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Spiders - Why we need them/how to live with them
- Thread starter Jaeger
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Kojirospath
Member
Thank you for that. Awesome little poem.
So you would rather live in a world with 100x more of this
and this
and this
Aren't most spiders unable to do shit all against wasps and there are certain wasp/hornet species that actively hunt spiders?
I know sod all about wasps/tarantulas except they serve no evolutionary goal other than to fuck with nature and humans.
Yeah, spiders are awesome and helpful. And like you said OP you usually only find them in your house is if you have other pests or hygiene problems otherwise they wouldn't have bothered coming in. If I notice one in my room I usually try to carry it outside. Also, here's a dancing spider.
Nice try, spider.
LOL
There are species of Wasp that due indeed hunt out spiders specifically. They are called spider wasp, with one of the more known ones (and also one of the largest wasp period) being the Tarantula Hawk. Most of them actively seek out spiders, so they can paralyze and lay an egg in them. Similar to a lot of other parasitoid wasp.Here is an image showing the scale of these, and how they are able to effectively hunt tarantula;
The average wasp is not a big threat to most species that would prey on it. I've seen many a web of an Orb Weaver or Wolf, or Widow with large wasp in their grips. Here is a video of a Black Widow handling a large wasp.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXeVAUoJlXM
They are brilliant hunters and know their prey. They stay away from the stinger, and wrap them up with silk (if that's their weapon of choice) from a distance before delivering the death blow.
Yeah, spiders are awesome and helpful. And like you said OP you usually only find them in your house is if you have other pests or hygiene problems otherwise they wouldn't have bothered coming in. If I notice one in my room I usually try to carry it outside. Also, here's a dancing spider.
Love those gives. I think that's the peacock jumping spider at the top?
Yep, cute little things. Don't know the name of the bottom two, though.
Scofield94941
Member
If you were leave spiders in your house or room you would have spider webs everywhere, that is almost as bad as not using soap
Cool OP
If I was traveling a lot I would find that regional website useful.
Just wait until they start forming political action committees, better them than the roaches.
If I was traveling a lot I would find that regional website useful.
Just wait until they start forming political action committees, better them than the roaches.
billy beane
Banned
I have a general rule for spiders: don't let me see you.
"Crab spider" is a term used loosely to describe a lot of different families of spiders. That spider is actually a type of orb weaver named Encyosaccus sexmaculatus, or "Orange Tortoise Spider". It's tiny.
Warning. Image intensive post coming up.
The genius of how Spiders hunt can't be over stated. Each of every species has their own unique way of hunting their prey.
Some use brute strength. Some use their powerful silk and numerous ways. And some take it to a whole other level.
None of those are ants. All species of Jumping spider.
...Ladybugs....
...and even bird dung!
The genius of how Spiders hunt can't be over stated. Each of every species has their own unique way of hunting their prey.
Some use brute strength. Some use their powerful silk and numerous ways. And some take it to a whole other level.
None of those are ants. All species of Jumping spider.
Ant on left, spider on right. And it doesn't stop there. Spiders that blend in or mimic flowers....
...Ladybugs....
...and even bird dung!
PeregrinSe7en
Member
Some spiders I leave alone, some I kill. I have a Daddy Longlegs that resides in the corner in my bathroom. I leave him alone, he leaves me alone.
To be honest, I am lucky where I live, the only nasty one in my area is the Brown Recluse. But he is a nasty one. Bite areas just die and need to be removed. Fortunately I've never run into one.
But the spiders in South America, those just freak me out. Never been there, but I remember seeing a special about the spiders, and I mean huge spiders, that just lived in the huts out in the jungle areas. The villagers would need to wrap themselves in basically a cocoon every night when they slept, as the spider(s) would come down and play.
Just gives me shivers thinking about it.
To be honest, I am lucky where I live, the only nasty one in my area is the Brown Recluse. But he is a nasty one. Bite areas just die and need to be removed. Fortunately I've never run into one.
But the spiders in South America, those just freak me out. Never been there, but I remember seeing a special about the spiders, and I mean huge spiders, that just lived in the huts out in the jungle areas. The villagers would need to wrap themselves in basically a cocoon every night when they slept, as the spider(s) would come down and play.
Just gives me shivers thinking about it.
ThoseDeafMutes
Member
Actually, there is evidence that humans have a biological inclination towards acquiring fear of spiders, along with certain other animals and situations (heights, for instance). I stumbled across the idea during research in my honours year, my thesis was on using machine learning techniques to enhance computer based treatments of spider phobia. Fear of spiders is not only extremely easy for humans to acquire, it is quite difficult to extinguish.
That sounds more than feasible. There is a natural uneasiness we get when it comes to spiders and insects alike. The strange and odd brings about fear. However we can't deny our own media and social structure does little to help the situation. In fact we fan the flames.
I don't have a problem with wasps.
and I can handle flies and mosquitos myself, when they come into my home..
spiders can handle the rest outside.
This was an interesting video. The widow was in a war of attrition with the wasp: it was wrapping its silk furiously as the wasp was using its mandibles to cut strands to try and free itself. The spider was faster, and threw silk around its wings which the wasp was unable to turn toward and cut. The widow also knew to steer clear of the mandibles and stinger, staying behind and above the wasp. Near the end the wasp got desperate and began really lashing out with the stinger, but the spider stayed just out of reach. As you said, it knew its prey and how to deal with it.
Extra Sauce
Member
I used to think like OP. I would let spiders roam freely and eat all of the insects around the house, which made it cleaner and more pleasant to live in.
Then one day my mom was doing laundry in the basement and that's when they decided to upgrade their meal. The poor woman never stood a chance. I can still hear the screams... her last words were "you let this happen".
Then one day my mom was doing laundry in the basement and that's when they decided to upgrade their meal. The poor woman never stood a chance. I can still hear the screams... her last words were "you let this happen".
There is that hella deceptive photo of a Goliath birdeater. Dudes hand is way farther back than the relative location of the spider (who seems to almost be directly in front of the camera lense). Those guys are big. The largest of any known spider in terms of pure mass, but they are not even close to "puppy sized".
I love these kinds of videos. Even with their speed and flight, a spider usually out maneuvers wasps. I saw a Widow on tree adjacent to a newly built wasp nest at my job, and he had about 4 dead wasp in the web at the end of one afternoon. He knew exactly what he was doing. It's incredibly fascinating.
Agreed.
lastplayed
Member
All spiders are welcome in my home. I don't bother them and they don't bother me.
Except white tails. They automatically die upon discovery.
Except white tails. They automatically die upon discovery.
If for whatever reason there is a spider in the house and I don't wish for it to be there all I do is get a glass and place it on top and then slide a piece of card/thick paper underneath (being careful not to cut the spiders legs (hopefully they crawl up inside the glass so this is easier) and then let it go outside.
Think it's sad when some people have the reaction to kill them. They're here on the earth and they exist for whatever reason. I don't think they had a choice in being born as a spider, they're only trying to survive.
Think it's sad when some people have the reaction to kill them. They're here on the earth and they exist for whatever reason. I don't think they had a choice in being born as a spider, they're only trying to survive.
FantasticMrFoxdie
Mumber
I'm cool with spiders. They eat them pests.
Stay out of my territory, spider!
Stay out of my territory, spider!
Vincent Alexander
Member
Good thread. I always let spiders go about their day when I see them---especially in my house. They're my silent protectors.
Triplicates
Member
I can barely look at the images in the thread but I do let spiders have their way in my apartment. I saw one making its way across the ceiling above my bed the other night. I hope it finds a nice corner from which it can wreak havoc on insect invaders.
triplestation
Member
zorlaczerohero
Banned
I remember watching a program years ago about some studies done on babies, too young to have been influenced (too much) that spiders are bad. They brought out mechanical toys, all identical except the amount of legs, the only thing that freaked them out was 8 legs, which they wouldn't go near.
There's some suggestion that whilst we aren't born with the fear, we find the fear of spiders very easy to acquire due to genetic programming. But to be honest for every article saying one thing, there is another saying the exact opposite.
I think there must be some form of genetics at play, my wife freaks at the sight of any rodent, but she's ok with spiders, yet my kids have no fear at all of rodents, but whilst I've done my best to educate them on spiders they still have that basic fear. Anecdotal I know, but I'm sure there is something in seeing a spider that makes our instincts go "danger!". And to be honest here in Sydney a little bit of fear isn't a bad thing.
SuperChoco
Member
Brown Recluses are dead on sight, but everything else is fine with me.
ThoseDeafMutes
Member
The idea of being primed to be afraid of certain kinds of things was what I stumbled across, yeah. The number of people with certain kinds of phobia are enormous (Heights, Spiders, Flying etc) but the number of people with other kinds of specific phobia (electrical sockets, cars) is statistically negligible. These are often things that we fully recognise as being highly dangerous and teach our kids about, but it's just so rare. Even people who get hit by cars or electrocuted, while they generate aversions, almost never actually get phobic.
I think it's quite clear that fairly standard models of fear acquisition, whereby they are purely learned, are inadequate to explain what we see.
LiquidMetal14
hide your water-based mammals
First come the spiders posting threads. Then come the machine gun wielding sharks.
Treechopper
Member
This actually was really cool. I am scared of them, but what gets me is I know I have so many because the place I rent has so many other bugs.
Brown recluses are no joke though. Black widows scare me, but Brown recluses are even more rare and the knowledge that their venom is worse only heightens my fear when I see them.
Brown recluses are no joke though. Black widows scare me, but Brown recluses are even more rare and the knowledge that their venom is worse only heightens my fear when I see them.
Kitsunebaby
Member
When I was 6, a giant wolf spider crawled on my face and bit me while I was sleeping. That has earned spiders my everlasting hatred. Nevermind the fact that most spiders can live for several months to a year without any food or water, so they probably aren't as good for pest control as some of you might believe. Also, I hate them far more than any of the other insects in my house. They're the pests.
I try to leave them alone when they're outside, but if they come into my house their lives are forfeit.
I try to leave them alone when they're outside, but if they come into my house their lives are forfeit.
When I was a kid, I remember seeing spiders around the house, and I'd go around looking for any bug I can find and throw them into a spiders web. Not sure what it was, but it was always cool watching them wrap up their food and shit.
Hell, if I happen to catch it happening I'd watch, even as a grown ass man. There is just something weirdly artistic about them lol.
Hell, if I happen to catch it happening I'd watch, even as a grown ass man. There is just something weirdly artistic about them lol.
It's the truth. They may go months without feeding, but they must gorge themselves when they are able.
Baldwin_the_First
Member
I always get itchy whenever I read about spiders. It gets super uncomfortable.
Spiders are awesome. When we lived in San Diego we had this spider that would chill by our sink in our kitchen. We'd call him Greg. He'd watch us do the dishes and then peace out, back into some corner. He chilled with us for like 2 years, and guess what? We didn't have any other bugs in our kitchen! Dude was on it. All because I manned up and made a truce with him that one time. He definitely kept his end of the bargain.
superdeluxe
Member
We have giant house spiders in my house, they are freaking large, and I believe the fastest animal/insect on the ground for it's size. They also eat bad bugs (like the brown recluse) and generally mind their own business. I have no issues with them. Only problem is wife is terrified of spiders, so yeah...they die
You can't fool me mr. (or mrs.) spider.
zorlaczerohero
Banned
I moved from the UK (no dangerous spiders outside of The Daily Express Bullshit machine) to Australia around 3 years ago. I got bitten by a redback, which has very similar effects to a Black Widow about 18 months ago. Weird thing is my fear of spiders has all but gone. Getting bitten by a spider that was 2nd in Australia and in the top ten in the world made me go "Hmmm, I've had worse". It hurt like hell for a few days, the aches etc. but it was dealable and not as bad as say a toothache. Didn't even go to the Doctors (though to be honest my wife is one). I've gone from being scared of house spiders in the UK to happily removing hand size Huntsmen from the house in Australia. A little knowledge is a scary thing, it's only when we experience things that we get a proper perspective and realise maybe things aren't as scary as we first thought. I will say ever since my first child was born I have refused to act scared around Spiders just because I didn't want them to inherite my fear. I think this helped in Australia as by forcing myself to deal because of my kids, I actually ended up dealing myself.
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