Cursed spiders!

[Silver Rusher]

I've had enough. Those damned spiders have gone one step too far this time.

It all started very recently. I began seeing large garden spiders, the body about the size of a human thumbnail. Didn't bother me at first.

But soon, more and more began to appear. I didn't know why this was, and still don't today, but it was going to cause a nice slice of annoyance for me. I started seeing big, unsightly webs all over the place, with the unsightly beasts hanging right in the centre. I didn't want to, dare I say, touch the spiders (I don't have arachnophobia btw, I just hate the filthy creatures) and so I often resorted to ducking under webs when I came across them. I rose to the challenge eventually, and worked out a system of removing webs without harming the spider at all. But it was not enough. It got to the point where eventually every time I left the house to go to work in the morning, I had to brush past at least 3 of their annoying webs, and again when I came home. I spoke to others I know, they tell me they had the same problem. I was on the brink of having had enough, until one day I came home and discovered that my own TV, yes that's right, had a huge, disgusting web hanging right off of it.

And now, I feel locked in a The Ant and the Aardvark-esque struggle of man vs. spider. There shall only be one winner...

[naut]

Do you know what type of spiders they are? Or do have a pic?

[L'Impresario]

Be glad you don't have a roach problem. Roach-poaching is a favourite pastime in urban environments around here. They seem to be getting less and less these last few years. But then I remember the story of an acquaintance who lives in a not-so chic neighbourhood, and it mainly involves roaches in walls, roaches on walls, roaches on the floor, roaches in the cupboard, roaches on other roaches (you get the picture I guess). It usually ends with the massive biochemical bombarment of the apartment, and the need to stay at somebody else's place for about a week or two.

And *yes, you saw it coming* at least you won't have any fly issues. Hygenic-wise I believe spiders are quite clean little arthropod beasts. And then you have the artistic aspect of it all, spiderwebs can be impressive works of design, not? Drugged spiders are known to produce some great surreal art heh

[Silver Rusher]

Do you know what type of spiders they are? Or do have a pic?

Just simple garden spiders. http://www.the-piedpiper.co.uk/th11f(6).htm

Be glad you don't have a roach problem. The roach-poaching is a favourite pastime in urban environments around here. They seem to be getting less and less these last few years. But then I remember the story of an acquaintance who lives in a not-so chic neighbourhood, and it mainly involves roaches in walls, roaches on walls, roaches on the floor, roaches in the cupboard, roaches on other roaches (you get the picture I guess). It usually ends with the massive biochemical bombarment of the apartment, and the need to stay at somebody else's place for about a week or two.

And *yes, you saw it coming* at least you won't have any fly issues.

Where do you live? No roaches around here. Quite a few flies, though, but not a problem.

And then you have the artistic aspect of it all, spiderwebs can be impressive works of design, not? Drugged spiders are known to produce some great surreal art heh

Yes, they are impressive, as long as they stay out of my front garden path! And I have seen some of those drugged spider's webs, they are quite funny. Ironically, they seem to be quite a good message about the dangers of drugs, though. For those curious, look here: http://www.trinity.edu/jdunn/spiderdrugs.htm

[Banquo's Ghost]

Odd you mentioned this - I have noticed a big upsurge in common or garden spiders this autumn. Maybe the weather encouraged breeding success in the summer. I'm always astonished at their tenacity - I scoop off one beautiful web and next day, the spider has created yet another completely improbable feat of engineering.

They're wonderful creatures - just not much fun walking into their webs in an early morning daze.

We don't have spiders in the house though, at least not below shoulder level. The cats can jump that high....

[naut]

Pretty spider, all I get are Golden Orbs.

EDIT: LMAO

Spiders on marijuana made a reasonable stab at spinning webs but appeared to lose concentration about half-way through

Those on Benzedrine - "speed" - spin their webs "with great gusto, but apparently without much planning leaving large holes"

[L'Impresario]

Where do you live? No roaches around here. Quite a few flies, though, but not a problem.

Athens. There are some nice places in the city that make up for some excellent roach breeding grounds. Humidity and old buildings can work wonders.

Yes, they are impressive, as long as they stay out of my front garden path! And I have seen some of those drugged spider's webs, they are quite funny. Ironically, they seem to be quite a good message about the dangers of drugs, though. For those curious, look here: http://www.trinity.edu/jdunn/spiderdrugs.htm

I think they show that to be original you gotta go to great lenghts;)

[R'as al Ghul]

I rose to the challenge eventually, and worked out a system of removing webs without harming the spider at all.

Good boy!
Remember all the insects you kill in your lifetime will form your tribunal at the end of days. Only that they'll be scaled to your size.
Or was that a nightmare I once had?
Anyway, nice to see that you aren't one of those who kill them for fun.
I always have a spider glass around the house to catch everything that needs escorting outside. Works also with all kinds of moths etc. (Release the spiders before you add the moths. )
As long as they aren't poisonous or can be heard walking(!) there's no danger. It most probably will go away after a few weeks anyway. Plus as L'impresario said they catch some other nasties and are generally very clean and they can be quite usefull in times of fly overpopulation.

Drugged spiders are known to produce some great surreal art heh

Iirc, spiders on amphetamines made their nets very fast but also very sloppy while spiders on cannabis took a bit longer than usual but did perfect nets? Do you remember any details on that?

[Gregoshi]

Here's the garden spider I had at my place.





Fortunately, she (judging by the size) was the only one and I was rather fond of her due to the shear size. However, I think the novelty would wear off if I had to deal with as many as Silver Rusher has to. With the spider pictured above, the body was probably little bit larger than a thumb nail - that is one meaty spider. I had a chance to touch the web after she abondoned it for a new one nearby. I was very impressed with the strength of the strands, or at least the strength of the strands that support the web. The strange thing about these spiders is from what I've read they are rather common, but I think this is the first one I've ever seen.

[R'as al Ghul]

For those curious, look here: http://www.trinity.edu/jdunn/spiderdrugs.htm

Thanks for the link. I was a bit off but not completely.

[Silver Rusher]

Good boy!
Remember all the insects you kill in your lifetime will form your tribunal at the end of days. Only that they'll be scaled to your size.
Or was that a nightmare I once had? ?

cough cough... sorry, feeling in a pedantic mood today. Anyway, that is the exact reason why I don't kill them.

Iirc, spiders on amphetamines made their nets very fast but also very sloppy while spiders on cannabis took a bit longer than usual but did perfect nets? Do you remember any details on that?

Here's a link I posted earlier in the thread: http://www.trinity.edu/jdunn/spiderdrugs.htm

Odd you mentioned this - I have noticed a big upsurge in common or garden spiders this autumn. Maybe the weather encouraged breeding success in the summer. I'm always astonished at their tenacity - I scoop off one beautiful web and next day, the spider has created yet another completely improbable feat of engineering.

Live anywhere near London, by any chance?

[R'as al Ghul]

cough cough... sorry, feeling in a pedantic mood today.

So, you're saying insect are like sheep?

Thanks,I live to learn.

P.S.: Wait a minute, dictionaries give me "insects" as plural. What's correct now?

[English assassin]

Live anywhere near London, by any chance?

yes

Its autumn. Always loads of spiders in the autumn. Dunno why, maybe they spend the summer breeding, or maybe its just with dew in the mornings again you notice all the webs.

[L'Impresario]

So, you're saying insect are like sheep?

Nah, insects is a perfectly acceptable word.

[King Henry V]

Spiders are lucky, except if you see them in the morning. Killing a spider brings you a lot of bad luck.
Or so I'm told.

[Silver Rusher]

So, you're saying insect are like sheep?

Thanks,I live to learn.

P.S.: Wait a minute, dictionaries give me "insects" as plural. What's correct now?

I'm surprised nobody has pointed this out, but a spider is not an insect. It is an arachnid.

yes

Its autumn. Always loads of spiders in the autumn. Dunno why, maybe they spend the summer breeding, or maybe its just with dew in the mornings again you notice all the webs.

I know, but there seems to be a hell of a lot more now than there always used to be.

[Kongamato]

I got three of them yesterday, two very small and insignificant, and one a larger, typical house spider. I'm thinking that the after-summer breeding and the cooling weather is driving the spiders indoors.

Also, during summer mornings I walk between a 2-3' space in between my car and a shrub. It seems there are always some invisible traveling threads left between the two.

[Silver Rusher]

Another thing I was wondering was how the spiders get from one bush to another. Do they jump, or walk across the ground whilst leaving a long slack of web trailing behind, or do they somehow 'throw' the web strand across and pick it up again when they get there?

The mind boggles.

[Braden]

Dunno where you live Silver but currently in the UK there is an official epidemic of spiders as the summer has been “perfect” for their growth.

Very hot and arid for long periods with sudden brief periods of heavy rain.
Plenty of food (flies and other smaller insects).

Yup, officially the year of the spider here in the UK. I do have a phobia of spiders (my father was bitten by one when I was very young, saw it all = later life phobia) but it isn’t too bad as long as they’re not in the house too much.

Besides the wife deals with it when they are.

They’re getting less and less now as the weather gets colder though.

[Silver Rusher]

Dunno where you live Silver but currently in the UK there is an official epidemic of spiders as the summer has been “perfect” for their growth.

Yep, I suspected something like that. I live in North London btw.

[Banquo's Ghost]

Live anywhere near London, by any chance?

No, across the other side of the Irish Sea. We've got a lot over here too. I am currently trying to add to the sum of human knowledge by testing how spiders weave webs under the influence of a few glasses of Powers.

So far they just slouch in an armchair and shout random obscenities.

[Kongamato]

Another thing I was wondering was how the spiders get from one bush to another. Do they jump, or walk across the ground whilst leaving a long slack of web trailing behind, or do they somehow 'throw' the web strand across and pick it up again when they get there?

The mind boggles.

I believe that they plant a thread down on the leaf they are on, dangle off the leaf on the thread, and let the wind do the work from there.

[Csargo]

This story reminds me of the story The Birds I think it was called where the birds came and killed people pretty good story except its with spiders now.

[Martok]

Spiders are lucky, except if you see them in the morning. Killing a spider brings you a lot of bad luck.
Or so I'm told.

Man, if that's true, then I have an awful lot of negative karma coming my way. I'm arachniphobic to the extreme; any spider--even a mere daddy-long-legs--I spot within or around my domicile will very quickly find it has shuffled loose the mortal coil. I once had a spider like the one Gregoshi posted living on the outer wall of my garage....I must've unloaded half a can of bug spray on the frickin' thing before I was finally convinced it was dead.

[Samurai Waki]

haven't had too many spiders except for the **** Banana Spiders. *Shudders*

[Martok]

GAH!

Wakizashi, why oh why did you have to post that??

[Silver Rusher]

That spider hasn't been doing too good a job of making his web. He on drugs too?

[Samurai Waki]

Well it is California. I think the answer is already there.