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.
HELBERG FARM STORIES 
My sister got bit by a brown recluse a few years ago. She was quite sick and in a lot of pain. She had to make several trips to the doctor. These spiders are nasty!
LikeLike
Sorry about your sister💓 i know some people get really sick from those monsters. I was lucky (thank you mom) i have a really strong immune system. Hope your sister is all ok now💓💓
LikeLike
I also have heard the daddy long legs called harvest man spiders. I knew they were hunters but I didn’t know that they hunted black widows. I hates the widows. We have these little spiders we call Jumpy spiders. We love them. They launch themselves off the walls on a thread of web to catch flies. So cool to see that.
LikeLiked by 1 person
😁we have the tiny jumpers too. My fav is the ones in the barn that look like crabs🤣🤣🤣
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t know the names of any of the spiders that move into our house, but plenty of them do. I do what I can to get them out in one functioning piece, but I’ve learned that if I leave them alone I end up with spider webs sticking to everything and the place starts to look like something out of a horror movie. On top of which, looking up at one as is works its way across the ceiling above the bed doesn’t promote a good night’s sleep. We need them in our world, but I prefer them outdoors.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Our spiders and we all have an understanding, they stay up high and they can hunt and live. Get down on our level and you die. That’s just in the house. The ones outside call the shots on who goes where. They pretty much have the upper hand out there – haha!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sounds fair to me. But then, I’m not a spider so I may see it differently than they do.
LikeLiked by 1 person