Let's Laugh: About Spiders
Let's Laugh: About Spiders
By Caroline Reid
Community contributor
At my house, spiders are not a welcome sight. I have the “bug man” out quarterly to shoo them all away. He shooed them all the last time except one lousy critter that said “good morning” to me the other day.
Sitting at the PC working away, I saw a black spot moving on the windowsill. Thinking it might have been one of those “floaters” that we all get in our eyes once in a while, I ignored it. It moved again and it had legs. Floaters don’t have legs. Or eyes. This thing had eyes, legs and a white spot on its rear end. Floaters don’t have a rear end.
My bug spray supply was totally depleted from a gigantic daddy long legs I obliterated in the garage a couple of weeks ago. All I could get my hands on for this spider attack was mosquito repellent and a spray bottle of kitchen disinfectant.
Armed with the mosquito repellent I attacked that wicked looking spider until every ounce was gone. He still staggered around my windowsill so I drowned him with kitchen disinfectant. I couldn’t be sure that did the trick because he retreated under a lock I have on my window and did not come out! I got as close as I thought was safe and decided he must have croaked. Now I’m afraid to open the window, for fear he is still lurking there, just waiting for me to see if he’s dead. He’ll jump out, attack me and my days will be numbered. I know that’s what he’s thinking!
I looked in the windowsill the other day and didn’t see a sign of him. I still haven’t touched the window lock! However, and let this be a warning to you — the combo of mosquito repellent and kitchen disinfectant takes paint off! I could not believe my eyes. The paint on my windowsill is still peeling.
My daughter, who doesn’t have any critter phobias, told me I should have grabbed a paper towel, wrapped him up and put him back in the garden where he belongs. Ewwwwww, no way! She went on to say that I might have better served nature by putting him back in his natural habitat. She’s a biologist! She looks for endangered lizards in the desert. How did I raise a biologist?
Now I feel guilty! What if I’ve upset the balance of nature? I won’t worry about it for too long, but I will worry. It’s just something I do
