Holy smokes, it's HUGE!!!

[Staiduk]

'Lo!

Hey - anyone know anything about spiders? THIS monster scuttled out from under my bed up at the cottage (Kawartha Lakes region, Southern Ontario) and up a doorjamb. Once I managed to peel myself off the ceiling, I grabbed the camera and took a few shots. Then - revulsion aside - I let her crawl onto my hand and gave her the 5-finger taxi out to the woodpile.

Does anyone have any idea what kind of spider this is? For reference; the gap in the door frame is 1.5" wide. She's got a leg-span of about 4-5". In other words, she's bloody HUGE! Quite docile though, and seemed quite content with relocating to the woodpile.

Pictures:
http://www.simviation.com/yabbuploads/Staidukcotfaun5.jpg
http://www.simviation.com/yabbuploads/Staidukcotfaun6a.jpg

[Nicolas]

That one does not look familiar to me.

ONe year, we had giant spider growth overhere. What it basically was, were normal spiders with a body about twice the normal size (so that's quite moderate), but legs up to 4 times the normal size. I've once seen one who made it to the maximum size. While it's body was half the size of a bird spider (still large though), it's overall size was a lot larger. Scary sight. I think that I could not cover that spider with one hand.

[Ronald Brak]

Cool spider. But I have no idea what it is.

When I lived in Queensland in Australia we had no snow, but when a real big spider was crawling on the ceiling we could bang on the wall to make it fall. The big ones would stick their legs straight out to slow their fall. It made them look like a big arachnid snowflake. If it happened to fall on my sister, all the better.

[Moose]

Does anyone have any idea what kind of spider this is? For reference; the gap in the door frame is 1.5" wide. She's got a leg-span of about 4-5". In other words, she's bloody HUGE! Quite docile though, and seemed quite content with relocating to the woodpile.

Impressive size. I didn't think we grew spiders that big. I wonder if it was an escaped pet?

[MrClean]

Big spider, don't think I'd have been so nice as to let it ride in my hand to the woodpile, don't think I'dda smacked it either (can you imagine the stain that'd leave?) if I had a large jar available. Course the spiders I have to worry about around here are Wolf spiders (can be large and painful but not deadly) Black widows (not normally that large but are painful and can be fatal) or Brown Recluse (Haven't seen anything really big there but painful with serious skin damage and sometimes fatal) so I tend to smack em rather than give em a ride.

Still have a nice scar on my knee from the Brown Spider that bit me when I was 5, 38 years ago. Anyone want to banter with me about the mis-identification of the Brown Recluse and the Hobo spider? I don't know and couldn't tell ya which one bit me, looked like a recluse that bit my wife though, course that was guilt by association. Her arm swelled up to look like a ripe tomato after being bit by something and I found one of the dang buggers in our bedsheets, just waiting for another nights sleep. Eash, dang ground level apartment. Couldn't get rid of the spiders and we vaccuumed and cleaned continously! Haven't had a problem since we moved out.
Wolfe spiders we used to have in my backyard as kids, but we hunted em all out being kids with glass jars and a love for feeding the things.

[R.A.F.]

That's a beauty! Can't wait for my wife to see it. :lol:

[Moose]

Heh, I went googling for spider images, see if I could find our big friend somewhere. Midway through the wikipedia article, I got the willies something nasty and had to give up. *chuckle*

[JohnD]

I thought it's a Giant House Spider.
See: http://www.kendall-bioresearch.co.uk/spider.htm

BUT despite your ID, your report from Ontario, so maybe not.
Have you been to: http://www.americanarachnology.org/ ?

John

[HenrikOlsen]

Looking at the original pictures and comparing with thje information that the gap is 1.5 inches, it couldn't have been a giant housespider, since that's listed as having a body of up to 16mm, which is only about half of what it looks to have been.

Staiduk, could you post a picture of the same doorframe with a measure for reference so we can get the size more precisely?

[Swift]

My first guess was a wolf spider, though it doesn't look hairy enough. And this site (http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/spidermyth/myths/insidewolf.html) would seem to indicate that wolf spiders are mis-identified by their size. That size suggests a European house spider (http://www.srv.net/~dkv/hobospider/european.html) - looks like that might be it.

[Argos]

I think you´ve got it Swift.

I´ve heard that most hairy spiders are harmless. You should beware of hairless ones, like the black widow.

[Nicolas]

The one I saw was a giant house spider I think, but then one that got oversized due to the weather. It was a really scary sight :).

[Tog_]

I think you´ve got it Swift.

I´ve heard that most hairy spiders are harmless. You should beware of hairless ones, like the black widow.

Hobo spiders are hairy and definately not harmless. That's not one though. From the pics, it looks like it has fangs similar to a tarantula. It's eye sort of have a brown recluse thing going on, but it's not one og those either. Did you find a web? I'm guessing something low like a tarp.

Gotta wonder what it's been eating though. Are there more lost pet notices in the area than usual? :)

[N C More]

I'd guess a Tegenaria gigantea as well. BTW, while not venomous, they can still bite if frightened. That's a beautiful spider you have there, I'm a bit jealous. I like spiders, myself. http://www.cosgan.de/images/smilie/tiere/a015.gif

[Sammy]

Hairless, hairy, or wearing a wig, there's no way it would have got on my hand! I'm not phobic, just careful....

Nice new window, BTW. We're installing nen Energy Star rated units now also. That foam is good stuff, way better than messing with a caulking gun.

[Maksutov]

The spiders in MS would adopt that poor little baby and raise it until it reached adulthood. :)

[Titana]

:eek: I hate spiders. I would drop dead if I found a spider that SIZE in my house.


Titana

[jt-3d]

Oh good, I thought somebody had found a pair of my pants.

Yeah, big spider. You don't speak of it in the past tense. Too bad. Spiders don't last long around me.

[Staiduk]

Impressive size. I didn't think we grew spiders that big. I wonder if it was an escaped pet?

Likely not; though I've never seen a similar beastie. Our cottage is quite remote, and what people are up there at the time most definitely don't collect spiders. ;)

Looking at the original pictures and comparing with thje information that the gap is 1.5 inches, it couldn't have been a giant housespider, since that's listed as having a body of up to 16mm, which is only about half of what it looks to have been.

Staiduk, could you post a picture of the same doorframe with a measure for reference so we can get the size more precisely?

Sure, if you don't mind waiting a couple of weeks. ;) I don't get up to the cottage nearly enough, IMO. Based on cruising around the 'net (and getting the serious willies; like Moose :D ) I'm thinking it's probably a wolf spider - it matches in appearance and they do get big enough, I'm told.


My first guess was a wolf spider, though it doesn't look hairy enough. And this site (http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/spidermyth/myths/insidewolf.html) would seem to indicate that wolf spiders are mis-identified by their size. That size suggests a European house spider (http://www.srv.net/~dkv/hobospider/european.html) - looks like that might be it.
Possible - looks similar; though the feelers (?) are signifigantly different. It also gives a body length of around 12mm - rather smaller than the 40mm or so that this thing had.

I'd guess a Tegenaria gigantea as well. BTW, while not venomous, they can still bite if frightened. That's a beautiful spider you have there, I'm a bit jealous. I like spiders, myself. http://www.cosgan.de/images/smilie/tiere/a015.gif
Come on up for a visit - we'll tear the woodpile apart and see if we can catch it for you. :D Bring the dogs - they'll go nuts over the dock. :D

Hairless, hairy, or wearing a wig, there's no way it would have got on my hand! I'm not phobic, just careful....

Nice new window, BTW. We're installing nen Energy Star rated units now also. That foam is good stuff, way better than messing with a caulking gun.
Yeah, it better be at 17 BUCKS A CAN!!!! I almost had a coronary when I saw that. :D

Spiders don't last long around me.
Er.... snacking? :D

[Lance]

Quick, where's my shotgun?

[Swift]

The spiders in MS would adopt that poor little baby and raise it until it reached adulthood. :)
MS????
Microsoft? (Spider solitaire (http://www.solitaire-spider.com/))
:D

[Maksutov]

MS????
Microsoft? (Spider solitaire (http://www.solitaire-spider.com/))
:DNo, the Magni Aranei state, Most Impressiver Spiders, Spiders, I See Spiders In Places People Inhabit.

Thanks for the link to the free games! :)

[Nicolas]

MS????
Microsoft? (Spider solitaire (http://www.solitaire-spider.com/))
:D

I reported you as spambot ;) :D

[HenrikOlsen]

Sure, if you don't mind waiting a couple of weeks. ;) I don't get up to the cottage nearly enough, IMO. Based on cruising around the 'net (and getting the serious willies; like Moose :D ) I'm thinking it's probably a wolf spider - it matches in appearance and they do get big enough, I'm told.
The references I could find said that the wolfspider is smaller than the giant house spider, and mentions that people have a tendency to guess wolfspider whenever it's a large hunting spider.

Did you see it run?

[cjl]

That isn't like any spider I've ever seen. We have wolf spiders around here from time to time, and they are much smaller than that, with a slightly different shape. I would bet that it's the giant house spider.

[mugaliens]

If it happened to fall on my sister, all the better.

:clap:

Nothing a heavy shoe couldn't cure. But then how would you kill the spider? :wall:

[mugaliens]

:eek: I hate spiders. I would drop dead if I found a spider that SIZE in my house.


Titana

Just sort of curious on this one - wouldn't it be simpler to make the spider drop dead, instead?

Less expensive, too.

:boohoo:

[Dragon Star]

My cousin collects large exotic spiders, his largest relaxes it's legs over my chest which extends all the way across and part way down on my ribcage when I lie on my back. He is so cool, and he loves people, but apparently didn't like the neighbors 12lb. cat when it found it's way into his house:D

[mugaliens]

Er.... snacking? :D

Common in some parts of the world.

http://www.txarch.org/arch/articles/lifeways.html

http://www.olympus.net/dggordon/EatABug.htm

http://www.culinary.net/recipes/forkids/2839-spiders.html (a joke, but fun for kids)

http://www.txarch.org/arch/articles/lifeways.html

I'm sure there are others.

[N C More]

Come on up for a visit - we'll tear the woodpile apart and see if we can catch it for you. :D Bring the dogs - they'll go nuts over the dock. :D

Oh, they love docks alright! We have a small dock down at our pond and my dogs jump right off the end. I can't have them with me when I kyack though...they tend to scratch the sides as they swim along side.

I'm glad you didn't hurt the spider, just moving it to an appropriate location is the way to go.

[JohnD]

Swift, Argos, More, Staiduk,
ARE YOU DEAF?

Giant house spider - Tegenaria gigantea - is what I said.

Oh, go and catch your own spiders.
I hope they bite you.
Fed up John

[farmerjumperdon]

I wonder if spiders are susceptible to diseases or mutations that can cause gigantism - like humans can get?

Similar to the roach I found at a restaurant, maybe being really large changes some of the proportions making it difficult to identify. My experience with roaches is that when they get really huge their body seems to be larger in proportion to their legs than usual.

[N C More]

Swift, Argos, More, Staiduk,
ARE YOU DEAF?

Giant house spider - Tegenaria gigantea - is what I said.

No, I'm not deaf. I said, "I'd guess a Tegenaria gigantea as well". The focus here being on "as well".

Oh, go and catch your own spiders.
I hope they bite you.
Fed up John

Interesting, usually people get upset when you disagree with them, not when you agree with them.

[Argos]

Swift, Argos, More, Staiduk,
ARE YOU DEAF?

Giant house spider - Tegenaria gigantea - is what I said.

Oh, go and catch your own spiders.
I hope they bite you.
Fed up John

Ok, John. The credits for the identification go to ya. ;)

[gethen]

I really don't understand the spider phobia myself. I never squash spiders around the house because I much prefer them to the vermin they eat. A few of our spiders have even hung around long enough to be referred to by name. "Steve" lived under our tv and came out only in the evening for about 6 weeks until my spouse walked into the room, said, "Yuk!" and stepped on him. My son was devastated.

[farmerjumperdon]

I really don't understand the spider phobia myself. I never squash spiders around the house because I much prefer them to the vermin they eat. A few of our spiders have even hung around long enough to be referred to by name. "Steve" lived under our tv and came out only in the evening for about 6 weeks until my spouse walked into the room, said, "Yuk!" and stepped on him. My son was devastated.

Same at our house. My daughters have developed a genuine fondness for all living things, and it realy upsets them when people harm things, even bugs. I've gotten them to accept that animals eat other animals, so they no longer get upset with that, but they get sad, and sometimes downright angry when my wife kills bugs.

It's quite humorous watching Sherri squirm while the kids handle their pet mice.

[N C More]

...It's quite humorous watching Sherri squirm while the kids handle their pet mice.

Really? I mean, I kind of understand the "big spider thing", but mice are simply adorable! (http://www.voles.com/Field_Mouse_1.jpg)

[Tog_]

I really don't understand the spider phobia myself...

Boy, I do. Around age 4 we had a large pit BBQ in the back yard. It developed a nasty hornet infestation. From this I "learned" that all bees are evil and only want to sting people.

Around age 6, I was visiting my grandparents in California and went out about sunrise to see snails. The sidwalk around the clubhouse of the trailer park they managed was a winding sort of thing with tall plants on both sides. While I was out there I saw a bee in a flower and paniced. I ran as fast as I could one blind corner after another, looking back for any sign of the bee. When I rounded one corner I saw it stretched across the full width of the sidewalk. A spider web bigger than me, lit up in the dew and the morning sun. In the upper section of the web was a large dark thing. I was one or two steps away from the web and ran right through it. In my mind that dark object was a giant spider, mad at me for breaking his web. All the stories and cartoons I'd seen all showed spiders as evil, spiteful creatures... It's stuck with me to say the least.

Oddly, if there is a bee in the house I have no issues with dropping some sugar water in my hand and taking it outside at is drinks up, but spiders still freak me out. Especially walking through a web. The GF on the other hand will just hustle them into her hand and do a little cat's cradle thing as they try to get away while she relocates them. I'm getting better and can tolerate jumping spiders in the house. Web builders are okay too, but anything coming from the ceiling on a web is assumed to be after my sweet eye nectar... *shudder*

[Moose]

Boy, I do. Around age 4 we had a large pit BBQ in the back yard. It developed a nasty hornet infestation. From this I "learned" that all bees are evil and only want to sting people.

I hear you.

I must have been 7 or 8, and my friends used to play-freak whenever they saw a bee. Ha ha. What fun.

One day, I topped a mound on my way to school one spring noon-hour and spotted... something. What memory I retained from the event suggested it was about the size of an adult open hand. I remember yellow. I remember black. And I remember moving. I instantly panicked and bolted. Ran back home without stopping and refused to walk to school for the next few days, to my Dad's annoyance.

The memory of the glimpse I got is still seared in my mind exactly as I think I saw it then. When I went back, whatever it was wasn't there (thankfully?).

My adult rational mind speculates it might have been a toy truck or a salt and vinegar chip wrapper caught in the breeze.

Still, while my phobia of bee-like critters, (mostly the buzzing, I don't care much about the stings,) has faded tremendously, it never went away completely. Now I can tolerate honeybees in my vicinity outdoors (we mutually and cordially mind our own business), but wasps and horseflies are unmannerly enough that they are still very much on my GETAWAYFROMME list.

[Nicolas]

Last week I was at a friend's house, and he had been breaking down an old trailer. There was quite a bee's nest in it. He caught a huge one in a jar. He said it was a hornet, and it looked like one. However, do these appear in Belgium? And close to a standard bee (in fact it were bumblebees) nest? Or must it have been the queen?

Anyway I do not want to see a hornet alive where it can reach me. Dangerous little beasts...

[Moose]

Last week I was at a friend's house, and he had been breaking down an old trailer. There was quite a bee's nest in it. He caught a huge one in a jar. He said it was a hornet, and it looked like one. However, do these appear in Belgium? And close to a standard bee (in fact it were bumblebees) nest? Or must it have been the queen?

I seem to remember seeing a documentary that suggested that bees won't tolerate hornets approaching the hive, and vice-versa.

That may well have been the queen.

[Nicolas]

Same at our house. My daughters have developed a genuine fondness for all living things, and it realy upsets them when people harm things, even bugs. I've gotten them to accept that animals eat other animals, so they no longer get upset with that.

I guess you don't want them to see a heron who first drowns a cute little rabbit and then eats it in one piece (http://upload.talk2.nl/files/201869PasopBunny.jpg)? :hand: :D

[teddyv]

I seem to remember seeing a documentary that suggested that bees won't tolerate hornets approaching the hive, and vice-versa.

That may well have been the queen.

I remember something like that but from years ago. It was basically a big war between the hornets and the bees within the hive. There was quite the casualty rate among the bees. I don't recallthe reason for the hornets entering/attacking the hive.

[Nicolas]

Talking about "it's huge":

Last week I was riding in the train in a rural area of the Netherlands. Now you often see herons here. I once even saw 3 different types of heron (or possibly two tuypes, but one male and one female of the same species in that case) sitting next to each other. But last week, I saw something different. It might have been a huge grey heron with a bit a "punky" neck. But it certainly was whiter and larger than the herons I usually see, seen from behind. It might have been a European crane (grus grus). Those are rare in the Netherlands, certainly in early June. But it's possible. They normaly pass in march-april, but it's not forbidden for them to be here early june :). So it might have been one. Anyway a huge bird! Seeing the black stork overhere was also quite unique.

[Nicolas]

I seem to remember seeing a documentary that suggested that bees won't tolerate hornets approaching the hive, and vice-versa.

That may well have been the queen.

I also remember something like that, so it will have been the queen. Those are not as rare as hornets here (luckily)

[HenrikOlsen]

I remember something like that but from years ago. It was basically a big war between the hornets and the bees within the hive. There was quite the casualty rate among the bees. I don't recallthe reason for the hornets entering/attacking the hive.
Hornets are carnivores, they where basically raiding the nest for food to bring home to their grubs.

[Lance]

I'm glad you didn't hurt the spider, just moving it to an appropriate location is the way to go.
That thing looks big enough to eat babies. Under the heel of a boot is an appropriate location for that one, if you ask me.

[Nicolas]

I think that I would kill it (I do not like spiders in house at all). I would not try to hurt it, I would try to kill it. Just like I kill mosquitos that make it inside. There is a "clean" way to kill spiders (at least a bit smaller ones) but I don't know whether it hurts or not: some dishwashing product over a spider makes it sitting dead like a statue within a short time. We found out that by accident. I hope for that one that it did't hurt. As I don't know whether it hurts awfully or not at all, I have never done it on purpose. Spiders should not be in my house where I can see them, but on the other hand they should not suffer for doing something they were never told not to do.

[HenrikOlsen]

That probably kills it through suffocation.

[Moose]

Hee, hee. That reminds me of a morning in college when our residence cleaning lady discovered a sizable (20-30mm, round bulbous violet(?) abdomen) spider in the middle of the restroom floor. She kept squirting it with floor cleaner. It'd freeze a moment or two, then try to make another dash for safety. Squirt! Pause. Scuttle! Squirt! etc.

Hehehe. Poor thing. I finally suggested that while she'd probably killed the spider on the long term with the industrial cleaner, if she really wants it dead now, she's going to have to step on it. (I didn't gallantly offer to do it, 'cause I didn't want to spend the rest of the day salvaging my loafers, and it was more fun watching her jump around. Thankfully, she was too busy with the spider to notice my grand amusement at her expense. Hee hee.)

She finally (and gingerly) reached foward with her foot and stepped on it with a surprisingly loud crunch.

Personally, if it wasn't for the industrial cleaner junk, I'd a gotten something to relocate it. Maybe check with the biology department to see if it was a local critter or an escapee.

[Nicolas]

because the dish washing product closes down whatever it breathes through? Hm if that process goes slowly, it will more or less "sleep to death". If it goes a bit faster, it must be very stressful. Well, at least it does not burn or anything like that, but whenever appropriate I'll simply crush them. It sounds rude, but it certainly is a very quick way for the spider to die. I don't think it realizes what's going on by the time it's dead.

[turbo-1]

From the size, I'd say you've hosted a type of water spider. They resemble wolf spiders but can be really large. They are well-adapted to water and can kill small fish and other aquatic animals. When I was a kid, my uncle rented a place on a lake with a boat landing and a pier made of wooden timbers filled with rock and gravel. We used to spend hours around the pier looking for these huge spiders - not to hurt them, just to watch them. The lake is in north central Maine, so not too far removed from your latitude. I haven't seen any of these since I was a kid, but our science teacher (who was somewhat of a naturalist and lived near that lake) said that we have really big water spiders, so I took his word for it.

There are a wide variety of camoflage patterns for this type of spider. Some good pictures here:
http://triffophoto3.tripod.com/tpo/id28.html

[farmerjumperdon]

I guess you don't want them to see a heron who first drowns a cute little rabbit and then eats it in one piece (http://upload.talk2.nl/files/201869PasopBunny.jpg)? :hand: :D

Now, I'm not a morbid guy, but something about that picture really cracked me up. I think the kids would understand if it weren't such a cuddly little thing. Plus they have a pet rabbit.

[Swift]

I guess you don't want them to see a heron who first drowns a cute little rabbit and then eats it in one piece (http://upload.talk2.nl/files/201869PasopBunny.jpg)? :hand: :D
I have seen a heron eat chipmunks.

[Swift]

I really don't understand the spider phobia myself. I never squash spiders around the house because I much prefer them to the vermin they eat. A few of our spiders have even hung around long enough to be referred to by name. "Steve" lived under our tv and came out only in the evening for about 6 weeks until my spouse walked into the room, said, "Yuk!" and stepped on him. My son was devastated.
I'm fine with spiders, as long as they stay in their place (webs across passage ways are out of line), but my wife hates spiders, and so it is my job in life to keep the house spider free. There are some that I leave in place until she discovers them. Once discovered I'll move the bigger ones outside, but some I just squish. It is evolution in action - the ones that learn to hide from my wife survive.

[turbo-1]

I really don't understand the spider phobia myself. I never squash spiders around the house because I much prefer them to the vermin they eat. A few of our spiders have even hung around long enough to be referred to by name. "Steve" lived under our tv and came out only in the evening for about 6 weeks until my spouse walked into the room, said, "Yuk!" and stepped on him. My son was devastated.I removed a particularly large female from inside our home quite a few years ago. I called her Bugsy, after our biggest ferret. Unfortunately, she returned and set up housekeeping in front of our living room window. That was was fine with me, but my wife was nervous about having a giant spider producing a multitude of babies that might want to come in the house for the winter. One day Bugsy disappeared - I wasn't happy, but I wasn't about to make a huge issue of it. Even though Bugsy rebuilt her web frequently, there was this huge ever-present web in the window...and my wife is a neat-freak. That plus the prospect of hundreds of Bugsy Jrs...

[Nicolas]

I removed a particularly large female from inside our home quite a few years ago.

But was she afraid of spiders?


;)

[Trebuchet]

I'd love to have merely giant spiders in place of the *&!@#!! racoon that's taken up residence under my vacation home. I didn't know animals were capable of willful vandalism but that's what it looks like. And that was before she settled down inside the floor to have the four kits. They are now in foster care but it appears the mother is still around.

These days when I see one flattened along the road I say "There's a good racoon." As in "the only good racoon is a dead...."

[MrClean]

I really don't understand the spider phobia myself. I never squash spiders around the house because I much prefer them to the vermin they eat. A few of our spiders have even hung around long enough to be referred to by name. "Steve" lived under our tv and came out only in the evening for about 6 weeks until my spouse walked into the room, said, "Yuk!" and stepped on him. My son was devastated.

I rarely ever squash them either.

The vacuum sweeper has a 5 foot reach!!!!!

[Staiduk]

I'd love to have merely giant spiders in place of the *&!@#!! racoon that's taken up residence under my vacation home. I didn't know animals were capable of willful vandalism but that's what it looks like. And that was before she settled down inside the floor to have the four kits. They are now in foster care but it appears the mother is still around.

These days when I see one flattened along the road I say "There's a good racoon." As in "the only good racoon is a dead...."

Ahh, racoons - wonderful creatures aren't they? lol
We had one that moved in to the space over our kitchen at the cottage a few years back - drove us nuts for a couple seasons until a neighbor told us how to get rid of her:
Once she's given birth; get at the nest and relocate the kits - put 'em in a shoe box or something and put them outside. She'l grab them and get them out of there fast - and take them somewhere safer; nowhere near the original site. We haven't had a revisitation since. :)

[Trebuchet]

Our trapper took the kits away to hand-raise -- a very soft hearted guy. He quite appologetically asked my wife if it was ok to shoot the mother with a pellet gun while he collected the kits. I was thinking "What's wrong with a real one?" I have to admit the kits were cute as heck.

Unfortunately she's been back at least once or twice since the removal, and we're going to be away for a couple of weeks.

[RBG]

For 26 years I have studied the zoomorphology of spiders. From Ghana to the Empty Quarter to the Ross Ice Shelf of Antarctica. Small little ones as well as big fat hairy ones. And I can tell you without the slightest hesitation that, on your hand, you had the very rare, but exquisite, Arachniphobus Scaramunga: The Ontario Death Injector.

RBG

[jt-3d]

Ahh, what a cute name.

[HenrikOlsen]

For 26 years I have studied the zoomorphology of spiders. From Ghana to the Empty Quarter to the Ross Ice Shelf of Antarctica. Small little ones as well as big fat hairy ones. And I can tell you without the slightest hesitation that, on your hand, you had the very rare, but exquisite, Arachniphobus Scaramunga: The Ontario Death Injector.

RBG
References please?

[MrClean]

I had a friend that was sleeping on his screened in back porch. He had kitty door in this porch so his cat could come and go as he pleaded. Woke up one day holding his cat on his chest, a normal position for her that I shared many a time, telling her to stop making so much noise. Still asleep he also wondered why her hair was so bristly thinking she must have gotten into tree sap or something. Finally he woke up enough to realize that if his cat was on his chest, something else was rattling the stuff on the other side of the porch so he looked over and there were 3 or 4 raccoon kits going through the cat food and newspapers and such. Looking to his cat and asking her why she let them in he found out that he had the mother on his chest, enjoying the petting. Says he kinda froze, she looked at him disgusted that he'd stopped the grooming and jumped down and sauntered out the kitty door followed by her kits. He kept the door closed the rest of the season.

I HATE it when that happens.

[N C More]

Quote:
Originally Posted by RBG
For 26 years I have studied the zoomorphology of spiders. From Ghana to the Empty Quarter to the Ross Ice Shelf of Antarctica. Small little ones as well as big fat hairy ones. And I can tell you without the slightest hesitation that, on your hand, you had the very rare, but exquisite, Arachniphobus Scaramunga: The Ontario Death Injector.

RBG


References please?

You know, it's a close cousin to Arachninonsensia bovinefecesus. :D

[dvb]

You know, it's a close cousin to Arachninonsensia bovinefecesus. :D I tend to agree. I'm unable to find any references myself.

I recall seeing a spider that size here in Thunder Bay once myself. It was crawling up the back of a friends shirt. After being half freaked out myself, I told him in the calmest voice I could, and he had that shirt off like you wouldn't believe. After shaking the shirt in the grass, he put it back on and it was still there!

About killing spiders though, it's not something I do either. They take care of the other pests that fly around, and I'm alright with that. The biggest thing I've ever squashed was a massive dragonfly when I was around 4. It's guts must have splattered a good couple of feet across. I'll never do that again!

[Nicolas]

The biggest thing I've ever squashed was a massive dragonfly when I was around 4. It's guts must have splattered a good couple of feet across. I'll never do that again!

No indeed. Once you've broken the shell with the first hit, it never splats that far around on subsequent hits.

;)

[dvb]

No indeed. Once you've broken the shell with the first hit, it never splats that far around on subsequent hits.

;)
Oh Mr. Smarty Pants. :lol:

[Titana]

Just sort of curious on this one - wouldn't it be simpler to make the spider drop dead, instead?

Less expensive, too.

:boohoo:


:D True, but I sure would not dare to kill the thing. I can't even stand the thought of squishing it.......:wall:


Titana

[HenrikOlsen]

Well, you could try the sporting way I found which works well with hornets.
Take a regular waterpistol. not a supersoakerthingie
Fill it with alcohol.
Hit the hornet twice.

I found it takes two clean hit to kill it, but then it's really dead, and somehow I don't think it's a bad death.

I think it works with spiders as well, and you don't have the big squished spot to clean up afterwards.

[Staiduk]

For 26 years I have studied the zoomorphology of spiders. From Ghana to the Empty Quarter to the Ross Ice Shelf of Antarctica. Small little ones as well as big fat hairy ones. And I can tell you without the slightest hesitation that, on your hand, you had the very rare, but exquisite, Arachniphobus Scaramunga: The Ontario Death Injector.

RBG

An ODI? Oh, that's OK then - they don't kill more than 45-50 people in the area a year. I was worried it might be a young Arachnocrapitshugeicus Gigantobitus; or Giant Forest Grizzly-killer; pictured here:
http://www.conelrad.com/conelrad100/images/shrinkingman_110204.gif

[Nicolas]

I heard those killed grizzly's by holding them underwater until they drown, after which they eat them in their whole.

(how do you write the plural of grizzly?)

[Staiduk]

(how do you write the plural of grizzly?)

Grizzlici.

And no; that's the African Giant Tarantula which drowns water buffaloes. The Grizzly-Killer sucks them dry, leaving a withered ball of fur. The giant spiders are pretty stealthy; so often the only way to tell if one is around is when a dried grizzly ball goes blowing by with the tumbleweed.

[Tog_]

Arachniphobus Scaramunga

This (http://www.jamesbondmm.co.uk/bond-villains/christopher-lee.php) was the closest I could find that seemed like a real threat, though the spelling was off a bit...;)

[Māori]

Did you squish it?

[RBG]

References please?

References? We ain't got no references. We don't need no references. I don't have to show you any stinking references!

:^) RBG

[Maksutov]

References? We ain't got no references. We don't need no references. I don't have to show you any stinking references!

:^) RBGYour mountain mama, who treasures you, is calling you home. Be sure to take only country roads on the way back. And don't bogart that cigarette! ;)