope...

i probably would kill a spider if i caught it defacing my car, come to think of it.

my dad mentioned those iraqi spiders once... freakin' disgusting.

[Polera]

Once i was at a cottage, and so we all thought we could sink the dock a bit. Well we did...but the dock spiders came up. One crawled on to my leg...it was about 3 inches long with legs... I didnt even notice it till i looked down. I swooshed it away...no harm no fowl

[CW14]

I'm a bit arachniphobic too. I don't like those spiders with the big rear body type. THere's just something about their looks that disguist me. I don't mind spiders with the body typ

Imagine a golf ball with legs.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y114/CW14/golfballspider2.jpg

Our garage used to be infested with these. By the end of the week our car would be covered in little white dots (spider crap)

[Akira]

Some spiders creep me out, other don't. Ones that have parts that are out of proportion to everything else freak me out, like huge thin legs and a tiny body. Tarantula's a pretty cool, my mums friend used to own one, it crawled up my arm once; it tickled.

[PRSplaya]

I hate spider's and are scared crapless of most of them. I've been bitten many times and became pretty sick several times, so I have a good reason for my hatred.

[lil25]

would you wear the tight spiderman costume as well :D ??????????

[Leedogg]

I've noticed lots of new bugs since I moved south that aren't found in the Great Lakes region where I grew up. I'm not a fan, but so far, so good...

[Cryptic Excretions]

would you wear the tight spiderman costume as well :D ??????????
Nah, I need some room in my pants if you know what I mean...

And Pony, keep those ideas running wild. Who knows how the fates may end up. I've got plenty of ideas that would go great (or just weird) in a music video.

[HDJ]

I've noticed lots of new bugs since I moved south that aren't found in the Great Lakes region where I grew up. I'm not a fan, but so far, so good...

Have you encountered the famed Palmetto Bug yet?

There are only 2 spiders in the south that are really poisonous, the Black Widow and the Brown Recluse. I'm from South Carolina and I think I've actually seen 2 or 3 BR's in my 28 years here. BR's would definaltely be the worst to get bitten by....I've known a few people to get bit by Black Widows, and although they say they are deadly, it depends on whether the person has an allergic reaction to them, kind of like a bee stings or wasp sting....The people I know that have gotten bitten really didn't have many problems, the area swoll up, but that was about it....Still want to avoid them though...they hang out under rocks, old logs, etc.......Black Widows are worst on the elderly and young kids, actually one put my grandfather in the hospital once.

Here's a link to see what a brown recluse will do to you if you've never seen the outcome of a bite.....it's nasty.

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/images/4453/4453-4474-10729-42553.jpg

[Leedogg]

That pic is gross! http://homepage.ntlworld.com/cmmsdm/smilies/yuck.gif


I'll have to be on the lookout for those spiders. As far as the palmetto bug, is that the hockey puck with legs?

[The Ace]

the Brown Recluse would definaltely be the worst to get bitten by....

Here's a link to see what a brown recluse will do to you if you've never seen the outcome of a bite.....it's nasty.

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/images/4453/4453-4474-10729-42553.jpg

The worst part with the brown recluse is, you don't even know what's going on. At first it looks like a harmless bite. Then over the next couple weeks, your skin just dissolves in front of you!

some more pics -Nasty brown recluse spider bites (http://images.google.com/images?q=brown+recluse+spider+bite&ie=ISO-8859-1&hl=en&btnG=Search+Images)

[6strngs_2hmbkrs]

the following was taken from www.spiderbitetreatment.com


Reactions to the Brown Recluse Spider (BRS) bite depends on the amount of venom injected, age of the spider, an individual’s immune system and sensitivity to the venom. Some people experience immediate or delayed effects as the venom kills the tissues (necrosis) at the site of the bite, while other people are unaffected by a bite.

The BRS bite may go unnoticed or feel like a pinprick. It may take 2 to 8 hours to become aware of the bite. Victims may feel a stinging sensation followed by intense pain. Symptoms range from none to general reactions that may include restlessness, generalized itching, fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, or shock. Usually a small white blister initially rises at the bite site surrounded by a swollen area. The affected area enlarges and becomes red, and the tissue is hard to the touch. A lesion from a BRS bite is a dry, blue-gray or blue white, irregular sinking patch with ragged edges and surrounding redness. Lesions can be small, about the size of a dime or larger depending on the reaction of the individual.



Depending on the reaction of the individual to the BRS bite a deep wound can result that is painful and takes a long time to heal. In cases of a severe reaction to the BRS bite, a “volcano lesion” (a hole in the flesh due to damaged, gangrenous tissue) can erupt at the bite site. The resulting open wound can range in size from a dime to the span of a hand. As the dead tissue gradually sloughs away it exposes underlying tissues. This ulcerating sore may take several weeks to months to heal with scarring resulting.

Many times it is difficult for a physician to accurately diagnose a “BRS” bite, based on the wound characteristics. The spider is needed for positive identification. Wounds that display necrotic tissue damage can result from a variety of causes such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other arthropods (centipedes, mites, ticks, wasps, bedbugs, kissing bugs, biting flies, etc.). Misdiagnosis of lesions as brown recluse bites can delay appropriate care

[Akira]

Dude, I would NOT want to run into one of those things!

[Cryptic Excretions]

Funny how something so small can do so much damage isn't it? Well, maybe it's not necessarily funny, but it sure is impressive.

[Pantallica1]

I'm not really scared of spiders, but seeing those pictures makes my skin crawl.

[Hammurabi]

I think we have those brown little pricks here in Iowa, but I haven't seen any. Not that I would like to, of course.

Lighting spiders on fire with an old rolled up newspaper torch is fun. Some of them kinda blow up.

[Cryptic Excretions]

I think we have those brown little pricks here in Iowa, but I haven't seen any. Not that I would like to, of course.

Lighting spiders on fire with an old rolled up newspaper torch is fun. Some of them kinda blow up.
Works with ticks too. Big ones that've been drinking blood for quite some time. You know, when they're fat and squishy and when you light them up they burst open and blood gushes out. That's a killer sight.

[PRSplaya]

We have Brown Recluse's all around where I live. A Brown Recluse bite is pretty easy to avoid if you can remember to sweep away the spider if one is on you, instead of smashing it. That's actually how most bites occure. That and putting on cloths or drying off with a towel aggravating the spider. If you live in an area known to have them, it's a good idea to alway's shake your cloths and towels pretty good before putting them on/drying off. Hopefully, if a spider is on/in them it will be knocked off by the shaking. I've never been bit by a Brown Recluse (that I'm aware of), but I know several people that have. Luckily none of them had serious reactions such as were in those pictures.

Another place to watch out for spiders is in your produce (mainly fruit). Bananna's are probably some of the worst about having spiders. Also, having new carpet put in your house can often introduce Brown Recluse's (spiders in general) in your home. Especially if the carpet came from a warehouse type storage facility. This happened to my grandparents several(8-10) years ago, and they still have them around (not quite as bad now). Neither of them had ever been bit untill about 2 years ago. My grandfather felt something on his leg through his pants, so naturally he slapped at it. Sure enough, it was a brown recluse. He went to the doctor and got a shot, and that was about it, minus some swelling and what looked like bruising.

[PRSplaya]

That pic is gross! [IMG]As far as the palmetto bug, is that the hockey puck with legs?
He's refering to our mutant cockroaches on steroids (at least I think that's what he's talking about). They're about the size of those Madagascare Hissing cockroaches you see on fear factor, but look like regular cockroaches, and can fly. I'd say they can get up to around 3" long. We defanately have some unique critter's down here in the South.

[Leedogg]

He's refering to our mutant cockroaches on steroids (at least I think that's what he's talking about). They're about the size of those Madagascare Hissing cockroaches you see on fear factor, but look like regular cockroaches, and can fly. I'd say they can get up to around 3" long. We defanately have some unique critter's down here in the South.

I've spotted a few down here. The winters here only last for like 2 weeks. I guess that's just not long enough to kill these mutant bugs :p

[PRSplaya]

Nope. They're pretty much a year round things.

[aschleman]

Yeah well... I'd rather have poisonous spiders than live 50 miles away from a VX Nerve Gas stockpile.............. Newport, IN is the home of the US's stockpile of VX nerve gas... To me, it doesn't make the Brown Recluse spiders that we have seem as dangerous...

[Jolly McJollyson]

I have two friends who are absolutely terrified of spiders. I'm not a big fan myself...

[Leedogg]

I've been so paranoid of the brown recluse spider lately! I'm always super paranoid slipping my foot into a slipper or even a socked foot into a shoe! I'm afraid one of them little bastards is in there! http://homepage.ntlworld.com/cmmsdm/smilies/eyecrazy.gif

[6strngs_2hmbkrs]

Yeah well... I'd rather have poisonous spiders than live 50 miles away from a VX Nerve Gas stockpile.............. Newport, IN is the home of the US's stockpile of VX nerve gas... To me, it doesn't make the Brown Recluse spiders that we have seem as dangerous...
I live like a mile away from a government laboratory, actually where my dad works, (actually the place were they designed/built the first atomic bombs that were dropped on japan. they have big models of them there now, I only know that cause I've been in there once for family day, any other time if you walk past a white line on the ground, then the guards (which carry around ak-47s btw) have the right to shoot you on site) who knows what kinds of radiation, and other wierd things like that the spiders around here have been exposed to. but I haven't turned into spider man yet, so, I guess I'm all right.

[iiholly]

oooh!!! what year is it? is it one of the cool rear wheel drive ones? does it have a 350?? montes are dope...

i probably would kill a spider if i caught it defacing my car, come to think of it.

my dad mentioned those iraqi spiders once... freakin' disgusting.
1972, 360. I forget how they added the extra 10. It was explained to me, but I promplty forgot. It does have rear wheel drive, which would be cool if I wasn't afraid of taking turn too fast. I've never had it spin out from under me, but I've come pretty close a couple times.

[Pantallica1]

1972, 360. I forget how they added the extra 10. It was explained to me, but I promplty forgot. It does have rear wheel drive, which would be cool if I wasn't afraid of taking turn too fast. I've never had it spin out from under me, but I've come pretty close a couple times.

Sweet ride, holly. Old monte's are cool.

[CW14]

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y114/CW14/SPIDERSALADCLOCK.jpg

After a morning of spider hunting...

[6strngs_2hmbkrs]

[IMG]

After a morning of spider hunting...
please don't tell me that that is a life sized picture....

[CW14]

please don't tell me that that is a life sized picture....

They're sitting on an A4 piece of paper, so they were quite a bit bigger than in the pic

[6strngs_2hmbkrs]

They're sitting on an A4 piece of paper, so they were quite a bit bigger than in the pic
do you know what kind of spiders those are? are they poisonous?

[CW14]

They're garden orbs. They're not deadly, but they'll give you nausea and make you swell up quite a bit. Still pretty creepy though

[6strngs_2hmbkrs]

They're garden orbs. They're not deadly, but they'll give you nausea and make you swell up quite a bit. Still pretty creepy though
dang dude, if I were you I'd get some kind of insect/spider killer and spray around your house/garage... I wouldn't want those things living in such abundance so close to where I sleep...

[CW14]

They never make it into the house (apart from a baby one that I found in my room). They always hide during the day, but they can make walking outside at night during summer an unpleasant experience.

I'm not living in that house at the moment though

[R. Shackleferd]

Perhaps I'm unique in my stance on spiders here...I don't go out of my way to kill them. Of course indoors (and my body) is off limits to any unwelcome creature with penalty of death, but outside I just leave them alone. I appreciate their role, cuz I don't really like moths, flies and mosquitoes either. I'm much more wary of wasps and roaches (shudder) than spiders.

[Akira]

cuz I don't really like moths, flies and mosquitoes either. I'm much more wary of wasps and roaches (shudder) than spiders.

I hate everything you just mentioned there.

[6strngs_2hmbkrs]

Perhaps I'm unique in my stance on spiders here...I don't go out of my way to kill them. Of course indoors (and my body) is off limits to any unwelcome creature with penalty of death, but outside I just leave them alone. I appreciate their role, cuz I don't really like moths, flies and mosquitoes either. I'm much more wary of wasps and roaches (shudder) than spiders.
that's pretty much what I do... I let these one kind of spider (not sure of there actual name, I just call them 'daddy long legs') but they supposedly eat black widows and other harmful spiders... so, they are my buddys, and I let them live, but if they get inside, I kill them, reluctantly, but I still kill them just cause I don't want it to crawl in my mouth while I'm sleeping... and also if I see like a black widow or brown recluse outside, I'll kill it... though I haven't seen any yet (well, I've killed a bunch of spiders that I thought were black widows, but I'm not sure)

say, anyone seen that movie, arachniphobia?

[PRSplaya]

I saw it when it first came out, and I was severely traumatised for months. I had arachnaphobia very bad back then. It's not so bad now, but I still get freaked out from time to time. I jumped completely off of my 4-wheeler at around 20mph last summer when I drove through a spider web. The spider just so happened to be where my head went through. I was pretty messed up for about an hour, but I eventually got over it. It wouldn't have been so bad if the spider hadn't been huge, but it was, so I freaked out :o

[HDJ]

He's refering to our mutant cockroaches on steroids (at least I think that's what he's talking about). They're about the size of those Madagascare Hissing cockroaches you see on fear factor, but look like regular cockroaches, and can fly. I'd say they can get up to around 3" long. We defanately have some unique critter's down here in the South.

Yep, the oversized roach looking things are Palmetto bugs. Harmless, but they will scare the crap out of ya if you've never seen one.

[HDJ]

Yeah well... I'd rather have poisonous spiders than live 50 miles away from a VX Nerve Gas stockpile.............. Newport, IN is the home of the US's stockpile of VX nerve gas... To me, it doesn't make the Brown Recluse spiders that we have seem as dangerous...

I work about 2 miles from a nuclear powerstation (V.C. Summer power plant), and the Savannah river site is only about an hour away from me....I'm screwed either way, by bugs or a nuclear disaster...

[HDJ]

but I still kill them just cause I don't want it to crawl in my mouth while I'm sleeping

I've heard a study was done on that, and the average person eats like 15 spiders in their sleep during their lifetime..... :eek:

[PRSplaya]

I've heard a study was done on that, and the average person eats like 15 spiders in their sleep during their lifetime..... :eek:
That just made me really sick at my stomach! and now I've got those creepy chills.

[Akira]

I've heard a study was done on that, and the average person eats like 15 spiders in their sleep during their lifetime..... :eek:

Atleast we're asleep while it happens.

[6strngs_2hmbkrs]

I've heard a study was done on that, and the average person eats like 15 spiders in their sleep during their lifetime..... :eek:
really? I heard that it was an average of one spider a month... but, that seemed/seems rediculous, so, you're probably right.

[R. Shackleferd]

I've heard a study was done on that, and the average person eats like 15 spiders in their sleep during their lifetime..... :eek:
I don't buy that...anything even crawls on me anywhere I'll wake up, much less waltzes right into my mouth. Maybe I'm not an average person though? I've woken with an itch on my back, and upon rolling over felt the squirming panicking sensations of a roach (or Palmetto bug as yer calling em). Fleas I'd believe...they could just hop right in there. Can people get worms like cats do from ingesting fleas?

[Akira]

I don't buy that...anything even crawls on me anywhere I'll wake up, much less waltzes right into my mouth. Maybe I'm not an average person though?

Whilst you will have swallowed 0 spiders by the end of your life time, some other poor sod would have swallowed 30; I hope you're happy!

[Leedogg]

I've heard a study was done on that, and the average person eats like 15 spiders in their sleep during their lifetime..... :eek:

That claim reeks of urban legend. We need Jolly to go on a fact finding mission like he did with Hendrix liking Billy Gibbons. :D

[Cryptic Excretions]

I've heard a study was done on that, and the average person eats like 15 spiders in their sleep during their lifetime..... :eek:
True or not, I'm telling that one to my sister.

Whilst you will have swallowed 0 spiders by the end of your life time, some other poor sod would have swallowed 30; I hope you're happy!
What he said Shakleferd... Take your fair share and eat your spiders like a man.