Word of warning

[JamesMay]

I lived in Arizona for 10 years and can honestly say that there are very little spiders there. Ive never seen a black widow until I moved to SoCal. Arizona has a different pest problem though.. Locusts. For some reason I am fascinated by spiders and have never feared them, but I am terrified of locusts on the other hand. Me and some buddies went to the local race track one night for an event, and barely an inch of the parking lot ground was visible. The entire compound was covered in millions of locusts. I suppose it is the way they sporadically bash around when they fly that completely freaks me out.

 

[rockm]

"I am sure that Arizona, New Mex and Texas are not far behind."

My parents place in East Texas has Black widows, brown recluses, AND scorpions. I've run into all three looking for cedar elm stock on their property.

The scorpions are the worst. Not that dangerous--mostly, but they continually get into closets and shoes and like to hang out along the walls inside houses. Nice greeting when you're stumbling around in the morning and haven't had coffee. The sting will wake you up better than caffeine. My mother goes on scorpion hunts every month or two inside the house with the vaccuum cleaner. Oh, and don't get me started on the fire ants down there...I here the crazy ants are moving into that region too...

 

[Attila Soos]

Um, Okaay. You're seriously going to get high and mighty about killing a dangerous animal that wound up in a very bad place?

What are you going to do if one nests IN your bonsai pot--like inside the drain hole..

It's easy to remove any spider from your pot, just turn the pot sideways and use a jet of water. I also use a large piece of toilet paper when handling big spiders. Soft enough to catch them, but not to crush them. Then you can let them go in front of your house, and they find a new home. Actually, my favorites are the black tarantulas, I've found a few in the past. But I'd never kill them. Beautiful creatures.

I am pretty sure you can handle a spider, if you put your mind to it. Killing them is for sissies. Too easy. We are better than that.

 

[Attila Soos]

For some reason I am fascinated by spiders and have never feared them..

Same with me, I like them.

 

[milehigh_7]

I lived in Phoenix before coming here and if there are few spiders it is only because the accursed scorpion fills that predatory niche. BTW: On average more people die in Az from Bark Scorpion bites than rattle snakes. To further this joy they are only about an inch long and nearly invisible.

 

[Attila Soos]

The scorpions are the worst. Not that dangerous--mostly, but they continually get into closets ...

Funny story,
A few years ago my dog caught a scorpion, and somehow he put it into his empty food bowl. Then he sat in front of the bowl and called me by yelping for 5 minutes. I had to take the live scorpion and drive about two miles, to a trailhead, to let it go. I just couldn't get myself to kill it, it looked very cool. They are not too common here.

 

[rockm]

"It's easy to remove any spider from your pot, just turn the pot sideways and use a jet of water. I also use a large piece of toilet paper when handling big spiders. Soft enough to catch them, but not to crush them. Then you can let them go in front of your house, and they find a new home. Actually, my favorites are the black tarantulas, I've found a few in the past. But I'd never kill them. Beautiful creatures."

To pull you down off the self righteous stool, the pot weighs 150 lbs. I can't simply lift it and use the water without risking the tree. It is on a three foot tall stand. If it managed to slide off the stand I'd risk losing a $2,000 tree and a $300 pot... I sprayed underneath with a hose, but the spider retreated into the drain hole.

FWIW, I had a friend who owned a pet shop who imported all kinds of stuff back in the early 1970's, so I became pretty famliar with all kinds of exotics. Met one trucker who kept two seven foot inguanas named "shirly" and "bubba" in the sleeper cab of his truck. Tarantulas don't bother me. Had a large-red legged tarantula (not the sissy ones you're picking up with a tissue) along with assorted boas, pythons, and dozens of natives snakes when I was younger. I handled newly-collected South American tarantulas with a glove as they could be "bity."

If you lived in Texas, you'd be making daily trips to the trail head with buckets of scorpions and wishing them all dead after you're stung six or seven times putting your shoes on in the morning...

I'd LOVE to see what you'd make of fire ants...

 

[Ron Dennis]

"I can't simply lift it and use the water without risking the tree. It is on a three foot tall stand. If it managed to slide off the stand I'd risk losing a $2,000 tree and a $300 pot... I sprayed underneath with a hose, but the spider retreated into the drain hole. "

Pics of your tree please! Or if you posted it previously, which thread?

 

[rockm]

This is the tree.

 

[Attila Soos]

.... the pot weighs 150 lbs. I can't simply lift it and use the water without risking the tree. It is on a three foot tall stand. If it managed to slide off the stand I'd risk losing a $2,000 tree and a $300 pot... I sprayed underneath with a hose, but the spider retreated into the drain hole.

I'd LOVE to see what you'd make of fire ants...

Ok, you get a pass.
Ther is a point when you can only do so much...and it looks like you are not a sissy either.

Truth to be told, I do spray the ants most of the time. They are just too many. No mercy for the fire ants either.
I'm glad that I don't have to make a decision about the scorpions, but I imagine that I would cave in after the second bite. The first bite would be free, though.

 

[Smoke]

Ok, you get a pass.
Ther is a point when you can only do so much...and it looks like you are not a sissy either.

Truth to be told, I do spray the ants most of the time. They are just too many. No mercy for the fire ants either.
I'm glad that I don't have to make a decision about the scorpions, but I imagine that I would cave in after the second bite. The first bite would be free, though.

hmmm....must be something about the barbarian name.....

 

[edprocoat]

I hate spiders and kill them whenever I can, snakes too. I feel personal safety is more important than any insect or animal. I was bitten eight years ago by a brown recluse on my leg and did not think anything about it until a spot fell off my leg and left a 1 inch round hole that oozed slime like a blister. I went to a doctor a few days later as I was burning up with a fever and he asked me if I had removed a tick and I said I was bitten by something on my leg I did not see and showed him the hole, he immediately asked was it pale brown, I said it was under my pants and squished to my leg but it was sort of tan looking. He said looks like a brown recluse bite. He cleaned it out and put a medicated gauze in it, I usually heal really fast, major cuts in a few days heal over, this took weeks to stop oozing and finally healed and left a little red knot where the hole was. Nothing to mess around with.

I was moving my Bonsai into boxes to head back to Ohio and I picked up one and three little bugs ran up my arm, two disappeared and I felt one on my neck. I tried to sweep it off and it kind of held in place so I grabbed it thinking it was a spider and it was hard and I held it between my fingers as I got my reading glasses out to see it, it was an half inch long scorpion. I dropped it and stomped it.

ed

 

[Jay Wilson]

I occasionally find a black widow under my pots. I've also found snakes under 'em. I've developed a habit to only pick up pots from the sides, tilt it away from me and look underneath before I do anything.

 

[TheSteve]

I have a real phobia of spiders. Not the "ooh that's creepy" kind but the full on panic attack, hyperventilating, scream like a little girl and nearly pass out kind. I hate it but it is what it is. I've been building up anxiety just reading this. In fact, I may just start collecting state quarters or something. I keep looking in the corners of the room. thanks, guys, thanks a lot.

 

[Redwood Ryan]

So then this brings up another question, how exactly do you remove spiders from the canopies of trees that go indoors and outdoors (tropicals)? For example, I noticed some daddy long legs chillin' in the canopy of my big Ficus microcarpa. I have no problem with them being there, up until the tree has to come indoors. I guess the only thing you can do is just spray the trees down well and check the drainage holes..

 

[JamesMay]

I have a real phobia of spiders. Not the "ooh that's creepy" kind but the full on panic attack, hyperventilating, scream like a little girl and nearly pass out kind. I hate it but it is what it is. I've been building up anxiety just reading this. In fact, I may just start collecting state quarters or something. I keep looking in the corners of the room. thanks, guys, thanks a lot.

Completely understandable. Spiders can be dangerous and should be feared / respected. My problem on the other hand is with some harmless bugs. I cant stand large winged insects.. Large moths, Crane Flies, Locusts, etc. I always have a trusty broom nearby when I work on my trees to murder anything that flies by me.. lol. I know we should respect all living things and stuff, but brutally killing something you have a fear of gives you a sick sense of satisfaction

 

[JamesMay]

So then this brings up another question, how exactly do you remove spiders from the canopies of trees that go indoors and outdoors (tropicals)? For example, I noticed some daddy long legs chillin' in the canopy of my big Ficus microcarpa. I have no problem with them being there, up until the tree has to come indoors. I guess the only thing you can do is just spray the trees down well and check the drainage holes..

I spend a good 10 minutes going through a tree with tweezers before Ill bring it in my house. After that and a good rinse there are usually no bugs left.

 

[Smoke]

I have black widows occasionally just brush them off. Been bitten twice, under houses. Not allergic to poisen oak either.

Still battling those huge spider mites though. Saw one last week standing flatfooted screwin that chicken with the toilet plunger and the jar of peanut butter. Spider mites...just the sound of them gives me the willies.

Hey...I'm gonna get a jar with a Fresno spider mite and a black widow and see which one wins. The victor gets to duel a praying mantis! When I'm done I'm gonna fry it with a magnifying glass!

 

[milehigh_7]

I have a real phobia of spiders. Not the "ooh that's creepy" kind but the full on panic attack, hyperventilating, scream like a little girl and nearly pass out kind. I hate it but it is what it is. I've been building up anxiety just reading this. In fact, I may just start collecting state quarters or something. I keep looking in the corners of the room. thanks, guys, thanks a lot.

Yup me too...

 

[milehigh_7]

I have black widows occasionally just brush them off. Been bitten twice, under houses. Not allergic to poisen oak either.

Still battling those huge spider mites though. Saw one last week standing flatfooted screwin that chicken with the toilet plunger and the jar of peanut butter. Spider mites...just the sound of them gives me the willies.

Hey...I'm gonna get a jar with a Fresno spider mite and a black widow and see which one wins. The victor gets to duel a praying mantis! When I'm done I'm gonna fry it with a magnifying glass!

Get yourself a nice batch of Crazy Ants and I can tell you who the winner will be...