Tarantulas!!

[Francie]

Then he said he broke two legs and told him if he came back he would break three more. He was kidding but it was funny the way he told the story. We really do value the "good bugs" we have out in the country. If it weren't for those, we'd be overtaken by the "bad bugs" BUT tarantulas are still creepy!![/QUOTE]



LOL.....you husband is a Hoot!


Francie

[TatumsMom]

Originally Posted by simonandhallie

My old roomie Joe and I had a pet tarantula, his name was Dexter! We used to let him crawl around on the couch with us. He was very calm.

I've heard about people having them for pets. One of the things that bother me is that they can and will bite although unless you are particularly allergic to the venom, it's not deadly. I'm just not sure I'd like the feeling of being bit. And then something else I read is that the hair on their bodies can cause itching and they defend themselves with it at times. Here's an interesting thing I read last night when I had to double check my knowledge about the poisonous aspect....

Tarantulas have small brains (but large for arthropods) and may react in unexpected ways to whatever they perceive as being a threatening situation for people not highly experienced with them. Tarantulas, especially the ground-dwellers, can easily be killed by even a short fall; they can be very fragile. The arboreals are far less likely to be injured by a fall, but they tend to be very fast and can easily escape and be difficult to recapture. Furthermore, tarantulas possess venom. There is no scientific evidence that any of their venoms are lethal, but bites from some species can be painful and cause unpleasant symptoms. Some people may be harmfully allergic to certain venoms. If you are bitten and have trouble breathing, see a doctor. Most tarantulas from North, South, and Central America have urticating (itch-causing) hairs on their abdomens. They can kick these in the air or in some cases press them into an "intruder." This may cause bald spots on the abdomen, which is nothing to worry about. However, these hairs can cause rashes and occasionally bad eye inflammations in humans. Keep your face away from your spiders and wash your hands after any contact with their bodies or cage bedding. Benadryl may help with rashes.

[Francie]

Originally Posted by rrosenberry

EWWWW! I would freak out! I don't know how you do it.
Saw this show not too long ago about these people who have all these scorpions and they have to do all this stuff to their houses to keep em out, yet they still get in.... EWWWW, I would MOVE!! I'd be on edge 24/7.

Nudges Rhonda.....ok...Texas is definitely OUT for Vacation...-


Francie

[TatumsMom]

Originally Posted by Francie

Then he said he broke two legs and told him if he came back he would break three more. He was kidding but it was funny the way he told the story. We really do value the "good bugs" we have out in the country. If it weren't for those, we'd be overtaken by the "bad bugs" BUT tarantulas are still creepy!!

LOL.....you husband is a Hoot!


Francie[/QUOTE]

Oh yes..... he was using his best "mob boss" voice when he told the story too! He IS a hoot and kids (and adults) love him! In fact.... a little off subject on my own thread but I was reading my 10 year old daughter's Writing folder and she wrote a story about why she loved her dad.... two of the main reasons - he's funny and he does cartwheels! Reason she loves her mom.... she feeds me, takes care of the house, keeps me safe! Hmmm, maybe I need to play with spiders and do cartwheels so that I can be the "fun one" too!

[dianne]

Wow we dont have tarantulas in my country but could you post a pick of it in your garden?

[DianaB]

Originally Posted by TatumsMom

You poor thing... to have to be the butt of the jokes in the family. It's okay, we all have those things that even our lovely family can't let go!!

You know what, I don't know what a mud-dobber is really. They are called that because they build little hut looking "nests" out of mud. Usually on an outside wall of your house or inside an old tire or box laying around. I'm sure there is a more official name for them..... anyone?? A little help??

We call them mud-dobbers here too. They're wasps that make a little nest out of mud. I have them in the corners of the windows outside, but they'll make a nest about anywhere. We used to have them in our attic when we lived in an old house. They take little bits of mud and just keep adding to it until they get what they want built. Then they'll lay an egg in side of a little hole and add a dead bug then they seal it up. When the baby wasp is growing it will eat the dead bug and later on it will hatch out. In other parts of the country it's called a dirt-dobber.

[TatumsMom]

Originally Posted by DianaB

We call them mud-dobbers here too. They're wasps that make a little nest out of mud. I have them in the corners of the windows outside, but they'll make a nest about anywhere. We used to have them in our attic when we lived in an old house. They take little bits of mud and just keep adding to it until they get what they want built. Then they'll lay an egg in side of a little hole and add a dead bug then they seal it up. When the baby wasp is growing it will eat the dead bug and later on it will hatch out. In other parts of the country it's called a dirt-dobber.

So if they are actually WASPS, why does my husband say that they won't sting like wasps and bees??? I'd love to prove him wrong.... guess I'll have to do a little internet search.

[rrosenberry]

Originally Posted by Francie

Nudges Rhonda.....ok...Texas is definitely OUT for Vacation...-


Francie

Already thought about that...

[TatumsMom]

I actually found a really good short overview on the mud dauber (correct spelling according to this site) in case anyone is interested...

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I understand that mud daubers (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae) can be a nuisance putting their mud nests in unwanted places. However, they are providing beneficial service by eliminating many spiders (especially black widows). While they are very resourceful in finding available mud, they are much more active where mud is abundant. If you live along the river there is little you can do, but if you eliminate mud puddles caused by leaking pipes and etc, you will reduce the mud dauber activity. This Iowa State University web site is the most informative of the references that I found:

http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/iiin/bmuddaub.html

This is what it has to say: "Mud daubers are solitary wasps that construct small nests of mud in or around homes, sheds, and barns and under open structures, bridges and similar sites. Several species exist in Iowa. These wasps are long and slender with a narrow, thread-like waist. Some are a solid steel blue or black but others have additional yellow markings.

This wasp group is named for the nests that are made from mud collected by the females. Mud is rolled into a ball, carried to the nest and molded into place with the wasp's mandibles. There are three different wasps that practice this behavior. The black and yellow mud dauber builds a series of cylindrical cells that are eventually plastered over with mud to form a smooth mud nest about the size of a fist. The organ-pipe mud dauber, a more robust, black species, builds cylindrical tubes resembling pipe-organ pipes. The third species is a beautiful metallic-blue wasp with blue wings. This one does not build its own mud nest but instead uses the abandoned nests of the black and yellow mud dauber.

After completing the mud nest the female captures several insects or spiders to provision the cells. Prey are stung and paralyzed before being placed in the nest. A single egg is deposited on the prey within each cell, and the cell sealed with mud. After the wasp has finished a series of cells, she departs and does not return. The larvae that hatch from the eggs feed on the prey items left by the adult wasp. New adult wasps emerge to start the process over again.
Wasps usually evoke a great deal of anxiety or fear. However, solitary wasps such as the mud daubers do not defend their nest the way social wasps such as hornets and yellow jackets do. Mud daubers are very unlikely to sting, even when thoroughly aroused. They may sting if mishandled.
Control of these insects is not warranted since they normally pose little threat. Rather, mud daubers should be regarded as beneficial, since they remove and use as prey many species of spiders which most people find disagreeable. The mud nests can be scraped off and discarded at night if they are objectionable, or wasp and hornet aerosol sprays can be used to treat nests if desired. There is no proven method that is effective in discouraging wasps from building nests in sheltered or protected areas. Prompt and frequent removal of nests is suggested in areas favored by the wasps."

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I guess my husband is right about this one..... although I don't usually stick around to figure out if what is buzzing around me is a red wasp (that DOES sting and it's painful!) or a mud dauber.