If you are squeamish about spiders, I suggest you move on now!
Living on a small rural farm, we tend to get tons of spiders. The spiders and I have an understanding: You stay up on the ceiling, and you live. Come down to my level, and you die! It is working, for the most part. I recently read a new article shared by my friends at the Smithsonian…Why Should or Shoudn’t You Kill Spiders in Your Home by Joanie Faletto of Curiosity.com.
I love to share the stuff I read, especially when it includes something that I did not know before. This article explained that what I call Daddy Long Legs is actually called a Cellar Spider. The interesting part is these friends of mine (yep, I even hold them to move them to plants that need more natural protectors) kill Black Widow spiders (one of my long nemesis).
I have seen many of both. Thankfully never been bit by the Black Widow (knock-on-wood), but have been bit by the Brown Recluse – nasty monsters! Now that I know my friendly Daddy Long Legs can keep at least one of the monsters at bay, I will have to bring many more up around the house.
This is what the Recluse looks like – remember it is a very semi-small spider. No bigger than the Black Widow:
(Sometimes called the “fiddle back” spider – look close on the head area and you can see a type of fiddle) This is what the bite on my leg looked like just before I finally went to my doctor about it:
I am a tough old bird, and I have my mother’s high tolerance for pain. I tried just using peroxide as I do with most cuts, that was my downfall. According to my doctor, the peroxide and bandage did the wrong thing – kept it moist – instead of keeping it clean. When moist, it will just get worse – and it did.
This is what it looks like now:
I think, at least for now, I have decided to continue to allow the spiders in our home – within reason. Recluse beware – I will destroy any and all I find!
You can also check me out on: www.lifelessonslived.com for all the fun things I have learned in life.
