When you live in England you don't have to worry about such appalling creatures as the one pictured above. This Black Widow (Latrodectus mactans), has been hanging out under our deck for God knows how long. I only became aware of her presence when I left my shovel beside my potting bench the other day and came back the next day to find the shovel ensnared in the strongest silk I have ever touched. I gave it a good twang then curiously followed it's path upward...oh hello! There she was, in all her ghastly glory, maternally watching over her egg sac...with her husbands dessicated body close by. Lovely!I just don't like spiders. I tolerate the ones living in the vineyard as they are predatory carnivores that take care of pests that are harmful to grapevines. However, they generally run away, at great haste, when approached. Not Madame. No, she lay in her web above me, her token retreat towards a joist just barely perceptible. At this juncture, I would normally have introduced her to Mr. Wet/dry-Vac, but for one thing: Vinomaker likes spiders, nay, he loves spiders, any and all. You can see where this is going can't you? Yup, she's still there.
Vinogirl and the Vinodogs have female competition in Vinoland!
8 comments:
KILL EM ALL!
I agree with Thud kill. That being said I don't mind the harmless spiders around my basement suite but after a day or 2 I kill em, but If I find a big run around he dies instantly!
This is an excellent shot of a spider producing web material which is formed from amino acids producing double protein strands embedded in an analine rich jellylike polymer. These flexible strands are stronger and more flexible than carbon fibers by weight; and in addition, they are coated with a fungicide and bactericide to prevent decay and destruction by protein feeding organisms. These qualities also make spider webbing a good emergency solution to wounds created by vineyard pruning tools. I suspect that Vinogirl would not see that as an acceptible solution under any circumstances, however.
Vinomaker...feel free NOT to demonstrate your point on me during next visit when wielding your chainsaw around another 'fallen' tree.
I'm awed by the beauty of Black Widows, but I always will kill them.
I don't like to kill anything usually...thankfully, it seems she has voluntarily relocated.
just goes to show be wary of ladies that hang about under the decking.
Vinogirl, as the Johnny-come-lately here, I'm still filled with thoughts about your posts, and my thoughts about this post are awful; my aunt (Alabama) was fanged by one of these, and her suffering was 2 (TWO) months long. Your spiderettes are out there, and they like cabinets, shoes, and clothes in closets, and your vinodogs are at risk.
I had friends that more than liked spiders, and soon their house was so full of them, no one would visit them anymore!
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