Are these spiders friends or foes?
July 2, 2024 4:52 PM Subscribe
Shockingly poor photo 1, and 2. I just got a weed wacker (cool). I just weed wacked an entire village of spiders (scream) and I'd like to know if I've instigated a generations-long conspiracy of vengeance against my family or if these bugs will mind their damn business.
Of course I didn't have my phone with me when I was out wackin, and by the time I got outside again the spiders had gone to ground and I could only snap some quick pics of this one.
On a more serious note there does seem to be an alarming number (over a dozen big leggy bois scattered when I hit this spot) of these spiders living in my back yard up against, probably in, my (detached thank god) garage. Am I at risk of being bitten? How about my small dogs? Are theypoisonous venomous? Hostile?
If they're the kind of spiders that just eat other bugs I'm happy to let them hang, but if they're going to cause me a problem I'd like to kill them harder. In Chicago if that helps to ID.
👀👀 (chuckles)
👀👀 I'm in danger
Of course I didn't have my phone with me when I was out wackin, and by the time I got outside again the spiders had gone to ground and I could only snap some quick pics of this one.
On a more serious note there does seem to be an alarming number (over a dozen big leggy bois scattered when I hit this spot) of these spiders living in my back yard up against, probably in, my (detached thank god) garage. Am I at risk of being bitten? How about my small dogs? Are they
If they're the kind of spiders that just eat other bugs I'm happy to let them hang, but if they're going to cause me a problem I'd like to kill them harder. In Chicago if that helps to ID.
👀👀 (chuckles)
👀👀 I'm in danger
Agreed, that's a terrible picture, but I'm leaning to a basic house or garden spider, nothing to get excited about. We have lots of black widows and brown recluse here, and that is not either one. You're seeing them now because you invaded their space, but they've been there quietly all along, and apparently you and the dogs weren't being savaged in your sleep or held under siege.
Unless you're sticking your hands under things or in dark places without gloves on, you're not likely to get bitten. Most of the time, spiders mind their own business and just wish you'd take your weed eater and mind yours. Spider bites truly are fairly uncommon.
If a spider does bite you, it usually isn’t a problem. That’s because most spiders’ fangs are too short to break your skin, and their venom isn’t strong enough to endanger a creature as large as a human. It is true that: The common house spider will bite if provoked. However, even then it would often take grabbing the spider, handling it, or even pressing it to the skin to get it to bite. Don't do that.
Spiders just like to get on with their lives, and most prefer weedy or hidden spaces or low traffic areas. If you've got a good many spiders, that's because they're finding lots of bugs to eat. Let them do their job. Just your having disturbed them will cause an attrition in numbers.
I was told growing up that killing spiders would make it rain. Spiders ...are believed to bring money and good luck. If one sees a spider where it could get killed, the spider should be moved to a window. If the spider gets killed in the process of moving, it will bring bad luck, and the person will suffer money loss. On the other hand, money will flourish in that person's pocket if the spider survives.
I tell Mr. BlueHorse, and he puts them in a jar and moves them outside. We have yet to see any monetary reward.
posted by BlueHorse at 6:05 PM on July 2 [5 favorites]
Unless you're sticking your hands under things or in dark places without gloves on, you're not likely to get bitten. Most of the time, spiders mind their own business and just wish you'd take your weed eater and mind yours. Spider bites truly are fairly uncommon.
If a spider does bite you, it usually isn’t a problem. That’s because most spiders’ fangs are too short to break your skin, and their venom isn’t strong enough to endanger a creature as large as a human. It is true that: The common house spider will bite if provoked. However, even then it would often take grabbing the spider, handling it, or even pressing it to the skin to get it to bite. Don't do that.
Spiders just like to get on with their lives, and most prefer weedy or hidden spaces or low traffic areas. If you've got a good many spiders, that's because they're finding lots of bugs to eat. Let them do their job. Just your having disturbed them will cause an attrition in numbers.
I was told growing up that killing spiders would make it rain. Spiders ...are believed to bring money and good luck. If one sees a spider where it could get killed, the spider should be moved to a window. If the spider gets killed in the process of moving, it will bring bad luck, and the person will suffer money loss. On the other hand, money will flourish in that person's pocket if the spider survives.
I tell Mr. BlueHorse, and he puts them in a jar and moves them outside. We have yet to see any monetary reward.
posted by BlueHorse at 6:05 PM on July 2 [5 favorites]
Response by poster: After looking at FAR too many pictures of wolf spiders 🤮 I believe I might have grass spiders. They seem like they might be friend spiders? WOW I don't like looking at spider pictures geez
On preview I grew up in a different climate and have been bitten by spiders many times and it's not an experience I care to continue into my adult life. I'm unusually tasty to bugs.
posted by phunniemee at 6:09 PM on July 2 [1 favorite]
On preview I grew up in a different climate and have been bitten by spiders many times and it's not an experience I care to continue into my adult life. I'm unusually tasty to bugs.
posted by phunniemee at 6:09 PM on July 2 [1 favorite]
I can’t tell if they’re grass spiders from the pictures, but if they are, I’ve unearthed mobs of them before while cleaning up a raised garden bed and they just scattered. There was no biting. They also like to build webs between windows and screens and they just hang out there catching bugs. They mind their own business in my experience.
posted by bananana at 6:40 PM on July 2 [2 favorites]
posted by bananana at 6:40 PM on July 2 [2 favorites]
Yeah, not a wolf spider. Probably a grass spider, keep your eye out for their funnel sheet webs to confirm. They are fast but note they run away from you if they can manage it. No harm and not likely to move in to your house, not that kind of spider. Could maybe be a parsons spider, in but everything above applies except for the sheet like webs.
posted by SaltySalticid at 5:43 AM on July 3
posted by SaltySalticid at 5:43 AM on July 3
Nthing that in general in the US the answer to "is a spider dangerous to humans?" is almost certainly no. Humans aren't a spider's prey, and they generally want to avoid tangling with one if they can help it, so a bite from one is almost always going to be out of defense. They definitely aren't going to seek out human contact, and are beneficial in keeping other insect populations down (including ones that are more of a problem for humans), so especially if they're outside, best to just let them be. I try to escort spiders outside that make it into my space, but no judgement from me if you kill a spider inside the house; there's a lot of fear instinct around the little critters that is difficult for most people to suppress.
posted by Aleyn at 1:06 PM on July 3
posted by Aleyn at 1:06 PM on July 3
Response by poster: Okay, SPIDER APOLOGISTS, look at this brand new web forming on my MOWER which I just had out YESTERDAY.
You can't tell me this isn't personal.
posted by phunniemee at 4:14 PM on July 3 [1 favorite]
You can't tell me this isn't personal.
posted by phunniemee at 4:14 PM on July 3 [1 favorite]
Well for what it’s worth, that web doesn’t look like a grass spider’s web. So it’s probably not related to your weed wacking. Spiders just spidering.
posted by bananana at 5:41 PM on July 3
posted by bananana at 5:41 PM on July 3
Response by poster: so you're saying they've formed a coalition
posted by phunniemee at 5:50 PM on July 3 [1 favorite]
posted by phunniemee at 5:50 PM on July 3 [1 favorite]
You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments
posted by Sparky Buttons at 5:10 PM on July 2