False widow spider in hive

[Hachi]

That would get two tins of Raid if it came up my drive..... end of

 

[Headnavigator]

Colleague of mine sticks any garden spiders he finds into his hives on the basis that they kill/eat wax moth larvae/caterpillars. No idea if it works but he swears by it.

 

[Hachi]

One that big would certainly sort out the earwigs

 

[Roola]

What a cool idea!

 

[garlicpickle]

I could rent her out to beeks at favourable rates?

She is also good for getting rid of unwanted cold callers.

 

[Mandeville]

Colleague of mine sticks any garden spiders he finds into his hives on the basis that they kill/eat wax moth larvae/caterpillars. No idea if it works but he swears by it.

Found a family of false widows yesterday - in a hive which had been destroyed by wax moth - horrible sight, the wax moth that is, not the spiders!

 

[BILL.HEARD]

Found a couple under some hive roofs the other day, I just leave them to feed on anything going.

 

[louiseww]

Thanks garlicpickle - I have noticed that they are not aggressive and have no trouble removing them gently from the hive roof. Perhaps I should just leave them there as you say they don't stalk prey, I don't think they should be a problem to the bees then!

 

[louiseww]

lovely, handled one of these at Longleat in July with the grandchildren!

 

[louiseww]

In the 1950s I used to beg straw from the long oblong banana boxes at the greengrocers for my rabbits and guinea pigs. I was warned about spiders and as I got older thought it was just a scare story to put the wind up a little girl, but now I know different, but never came across one fortunately, it would have scared me to death then!

 

[Excession]

I once found half a tarantula in a bunch of bananas... Scared the living wotsits out of the missus, as she only saw a couple of legs before screaming!

Me being very brave of course, investigated using a pair of chopsticks. I was greatly relieved to find it was obviously dead.

 

[HM Honey]

now that's a real spider

What a beautiful T....

Is that a flame knee garlicpickle? I used to keep them. I had a Chiilly Rose, a Red knee and a Thai Earth Tiger.... The Earth Tiger was gorgeous but far too aggressive...

I actually helped cure my cousins fear by talking him round to holding the Rose.... Lovely animals....

 

[Luminos]

I once found half a tarantula in a bunch of bananas... Scared the living wotsits out of the missus, as she only saw a couple of legs before screaming!

Me being very brave of course, investigated using a pair of chopsticks. I was greatly relieved to find it was obviously dead.

Chopsticks?
Did you eat it?

 

[garlicpickle]

What a beautiful T....

Is that a flame knee garlicpickle?

it's a chaco golden knee Grammostola pulchripes. I haven't actually got her anymore as I prefer the feistier ones

Louise, your falsies are just in the hive to get out of the cold, not to eat your bees. They are not indigenous to the UK as it can be a bit too cold for them here in winter. That's why they come into houses at this time of year, hence all the media scaremongering just now

There's also a little spider called a spitting spider (only about half an inch long) which can't survive outside in our climate, but they do well living sneakily in people's houses alongside the human occupants.

 

[HM Honey]

I haven't actually got her anymore as I prefer the feistier ones

The Thai Earth Tiger (also called the Malaysian Earth Tiger) would be perfect for you then....or an ornimental...

 

[garlicpickle]

The Thai Earth Tiger (also called the Malaysian Earth Tiger) would be perfect for you then....or an ornimental...

I have quite a few of the Indian ornamentals, beautiful Ts

 

[masterBK]

Are these edible? I saw plenty of tarantulas in Cambodia on market stalls bought by the the locals to eat.

 

[garlicpickle]

They are apparently quite tasty when deep fried although I haven't tried one myself.

 

[jd101k2000]

Saw a bee in my shed today... It went for the shut window... landed in a spiders web. Out popped a false widow, lassoed the bee a few times and dispatched it. I had been wondering what was making the super-tough web around the window. Now I know. Unfortunately, similar web covers the light switch!