Hay Storage, Spiders, and Lighting

[KLeaphart]

@clanter so glad you pointed that out! I am in the upstate but am trying to get my ducks in a row right now so that I can get hay in a few days.

@TCA Arabians I’ve decided to name him Aragog (like the massive spider in Harry Potter).

@snowblaze Right?! I nearly leapt out of my skin when I saw him on my hay!

@allons-y to be fair, I don’t mind the web-building spiders because I know where they are/where to look for them. But this spider is definitely out to get me. I get the sense he is very intelligent and only makes his presence known when I am weaponless:lol: And luckily for him my flight instinct is much stronger than fight!

@PeteyPie I didn’t think about the light attracting bugs—glad you mentioned that! I was thinking about installing one that stayed on but now I may go with the motion activated (plus I’m pretty sure this spider is big enough to set it off!)

I’m going to clear out the inside of the shed before I get the new hay so hopefully that will encourage him to find a home elsewhere. The pest people don’t think spraying will do any good anyway since it’s so heavily wooded. Ordering a motion light and headlamp for now, then maybe adding an additional light if necessary.

[Marla_100]

The many Black Widows around my farm and barns have never ever seen an artificial light in their lives. So knock out

that theory. I even have them at times under the handles of my large muck buckets- laying eggs.

I think they’ll always be around once you have them. I need to find out what eats them, if anything.

Just checked and it seems predators of black widows are Praying Mantis, some wasps, mainly mud-daubing wasps and alligator lizards on West coast.

[KLeaphart]

@Marla 100 I’m actually having an issue with wolf spiders, but thanks! No black widows here yet but they stay under the water troughs and don’t bother me.

@RInurse Rider I like that idea too, that way I can start using it now!

[SnicklefritzG]

so Zorak can take a break from the Hunter world and come over to pest extermination…
quick! hire him before Indoors start :lol:

@Marla 100

The many Black Widows around my farm and barns have never ever seen an artificial light in their lives. So knock out

that theory. I even have them at times under the handles of my large muck buckets- laying eggs.

I think they’ll always be around once you have them. I need to find out what eats them, if anything.

Just checked and it seems predators of black widows are Praying Mantis, some wasps, mainly mud-daubing wasps and alligator lizards on West coast.

[goinghome]

Could be worse, we have tarantulas here in southern AZ. They’re actually kind of cute and I’m definitely not a fan of anything with more than six legs.