Spiders. What are they up to?

[shogun]

[Surprised]

Spiders attack Indian town

http://www.longislandpress.com/2012/06/ ... dian-town/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[llama]

What are they up to?

Apparently they are evolving. I hate spiders, this bothers me...

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/ ... ng-spider/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[murf]

Most golf courses have hazards, but few are as dangerous as one encountered by LPGA Tour rookie Daniela Holmqvist in Australia recently: a potentially fatal Black Widow spider.

On the fourth hole Holmqvist felt a sharp pain in her ankle, and she looked down to see the Black Widow on her leg.

A Black Widow is so venomous that its bites can kill an adult in under an hour.

With her leg swelling up, Holmqvist reached desperately into her pocket and pulled out a golf tee which she used to gash open her leg and squeeze the venom out.

Amazingly, Holmqvist played on through her pain, shooting a 74 on the day. Medics followed her around the course to make sure she didn't pass out.

Daniela Holmqvist you are officially excused for only shooting a 74.


http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/bun ... 26830.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Jonathan]

Two this month already. It's August. I am a gibbering wreck.

[blahblah]

I have successfully thwarted a recent Ant Invasion

[sted]

I have successfully thwarted a recent Ant Invasion

I hope you are not writing about a nuptial flight.

Where the queen ants (with wings) come out of the nest en masse and try to create other colonies.

One of lifes great miracles IMO.

Loads of winged ants near us today.....I had the kids out explaining all about it.

One of the neighbours was pouring kettles of boiling water over his....tusser.

If you've got flying ants at the moment....

https://www.societyofbiology.org/get-in ... ant-survey" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[blahblah]

One of the bestest intro's?



I had hundreds of the bigger........

[Surprised]

Two this month already. It's August. I am a gibbering wreck.

Big spiders?

[blahblah]

Do they eat ants, I have been pondering that old lady story song about swallowing all sorts of animals...

[Surprised]

Do they eat ants, I have been pondering that old lady story song about swallowing all sorts of animals...

I don't think they particularly like them but will eat a few. It's like kids and sprouts.

[sted]

Do they eat ants, I have been pondering that old lady story song about swallowing all sorts of animals...

I don't think they particularly like them but will eat a few. It's like kids and sprouts.

They eat them.....however....

A big spider will take a little ant that falls in it's web
A little spider will avoid a bigger ant that falls in it's web.

Get them both matched up....you've got yourself a little gladiator contest going on.

I'm sorry, I was a little shit as an 8 year old and studied it extensively.

[blahblah]

[Surprised]

Do they eat ants, I have been pondering that old lady story song about swallowing all sorts of animals...

I don't think they particularly like them but will eat a few. It's like kids and sprouts.

They eat them.....however....

A big spider will take a little ant that falls in it's web
A little spider will avoid a bigger ant that falls in it's web.

Get them both matched up....you've got yourself a little gladiator contest going on.

I'm sorry, I was a little shit as an 8 year old and studied it extensively.

Did you catch flies and throw them into spiders webs?

As a kid I used to be able to catch flies that were on the window by a wing and I'd feed them to spiders or my sisters goldfish. The goldfish would see the fly struggling in the water and eat it. The goldfish died after a few flies over the summer though.

[sted]

Do they eat ants, I have been pondering that old lady story song about swallowing all sorts of animals...

I don't think they particularly like them but will eat a few. It's like kids and sprouts.

They eat them.....however....

A big spider will take a little ant that falls in it's web
A little spider will avoid a bigger ant that falls in it's web.

Get them both matched up....you've got yourself a little gladiator contest going on.

I'm sorry, I was a little shit as an 8 year old and studied it extensively.

Did you catch flies and throw them into spiders webs?

As a kid I used to be able to catch flies that were on the window by a wing and I'd feed them to spiders or my sisters goldfish. The goldfish would see the fly struggling in the water and eat it. The goldfish died after a few flies over the summer though.

Did that.....never killed any fish as far as I remember. You must have had soft Southern fish.

I also did the magnifying glass trick with ants and the old ' gas cooker lighter thing' with grasshoppers...I can't help wondering if I'm partially responsible for the decline in our native insect species.

[Surprised]

Did you catch flies and throw them into spiders webs?

As a kid I used to be able to catch flies that were on the window by a wing and I'd feed them to spiders or my sisters goldfish. The goldfish would see the fly struggling in the water and eat it. The goldfish died after a few flies over the summer though.

Did that.....never killed any fish as far as I remember. You must have had soft Southern fish.

I also did the magnifying glass trick with ants and the old ' gas cooker lighter thing' with grasshoppers...I can't help wondering if I'm partially responsible for the decline in our native insect species.

Did the magnifying glass thing with flies. It was necessary to pull the wings off first though. I never bothered with ants apart from a kettle of boiling water once in a blue moon. I guess mass murder wasn't as gratifying as individual torture.

I never tortured spiders. I was afraid they'd go and get their mates and come and get me.

[Ironfist]

FISO spider.jpg

Took this photo nearly two months ago while strolling with the dogs... not too large, about an inch and a half but very Shelob like...

[Mystery]

Mmmmm... yummy

[Jonathan]

Two this month already. It's August. I am a gibbering wreck.

Big spiders?

Put it this way. One was on the stairs and the bigger tried to trip me up as I ran past it to wake up my wife to get it for me.

I believe flying ants can only land the once. As soon as they do, their wings drop off.

[Surprised]

Two this month already. It's August. I am a gibbering wreck.

Big spiders?

Put it this way. One was on the stairs and the bigger tried to trip me up as I ran past it to wake up my wife to get it for me.

I believe flying ants can only land the once. As soon as they do, their wings drop off.

I can't believe your wife can be so uncaring and unprotective as to sleep when she KNOWS there are spiders out to get you.
SPIDERS NEVER SLEEP!!
Your wife should not sleep until winter kills spiders or does whatever it does to them.

[sted]

SPIDERS NEVER SLEEP!!
Your wife should not sleep until winter kills spiders or does whatever it does to them.

They do sleep.

They hibernate.

IN YOUR BED.

ALL OF THEM.

(They wake at night of course....just to have little crawl)

ON YOUR FACE!

[Surprised]

SPIDERS NEVER SLEEP!!
Your wife should not sleep until winter kills spiders or does whatever it does to them.

They do sleep.

They hibernate.

IN YOUR BED.

ALL OF THEM.

(They wake at night of course....just to have little crawl)

ON YOUR FACE!

HA!!

I stay awake all winter and set fire to my bed every day and fill my house with spider eating scorpions.

[Five long bones]

They feed on your tears as you sleep in terror, and if you move they bite you on the eyeball.

[Mystery]

They're only venomous while you're breathing. After that they're perfectly safe.

[Ashers]

[Ironfist]

FISO Spiders 2.jpg

Took this pic in total darkness, with my camera phone, two nights ago on my back porch.
It's a female spider carrying all her young on her back.
Spiders are some of nature's most beautiful manifestations. Incredible creatures.

[TheTon]

Ironfist, you're not UK based are you??

[Moist von Lipwig]

I've just almost repeatedly smashed my shoe against the computer screen.

[Jonathan]

Spiders are some of nature's most beautiful manifestations. Incredible creatures.

For freaks sake!!!!! My wife is gonna get it tonight.... and I don't mean rudies! Nightmares!!!!

I can't disagree though - they are incredible creatures... I just wish yhey would be incredible somewhere else.

There was a biggie in the box I keep my Carlsberg in at the weekend and my wife was away on a hen weekend. Now, if Carlsberg did spiders.... However, I was brave and I still managed a drink or two.

[Ironfist]

To keep the nightmares theme alive... imagine spiders who don't only hunt with hanging webs or jump out of a borrow, rather they are called Gladiator spiders and they cast a free web, ie not attached to trees of branches, to snare an unsuspecting victim. Just like a Retiarius ("net fighter") with a trident and cast net They are one of the most interesting spiders, even if not the most impressive looking ones. Here's a nice, short clip about that Common Net-casting Spider - Deinopis ravidus...