Arachnophobic don't laugh and please help!

[gooeytek]

Not really. A bit nutty. Gobs of umami taste, much like crickets and grass hoppers.

the little ones on skewers that we had in China tasted like shrimp/crab.

 

[Cajunrider]

We are home to 40+ species of scorpions in this hell hole of a state. We have a lovely little fella that can kill you here also called a bark scorpion. We actually have more people die for them than rattlesnakes.

I am not sure about the hell hole part. The parts of AZ where I have been are interesting. I spent quite a bit of time working in Phoenix and have spent time in the Grand Canyon, in Sedona etc.

"It's hot but it's dry heat."

 

[quietobserver]

Okay so I'm pulling weeds in my olives yesterday and there were loads of tiny little spiders. I was thinking, I wonder what they could be they look just like tiny black widows. Mind you there are only two things on this planet that I fear. Spiders and scorpions, literally nothing else not even death itself. However, especially black widows send me into a full-blown panic attack. (long story but anyway...). I am moving my benches to where they will be for summer and down in the cinder blocks, I found MOMMA. OMG I nearly died, I'm sure of it.

Anyway fam how do I kill spiders but not my plants? Don't give me, they are beneficial. Spiders are from the pit of hell. LOL! Like almost all plant pesticides are for things that actually hurt your plants but I want to nuke these buggers... Help!!!!

Malathion mixed on the ‘hot’ end of the spectrum in the instructions will kill everything but your trees but I suggest protecting yourself when spraying, I.e. glasses, mask, etc. Supposedly also good to water the trees and give a bit of drying time and commence with the chemical warfare in the morning or evening hours and not during hot times during the day. I’ve had good luck with this with my trees when the natural predators don’t seem to be cutting it.

 

[doc spring _work]

.... This thread makes me want to make a raft bonsai/ forest bonsai that has a tarantula has a companion animal.... Go all harry potter and have a massive spider in the forest lol

 

[Srt8madness]

Here's a fun black widow I found

 

[Cajunrider]

Here's a fun black widow I found

Here's a fun black widow I found

Was she fun before she turned into a widow or after?

 

[S.C.garden]

Brings up a point about collecting. Whilst digging an oak along a fenceline in East Texas one late winter, I grabbed a handful of leaves/duff from around the bottom of the tree. I opened my hand and there was the largest black widow I'd ever seen easily as big as a quarter. Lucky I was wearing gloves--always wear gloves when you're doing that kind of work collecting a tree.

This feller was attached to the electric bill when I pulled it out of the mailbox. It's an East Texas cockroach.
View attachment 549080

that scorpion looks gravid, they give live birth- pretty cool. i like seeing spiders on my plants, much preferred to seeing other crawlies.

 

[Srt8madness]

Was she fun before she turned into a widow or after?

She was fun after she was dead. I showed to the kiddos.

I also caught a Bold jumping spider for my wife to keep as a pet. She looks exactly like this:
(The spider, not the wife)

 

[Dabbler]

saw this monster on the wall - was the size of my palm in south eastern VA

 

[RoadManDenDron]

I feel sorry for @milehigh_7 he was looking for help and ended up with a spider overload thread!

Here's another, luckily there are no dangerous spiders in the UK