Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Does this freak anyone else out?

So I'm standing on our deck looking for the fly that Luke spotted and I happen to look down in our window well and the sun is hitting it perfectly so I can see this HUGE black widow web, it seems to be half the size of the window well and there are grasshoppers galore stuck in that thing. So Luke and I get our shoes on to check it out a little closer and I was a bit horrified and shocked to see this...


She is hiding behind that egg sack and she's huge, trust me. Yikes, do they normally lay that many egg sacks? So I decide that I need check the other window wells and see if there are others multiplying as rapidly as this little lady is. Low and behold I found black widow number two in the other window well. Check her out, I think she's further along than I am. That green grasshopper is still alive trying to get out, but I think they must wait until they are dead to eat them, like the poor sap in this next picture, that you can't even really tell was a grasshopper. She was going to town on him when I first spotted her.




If you look below her, you can see the carnage of grasshoppers gone by, apparently she doesn't like the legs and heads so much, unlike praying mantis's who start with the head while they are still alive. Yah, we have video of that from last summer...fascinating stuff. But anyway.



I think this lady is gearing up to lay some sacks herself. These things freak me out, mostly because of Luke. We found one in the garage a few weeks ago that we killed, but I'm scared he is going to grab something out of the garage and not even notice the web or the spider hanging out close by, like kids do. I think we need to take some serious action before these sacks hatch...can you imagine those millions of baby spiders? The thought makes me an arachnophobic.

13 comments:

Kristie said...

We had some last year. I had someone come spray. Good Luck

Tahsha said...

Okay, I am sitting in my home, with no black widows around to speak of, and I am itching with creepy crawlies!! Gross!

MaryLee said...

Exactly why I've been trying to teach Ian NOT to pick up every bug he sees, especially spiders. Creepy.

going gordon said...

I HATE spiders!! I just had Hugh smith here spraying inside and out for spiders. Someone was just telling me that spiders love to build webs inside kids toys too, so you aren't being paranoid. Be careful! call me if you want Hugh's number. : )

Sandra said...

Is that what Hugh does? I didn't even know that. I just might have to get his number from you. We did find one under Luke's bike last year too.

Christensens said...

Oh yuck yuck yuck. They are the most wicked looking things. (and I mean wicked in a bad way not like wicked-cool or something) Well, I'm off to check my window wells...

Cassie said...

I can't wait to show Brad your post. He'll love it. Last year he found one in our window well just as the male black window was wandering in. Just a tip- no matter what people say DO NOT suck it up through your vaccum. We followed that advice and it was a looong night after that.

Shea said...

Ryan would not be happy and it does kind of freak me out also.

Sandra said...

Oooh, I'd love to hear more about that Cassie. Sounds like a good story.

Anonymous said...

Good to have you back lady! You've got a serious arachna issue there, you better have Hugh (or somebody) come out and spray, like, today. Can he come after lunch?

E-mail me when you can, we need to chat -- not just to catch up, but we should discuss a get-together this month. Love your spidery guts!

Michelle said...

Thanks a lot. Now I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight! I hate, hate, hate spiders. Ugh.

Nicole said...

sick!

Britt said...

I saw one with a couple sacks in my window well...now after hearing about the kids toys I think I'll be calling Hugh too!