S-P-I-D-E-R!

Haha, where will it turn up next??

Had a few of these earlier in the month..but since I went round the edges with the nozzle on the Vac,I haven't seen one since ! :o) We did put the others outside,in case you were wondering .....

I have been told that most houses in the UK do not have basements. My old house does have one and from turning on the light and walking down into it I would occasionally find whopping big Hogna wolf spider(s) on one of the walls. On one of my excursions into the basement, I found tenaciously clinging to a wall not a wolf spider but one of the biggest hairiest spiders that I have ever seen. I took a broom and gave it a swat (reason, I had to go by it and one of these critters one time actually jumped off the wall and bit me), but I missed whereupon it made a unexpected buzzing sound while scurrying away into a dark area of the basement. This buzzing spider startled me so that the next time I had to go into the basement knowing that the spider was somewhere still there was one of strongest feelings of foreboding that I have ever had.

I don't mind spiders as long as they don't catch me unawares & out into the garden they go but a great hairy buzzing spider is a different kettle of fish - think I'd have to call for back-up!

This mating and defensive tactic in insects is called stridulation which is the movement of body parts to make a noise. Angry bumblebees; amorous cicadas and crickets ok, but I was not aware that a spider could do this too and this one used it very effectively.

Well I've learnt one or two things about spiders there, information I could well do without.

I am trying to clear the house of clutter and the thought of large spiders lurking, and/or buzzing, does not fill me with delight. Now an amorous cicada.........!

:)!!! .... Just brought to mind something that was on our local news not too long ago. A lady was driving and when she saw a spider in the car and immediately opened the door and dove out of her car onto the road with the car still in motion and her four year old child strapped in the back seat of the car. The car veered off the road and hit a pole. The child sustained minor injuries and is fine. The mother had a few charges placed against her and her injuries were not of a serious nature.

Good grief.

Loosestrife2: Unbelievable!

oh dear they are so large not a huge fan but can put up with them, I pop a glass over and entice them into it and then out they go, but it took me a few years to be able to shed my fear of them and pop them outside.