Dear Dan,
Though I agree with most all you have to say, Wolf spiders and the
american tarantula are as different from eachother as are kangaroos and
killer whales. Therophosids (our North American "tarantulas") are mild
mannered, but wolf spiders (family lycosidae) can be aggressive and they
are FAST! As for black widows, they aren't too much of a threat unless you
give them some reason to bite you- like sticking your hand into their web
or threatening the egg mass of females. I used to collect black widows out
of my wood pile in Texas in the winter using thick gloves. Not one ever
attempted to bite me. Note however, they were pretty torpid in the winter
and weren't defending egg masses.
I've found black widows in Northern Indiana- South Bend to be exact and I
presume they could range further North of that.
And I could not agree more with your advice about looking before you reach
and shaking out your boots/shoes/slippers before putting them on. I've
known many people in Texas who found interesting things in their shoes
when they shook them out in the morning- scorpions and black widows were
common surprize guests.
"Never ascribe to Malice that which can be explained by Ignorance."
John J. Peloquin, Assistant Research Entomologist
Entomology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521
On Tue, 30 Mar 1999, Dan Ray wrote:
> I guess since I grew up in in the South and Southwest, my views are a bit
> different. I've ran into several rattlesnakes as a kid (and either triumphed
> or run away fast), and got stung by a scorpion in my bed once, but never
> have I had a reason to kill a spider -- except black widows.
> LOOK before you reach into a dark area of a car that's been sitting a while,
> or at least wear gloves. Same as you would the first time you go to the wood
> pile for some wood that first chilly night. A spider won't bite you unless
> you grab it with your bare hand and ask it to.
> I'd rather have a big nasty spider in my old car than mice, roaches, ants,
> or just about any other animal.
> Tarantulas (wolf spiders?) are down-right gentle, and I've never heard of
> one living in a car. Black Widows are another story. Don't mess with them,
> don't spray them with bug-killer, just squish them or move them. I had one
> residing on the left rear shock of my B when I began my rear suspension R/R.
> That's here in Kentucky, folks. I bet a lot of folks never know they are
> there. That primal fear you feel when you see something like that is built
> in to your frail human organs for a reason, but don't freak out.
>
> Dan
> 73 B
>
>
>
>
> >Ohhh... You mean a Tarantula. I had no idea what a Wolf Spider was,
> although is sounded mean.
> >Glad it wasn't on my steering wheel. How do you folks work on cars in
> areas where there are deadly
> >spiders? I stick my hands in the strangest (read darkest) places when
> working on the cars. Easy
> >prey for a spider or other deadly animal (like scorpions).
> >
> >I can read the orbituary now -> "Insisted on working on his cars himself.
> The SO felt avenged."
> >
> >Mike.....
> >
> >The following is Bookshelf 98
> >
>
>
>
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