Fourth one this week...not for the squeamish.

PatriotX

PatriotX

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The odd Spring and Summer we had in Michigan played havoc with not only the crops, but with the bug population. It's been a boom and bust cycle this year, with a large volume of insects seeming to both arrive and depart faster than usual.

Our latest windfall of invertebrate life has been a boon to the spider population, and they are taking full advantage. The trees are FULL of webs and their denizens, from tiny little green specks with legs all the way to some pretty intimidating Araneus spiders.

One of the more girthy species is the Fishing Spider, a relative of the Wolf Spider that seems to have undergone a serious weight training regimen. This hunter prowls around, actively searching after bugs, frogs, and even small fish !

Here's one that hung out for a few hours yesterday on the back door, unfazed by people or dogs coming and going.





These things get up to three inches across around here. I always relocate them outside if they stray indoors, which can be quite a feat in the presence of a screaming wife.

Anybody else have these mini-tarantulas around ?
 
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PatriotX said:
The odd Spring and Summer we had in Michigan played havoc with not only the crops, but with the bug population. It's been a boom and bust cycle this year, with a large volume of insects seeming to both arrive and depart faster than usual.

Our latest windfall of invertebrate life has been a boon to the spider population, and they are taking full advantage. The trees are FULL of webs and their denizens, from tiny little green specks with legs all the way to some pretty intimidating Araneus spiders.

One of the more girthy species is the Fishing Spider, a relative of the Wolf Spider that seems to have undergone a serious weight training regimen. This hunter prowls around, actively searching after bugs, frogs, and even small fish !

Here's one that hung out for a few hours yesterday on the back door, unfazed by people or dogs coming and going.





These things get up to three inches across around here. I always relocate them outside if they stray indoors, which can be quite a feat in the presence of a screaming wife.

Anybody else have these mini-tarantulas around ?
Click to expand...
Man that thing is disgusting [emoji32]
 
finesse_r said:
A real man keeps a few of these in a jar just so he can let them crawl around on him to calm his nerves.
Click to expand...


The first one that wifey spied inside the house this year was a smaller sort, probably only two-and-a-half inches from stem to stern.

I may have been showing off a bit, in an effort to project calm towards a very upset spouse, when I chose to invite it into my hand for relocation outside.

Most Wolf spiders are easily coaxed in such a manner, and are pretty calm about it. This guy (or gal) INSTANTLY shot up my hand, wrist, and arm - ending up about two inches from my eyeball, perched on my shoulder.

That's when my calm left me.

I choose, out of dignity, to not recall the subsequent cursing, swatting and gyrations, but rather the almost instant change of mood from my bride. No longer upset, she laughed harder and harder until tears escaped the corners of her eyes, staring at her now shirtless and frenzied husband.

Attempts at suppressing her smile only led to another fit of laughter.


I use a jar now.
 
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It became apparent a couple weeks ago on a foggy morning that the spiders were doing quite well.........
this is on our front porch.

2j2c31e.jpg
 
PatriotX said:
The first one that wifey spied inside the house this year was a smaller sort, probably only two-and-a-half inches from stem to stern.

I may have been showing off a bit, in an effort to project calm towards a very upset spouse, when I chose to invite it into my hand for relocation outside.

Most Wolf spiders are easily coaxed in such a manner, and are pretty calm about it. This guy (or gal) INSTANTLY shot up my hand, wrist, and arm - ending up about two inches from my eyeball, perched on my shoulder.

That's when my calm left me.

I choose, out of dignity, to not recall the subsequent cursing, swatting and gyrations, but rather the almost instant change of mood from my bride. No longer upset, she laughed harder and harder until tears escaped the corners of her eyes, staring at her now shirtless and frenzied husband.

Attempts at suppressing her smile only led to another fit of laughter.


I use a jar now.
Click to expand...


I shared, and continue to share, your wife's reaction. That is hilarious, and I wasn't even there!

Andy
 
There are hundreds of eyes shining when I walk in the backyard at night with my led headlamp on. Most are wolf spiders, the females are bigger than the males on average. A funny thing I noticed, the bigger spiders eyes reflect the led with a yellow glow, the smaller males all reflect blue.

The bigger females stay in the same areas. I take my walking stick with me, put it in front of a small male and he climbs right on. Take him to about a foot from a female and tap him onto the ground and the female attacks and starts her feeding. The females carry their young on their backs by the dozens.

Funny the things you notice walking at night when you really pay attention.
 
keninnavarre said:
There are hundreds of eyes shining when I walk in the backyard at night with my led headlamp on. Most are wolf spiders, the females are bigger than the males on average. A funny thing I noticed, the bigger spiders eyes reflect the led with a yellow glow, the smaller males all reflect blue....
Click to expand...

Very neat. This only happens with a headlight, due to the low incident angle of reflection. It works well for other wildlife too.

Sometimes I hold a powerful LED flashlight to my forehead and aim it at the leaf litter, and see a scene much like you describe.
 
PatriotX said:
Very neat. This only happens with a headlight, due to the low incident angle of reflection. It works well for other wildlife too.

Sometimes I hold a powerful LED flashlight to my forehead and aim it at the leaf litter, and see a scene much like you describe.
Click to expand...

Just came in from walking the pup, mighty active out there after dark. Seeing what's crawling around on the ground at night down here in Florida convinced me to change from a tent to a hammock when backpacking. Most times just stick to the RV now days, lol. After seeing a few bears in the trash in the yard, my wife will never camp in a tent or hammock again.
 
Took my pooch out this morning across the yard, and down the street. On the return leg we came up the driveway. When I got to the steps I spotted a big fat spider had built an orb web from a bush to the stair rail directly across the sidewalk and had parked himself in the center of it. Had I of gone down the steps on the way out I'd have walked into the web and promptly pooped myself.
 
I have walked through more spiderwebs this year than I have in by entire life. Taken to carrying a stick around with me to knock them out of my way. Ours are almost all golden garden spiders, really good at knocking the bug population down, so I don't get too upset. More bugs equals more spiders!
 
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