Vanni's Petting Zoo

Vanni Fucci

Vanni Fucci

Senate Member
Dec 26, 2004
5,239
17
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8th Circle, 7th Bolgia
the-brights.net
Maybe not such a great title for a thread, as you've probably let your filthy minds wander to nowhere near where I'm going with this.

It seems I've got a spider problem. I first started noticing them a couple weeks ago, but now it's just getting crazy around here. When I first started seeing them, I was careful, and did the right thing, by carefully catching them and taking them outside to be set free. This last week, however, I've been stomping them whenever I see one, or two, or three. I've been killing 4 to 6 spiders a day.

They're big gangly buggers, brown and about the size of a toonie, and they have a shape of a fiddle on the abdomen. I looked on the net for indigenous spiders for this area that may look like that. What I found was a spider with a fiddle shape on it's head and thorax...not quite the same, but as close as I've seen. Of course, there's over 400 indigenous species of spider in Manitoba, so it may take a bit to get a positive identification.

This is the closest one I"ve found:

Loxosceles reclusa -- the brown recluse spider is a native of these parts, and can be quite dangerous to humans. Their venom is necrotic, and if bitten, a person will suffer excruciating pain from big gaping sores, as the affected tissue decays and dies.

I don't think those bad boys are found around here though...

Maybe the Rev will know...

So, anyway, Peapod has offered to send me some horse chestnuts, presumably to feed to the spiders, so they don't eat my kids...:p

I'm open to other suggestions though on how to deal with this sticky dilemma, as I don't want to have to keep stepping on them.

Sure wish I could get a more positive identification than what I've been able to find on the net so far...
 
Z

zenfisher

House Member
Sep 12, 2004
2,829
0
36
Seattle
Contact the U Of M entomology department. While they deal with insects they mightbe able to conect you with someone that deals with arachnids....first hit on google describes a black widow...native to the southern states. You haven't bought a big box of peaches,oranges or banans lately? Sometimes they'll be in with the fruit in produce departments...Keep us posted.
 
R

Reverend Blair

Council Member
Apr 3, 2004
1,238
1
38
Winnipeg
I don't know of any dangerous spiders in these parts, Vanni. Then again, the only ones I know of with a fiddle on them are black widows. You should check that out.

If you have a bunch of them, you likely had a mother store her egg sack someplace in your house. If you ever get the chance to see one of those open up, go for it. Thousands of the little buggers come roaring out all at once. It's quite the sight. Of course if they are poisonous spiders, you may not want to see it.
 
Vanni Fucci

Vanni Fucci

Senate Member
Dec 26, 2004
5,239
17
38
8th Circle, 7th Bolgia
the-brights.net
So, I caught one this morning, in a clear plastic container, and took a few pictures...while I don't have the pictures here, I sent them to both an exterminator, and the entymology department at the U of M...

The exterminator responded saying that they believe it to be a domestic funnel-weaver or funnelweb spider, (Tegenaria domestica), being of the same family as brown recluse, but not having nectrotic venom...and while they will still bite if aggitated, their bites won't cause flesh to rot off...

It turns out that Manitoba is not home to brown recluse spiders, but some parts of Southern Ontario may house these nasty little bastards...

Here's a picture of a funnelweb:



Mine don't look exactly like that, as the body markings are different and the abdomen is not so fat...



This one looks more like it, but still not quite the same...



I found a funnel shaped web under my back step this morning...kind of looked like that...
 
G

galianomama

Council Member
Jun 29, 2004
1,076
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Victoria, B.C.
ha! they sure don't look like our west coast species. all of ours come equipped with gum boots and big smilies. i have been told that the spiders here on the coast are all poisonous. who knows. anyways, i love spiders. they are my friends. i love when they weave those beautiful webs outside and we have a fine mist that makes them stand out. especially this time of year. yeah those big guys always make the journey to the indoors around now time. i think they are looking for a nice warm crotch to sleep in. no, wait a minute, i am getting confused with ticks. pea, help me out here......
 
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galianomama

Council Member
Jun 29, 2004
1,076
1
38
Victoria, B.C.
hey big momma, how zit going? what's new up there? my sis in law has her place for sale in west.....what is it?????? the other side of kelowna. anyways, she is going to make the trek to the big island sometime this fall. enough of the stinkin' heat. everyday she would call and give me the weather report and how hot it was. i thought we had a pretty mild summer. how did you guys make out up there?
 
mrmom2

mrmom2

Senate Member
Mar 8, 2005
5,380
6
38
Kamloops BC
It was surprisingly mild I never put the air conditioner in this year 8O We only had a couple of days where it got no hotter than 27 or 28 in the house without it 8)
 
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peapod

Hall of Fame Member
Jun 26, 2004
10,745
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pumpkin pie bungalow
i love when they weave those beautiful webs outside and we have a fine mist that makes them stand out. especially this time of year. yeah those big guys always make the journey to the indoors around now time. i think they are looking for a nice warm crotch to sleep in. no, wait a minute, i am getting confused with ticks. pea, help me out here......

You been hanging with Jack Handey 8) vey good mama :wink:
 
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galianomama

Council Member
Jun 29, 2004
1,076
1
38
Victoria, B.C.
who the hell is jack handey?

or is that a rude name for someone, yeah, they're a 'jack handey' alright. sounds like something from happy land. hmmmm.
 
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