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We have a black widow who has taken up residence with her egg sack on my front porch. Normally we let spiders, lizards, birds, frogs, etc... live in peace on our property but this little gal could cause problems. What is an effective means of getting rid of them? My husband has a weak immune system and can't risk a bite.
Catch her and the egg sack in a jar and move her somewhere else. You want to keep your Karma in good shape!
When it comes to Black Widows, Brown recluses and Hobos, we are pretty ruthless as they are very very dangerous. Female Black Widows are the venomous ones: more potent than a rattlesnake. So we kill them, I'd rather not take any chances myself. Espeically since we have family members that are highly sensitive to bites.
Irulan- How do you kill them? In addition to the weak immune system my husband is very bite sensitive. I want that little spider gone!
Not to be indelicate, but I usually squash them. With something long. Then drown the egg case (completely submerge for a while). You can also get a spray if you prefer (not sure which one works, as I haven't bought one for a while). And yes - I leave "nice" spiders along. But if it will bite me, it goes.
my hubby, who is the one that will end up with a bad reaction, just smooshes them, or sprays them. I with you in letting most things be, but all one has to do is google spider bites/images and you'll see why this is one area we don't have much compassion in.
A vacuum cleaner works pretty well too, this negates the "jumping" hazard.
As the one who deals with spiders and snakes at our house, I'd say spray it, then clean up the remains.
I love spiders. But, when they are in a place that threatens humans. something must be done. It is ok, but I appreciate how you feel.
I volunteer at a facility that is open to the public, and I was the black widow specialist. I dispatched them by squishing, when necessary. I wasn't frightened by them. I did wish them well and hoped what is beyond this existence is good for them. We all spend a limited time on this earth.
With egg sacks (found in my garage), I put them in a container and poured boiling water on them. Little environmental impact, and it takes care of the problem.
It is great you care so much. Some of you may think I'm nutty. That is ok. It won't be the first time.
I think we're all a little nutty in our own ways:)Quote:
Originally Posted by Boise Birder
That must have been a cool job!
CA
Quote:
Originally Posted by Boise Birder
I wouldn't have considered the boiling water...I like that!
Where is it? I'll come and get it! :D:D:D
We went camping a few years ago and while unloading the truck of firewood when we got home (before the Emerald Ash Borer thing), we realized we had a stowaway. I gently coaxed her into a jar with a lid and promptly headed off to Petsmart to get her more suitable living quarters. I bought her some crickets and a little waterer. She lived with me for quite awhile and then I let her go far enough away from the house after the novelty wore off. She was pretty neat to watch.
But then again, I have these fantastic insect, butterfly, and bird books where I look up everything I see. Hmmm... me thinks I'm in the wrong field and I need to go back to school for entomology or something!
We smoosh them with a rubber mallet.
I'm a bit more sinister -- I poke at her for a while with something long enough to feel safe with and get her mad -- THEN I squash her, spray her, etc. Sounds mean, but it's mainly that I'm curious about how they act when they're pissed off. Ah, the wonders of nature. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Jones
Yea, I'm with others -- anything that threatens my family by being poisonous, it's a gonner before it even gets close. Survival of the biggest.
~BikeMomma
:eek:shoestomp STOMP
Ian is an arachnophobe & I get to thwack the Redbacks & Whitetails..:rolleyes:
Now, if there was a Huntsman spider :eek: it would be batshoe spraySTOMP Either that or i'd find a vacuum..then again Huntsmans are pretty big & might not fit up the hose..
Spiders are fine, just not in my house. I am happy to watch them outside on our fence :D
I kill the poisonous one's, don't like them one bit. The rest get relocated outside to a new habitat. I've caught snakes and lizards lots of times(non poisonous of course) and released, no harm. I did rescue a toad from my kitten the other day. poor thing. Jenn
Toads excrete a poison that can make animals sick if they lick or pick them up.
We had a dog who went after toads. Picked them up in his mouth, didn't hurt them, dropped them, barfed his guts out all night long, ok in the morning.
Anyone out there remember the LA Law segment on the Australian toads???
Previous poster on keeping black widow in a terrarium. I would do it if it could be done safely. The biology department had one when I was in school. It was really interesting. Just another being trying to make its way on this earth.
Well since we had limited time to take care of the issue we went the easy route. Sprayed her down (she didn't like it) then once she was weak knocked her down with a rake and squished her. I felt bad to watch her squirm and with but those are bad critters. We also soaked the egg sack with poison.
we have a lot of black widows around our area. I have a terrible reaction to spider bites (I wrote bikes instead of bites first, must miss home). I have scars from bites and have had these nodules removed by my doctor. And I swell. It is not good. Yet I still try and put them outside or in another part of the yard. But I have been known to step on them. Guess it depends on what kind of day I am having.
OMG..Cane Toads :eek::mad:
If they can kill a croc & other poor creatures..think about what they'll do to your dog :eek:
Another good reason to help the cane toad hunt in NW Western Australia! Need an interesting holiday?
Same here Brandi, I'm nursing yet another one right now. :( Hot compresses 4-5 times a day and off to get an antibiotic script from my doc today. I'm going to have another lovely scar.Quote:
Originally Posted by Brandi
It's so strange. I have had about 4 major reactions in my life from spider bites and each time I have some type of scar I have to have frozen off. Mainly because of where they are. 3 on my arm and 1 on my leg. The arm one's just bugged me. And the leg one I kept cutting when shaving. I get stung by a wasp or bee and nothing but pain happens maybe slight swelling. But spider! Watch out! Mass swelling and itchy! Oh so itchy!Quote:
Originally Posted by Pax
Vacuuming them does not necessarily kill them. They can live in the vacuum and may be able to get out.
I figure if it can kill me, I should kill it first, given the chance.
Hubby has appointed me to the task. I'd rather err on the side of caution and squish them to smithereens. We have too many brown recluse spiders around here as it is and I don't want to add a black widow bite to the list. Brown recluses are bad enough. :eek:
The kitten is fine, he was just tapping at it with his foot. I happened to see it before it became a toy or snack. JennQuote:
Originally Posted by Boise Birder
If you don't even want to risk touching it or letting it escape, I'd spray it! Grab some Raid or something and just soak it...then get rid of it ;)
I don't think we have those poisonous toads in Arkansas. (The ones that Crazy Canuck has down under!) But I have seen my dogs start foaming at the mouth after picking up the tiniest of toads. It's pretty gross.
Where do ya'll go to get so many spider bites?? I don't believe I've ever been bit by a nasty spider (occasional tiny spider bites from the middle of the night, probably).
My son had a spider bite on his hand when he was young. Musta been a brown recluse. It left a scar--the scar looks like someone burnt him with a cigarette!
We smush spiders.
Karen
EEEEKKK!:eek: That is scary, I'd be soo freaked out if I were you...:( I hope you get her though , get her good and away from your family.
By the way...I'm new here :D Hello everyone