The good reason I didn't squash this thing is because 1st my friends always say pics or it didn't happen, 2nd I was scared it might grab my foot and slam me around. Ok a little background on this beast of a thing. I've only lived in my house for 2 months now. Back when I was fixing my dryer vent I saw a spider as big as a 2x4 I wasn't able to squish it as it was tucked behind my water heater in tight quarters a sprayed it with brake parts cleaner (have had good results in the past) and it ran away I wasn't able to locate it I hoped it crawled in a hole and died. Fast forward to today, I'm having an ant issue so I figured I would home defense my whole house including the furnace room, well I open the door and there it is again. This time in off to the side out in the open. So I commence hosing the sucker down with home defense (it kills spiders right? I say not) this wasn't working so I grab my brake parts cleaner and use about a 1/3 to 1/2 a can on this sucker, all while he's doing the slow death walk towards me:eek6:. After he stopped and twitched on the floor for about 10 mins I bagged him up (using a shovel can't be to careful) for photo time. Well after my long story if you're still with me, I believe it is a wolf spider. Judging by google photos what do you guys think?
Ok.. I've got the creeps now.. I really hope you have tiny tiny hands cause spiders shouldn't be that big :wink:
Pic with a ruler, don't ask why I'm keeping it around. Once they're dead I don't mind playing with them for a little bit.
AAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...ya, buddy, it was a wolfie and a big un, too! WTG...they bite mean!
yes, but they don't bite people...and they're really tough on cockroaches, ants and other bugs, so too bad you couldn't just learn to live with him...... People are scared of black snakes too, yet they eat mice and rats like crazy - so they're good to have around, and they don't bite people either.
Actually, you eliminated a valuable ally against other undesirable spiders. Wolf spiders are the good guys. Kinda like having a bull snake in the barn, minimizes the rodentia, so the wolf spider will go after nasties like the brown recluse.
Nope I can't live with him, he's was in a secluded area. My fear is if more started showing up, little spiders that look harmless I leave alone. But when they get this big they gotta go. I'm also trying to deal with a handful of black widows. Those I don't play with and go for kill strikes when I see them, although they tend to stay put in corners so they aren't that bad. Free roaming beasts are no fun to have in the house.
How far out in the woods do you live?!? Not trying to be funny or joke on you, but I'm in a major city, and your spider issues (wolf, BW) would cause folks here to call a professional exterminator (or a moving truck )
Lets just put it this way, when you hear the banjos turn around and go back a mile and you're at my house. I'm in the sticks, but I like it that way. Maybe I should have left him alive but I really don't know if I could sleep at night knowing I let him go. Or if I ever need to do something to my water heater, furnace, or electrical panel I'd hate knowing it was there somewhere.
I think I would just burn the house down call it a total loss....Way to big of a spider to go back inside for me
Wolf spiders are excellent household predators. Keep it, or if you must dispose of it (which I don't recommend) place it in a terrarium with a common wasp: it's mortal enemy and watch a Japanese movie style creature deathmatch. I did this once as a kid. Result: Spider won early, but was mortally wounded and expired several days later.
I guess next time I encounter one I may think before I kill it. Depends where I see it. Although I don't know if I could sleep well at night knowing what's lurking around the basement.
You're not hearing us, it's not interested in you.......it only wants to eat the other crawley things that are in your house, it's your buddy - your own personal bug extermination company!
I'm hearing you, unfortunately for this one I already killed it before I posted this thread. He's not alive in the bag (i didnt want to touch it directly) As for future ones I may try to catch and release, but I will not be leaving it in my house. Personal exterminator or not, I would rather not have it walking by me. I am not a fan of spiders at all, even knowing what they are good for. To me a good spider is a dead spider.