(OT) I'm being hunted by a spider.

[Malakye]

This is true. I once had a large spider living in my apartment. I didn't kill him, so out of gratitude he started balancing my checkbook and helping me with difficult jigsaw puzzles. His cleverness had a dark side, though - I eventually found out that he had made a crude paper mache mask in my image, and was making time with my girlfriend when I wasn't around. I confronted him about it, and our friendship ended soon thereafter. Last I heard, the two of them were living somewhere in Nebraska. I wish them all the best.

ROTFLMAO

That is too funny.

In response to the original post though,

I lived in a cabin on a lake in Minnesota one summer. We had these huge brown jumping spiders that sound like the one you have. We usually sprayed them with whatever chemical spray was closest and they would kind of curl up in a ball. Then you could grab something heavy and squish them. Of course that was if you could catch them with the spray in the first place.

God I hated those spiders. They were too smart, too fast, and man could they jump.

 

[ranix65]

OK, look around near your computer. Can you construct a rudimentary lathe, or...?

Sorry, it had to be said.

 

[Whodat]

Maybe you killed off an insect he planned to make his dinner, and he’s coming back to demand repayment.

Like the paperboy in the movie “Better off Dead”

“Two dollars! I want my two dollars!”

 

[GILGAMESH]

Wolf Spiders

Wolf spiders are the spiders most commonly seen during the day running across the ground. In fact they are among the most active spiders during the daytime in California. These predators move swiftly from one place to the next, searching for prey in the daytime as well as at night. Their vision is excellent as is their sense of touch.

Wolf spiders are covered with a dense coat of hair, generally brown-colored with a lighter stripe or darker brown or cream markings on the body and legs. The legs are long and held away from the body. A large species, in the genus Schizolycosa, averages 1 to 2 inches from leg tip to leg tip. This spider is commonly encountered in and around homes and farms in the Sacramento Valley, particularly in the late summer and fall months.

Wolf spiders belong to the family Lycosidae (lycosa is Latin for wolf). They are so named because of their method of catching prey. These spiders do not build a web. They only use silk to create a silken pouch to hold their eggs. Instead they are active hunters, either running down their prey or pouncing on unsuspecting insects.

At rest they hide under rocks or logs. Females generally carry their white to yellowish silken egg sac around with them attached beneath the abdomen to their spinnerets. When the spiderlings hatch from the egg sac they climb up on the mother's back and ride around on her. At this stage the young spiders feed on prey captured by their mother. Once they are large enough to forage on their own they leave.

Wolf spiders are very effective and important predators of flies, crickets and other moderate-sized insects. Although they have a briefly painful bite there is no record of medical problems associated with these spiders in California.



Wolf Spider

Does this look like it at all?

 

[GILGAMESH]

Arm your self!!!!!

Might I suggest a vaccuum with a long hose attachment, a 2 liter bottle of mountain dew, a some old school Judas Priest, very loud. Have at it, it's your castle, KILL the INVADER!!!!!

 

[GILGAMESH]

here's a better picture

 

[LostSoul]

I didn't have spider problems, but once I had a pet fly. Just a couple of months ago.

It would fly really close to me, wake me up just as I was trying to fall asleep. It didn't buzz against the window, like you'd expect; it just seemed to like flying around.

I named him "Flyicus".

 

[orbitalfreak]

Strange the topic of spiders should come up. Well, since we're all relating spider-stories, I'll share a few I have...

I've recently destroyed an infestation of small red spiders around my computer station at home. The big one was in a corner-web, and three had made nests under the keys of my keyboard! I found that little tidbit out after I was typing and felt something crawling across my fingertips. Not pleasent. And a fifth set up shop inside my 'puter's tower, making a nice comfy bed on my graphics card. I've also learned that spiders are highly suceptible to being stabbed with an X-acto knife.

A couple months ago, I was mildly invenomated by a Black Widow while splitting firewood. One put my uncle in the hospital a few years back, after it bit him on the neck; the second I saw that shiny black body crawling on my arm, I swatted. Apparently, its fang punctured my skin, because the next day my entire left forearm had increased in size about 50%. I'm just glad that was all that happened, cuz those things can be deadly (or at least really really bad).

And it doesn't help that I'm arachnophobic either...

 

[GILGAMESH]

I HATE SPIDERS!!!

Brown recluse

 

[thundershot]

Heh, speak for yourself. I'm at least as unnerved by spiders as you are, but they definately get that large around here. I don't recall ever seeing one until we got our swimming pool (they sometimes turn up floating in it), now we get huge hairy beasties that sometimes make their way into our house. I'm not sure what breed they are, I just know they're freakin' big.
*shudder*

Damn! I'm glad I'm where I'm at. In my 27 years of life in the same vicinity, I've yet to see a really big spider. I can't even stand the LITTLE ones, much less the Dire Spiders... <shudder> I think I'm gonna sic spiders on my PCs this Saturday just to feel better in the knowledge that the little bastards are being hacked up SOMEwhere.


Chris