Killing spiders... ok or not?

[Sammi]

So do you think it is ok to kill spiders?

And don't you just hate it when women freak out every time they see one, and automaticly assume that a male will take care of it?

[ComplexNumber]

i don't like to see any creature get killed. but in certain circumstances and if the spider is dangerous, then it is perhaps ok as a last resort.

some blokes freak out when they see a spider. its not just women. mainly women, though

[hizaguchi]

We have a rule about this in my house. All spiders (excluding black widows and brown recluses) are welcome as long as they immediately spin a web and start catching other bugs. If I see one in a web, no matter how gigantic and carcass-filled the web is, I let it live. If I see one running across the floor or hanging out in the bathroom or otherwise not doing it's job, I kill it as an example to the others.

[Brunellus]

wolf spiders also catch bugs, dude. Non-threatening spiders are not a problem with me, but then, I grew up in houses that also had lizards crawling on the walls.

People freak out too much about small critters.

[Lord Illidan]

Amen to that.

My sisters freak out over a few ants running on the floor. My mum is also scared of spiders.

I don't kill them except when they are in the house. Outside, spiders can do some good.

[Tomosaur]

I have no idea about spiders, I just go by the 'Is it in my way?' rule. If it's coming at me fast, it's gonna die. If it's in my bed, it's gonna die. If it's not where it's going to bother me, it's fine.

I'd probably let more live if I knew which ones can/will bite me, but I don't, so in my book, if they look big enough to bite, they're fair game.

[aysiu]

My wife freaks out about spiders, but I freak about mice, so we're even. No need to reinforce gender stereotypes.

[Piggah]

Well, I'm arachnophobic, so when I see a spider I usually leave the room as quickly as possible and have someone else deal with it. If no one is there to deal with it, I just stay out of the room until I'm sure it's gone. That may be days, but it's better than being near a spider. I really can't stand to be near them at all. I'll go into a panic attack if one gets on me.


Don't like the spiders. :(

[TravisNewman]

spiders don't bother me, except for wolf spiders. Those things give me the willies. I was housesitting once and there was a wolf spider on the washing machine in the basement. I got a 2x4, smacked the crap out of it, it just fell and ran under the washing machine. I saw it later behind the washer and hit it about 10 times with the 2x4 before it died. Something that invincible shouldn't be allowed to exist :)

[G Morgan]

spiders don't bother me, except for wolf spiders. Those things give me the willies. I was housesitting once and there was a wolf spider on the washing machine in the basement. I got a 2x4, smacked the crap out of it, it just fell and ran under the washing machine. I saw it later behind the washer and hit it about 10 times with the 2x4 before it died. Something that invincible shouldn't be allowed to exist :)

Fortunately nothing like that exists in the UK. High taxes, crippling level of government inteference and huge un-accountable civil services but no invincible spiders.

I see nothing wrong with killing spiders but don't see why you'd want to. It's not as if they are going to eat your head or something. If they are dangerous where you live them please toast them with a blowtorch or whatever other method springs to mind.

[djsroknrol]

Out my way, they are very benificial and they generally get scooped up and sent back outside

I've heard that the most dangerous spider is the "daddy long legs" varity..more dangerous than a "black widow". Because of it's jaw structure, it can't inflict a harmful enough bite...verification hopefully not comming soon...:D

[confused57]

Out my way, they are very benificial and they generally get scooped up and sent back outside

I've heard that the most dangerous spider is the "daddy long legs" varity..more dangerous than a "black widow". Because of it's jaw structure, it can't inflict a harmful enough bite...verification hopefully not comming soon...:D

I don't think the "daddy long legs" is actually a spider, they're harmless.
Anyhow, I don't permit spiders in my house...I would if they didn't bite.

[nalmeth]

I tend not to, because:
1. Spiders are friendly (for the most part), and cool
2. They kill all the other gross and nasty bugs

But I still voted yes.

My house is not a hang out and rec center for all the neighbor hood spiders.

I've been dealing with some sort of infestation of those daddy long leg spiders. They're totally harmless, but holy crap, I can't believe how many I've had to kill.

[nalmeth]

I'm pretty sure its a myth. I've eaten those spiders before (a long time ago :p ), and nothing harmful came about. I know it would change the reaction of the venom by ingesting it, but I still don't believe their venom (of course the DO HAVE venom) is harmful to humans.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daddy_long-legs_spider

Scroll down to the venom part

I should add that in my neighborhood all the spiders are friendly. Just outside of town, there are very UNFRIENDLY spiders, including the black widow.

I know 2 people personally (and quite well) that had to be taken to hospital and treated.

The most recent was my buddy, who was working at a golf course.

He felt a bite on the back of his leg, and quickly passed right out.

THey took him to the hospital, and thought he had a brain tumor, and started running all sorts of tests on him. He then pointed out the huge bruised area on the back of his leg, and they even ran a spinal tap on him.

I WOULD NOT tolerate spiders if I lived far enough from Calgary.

[tastefulasever]

The harvestmen that many of us refer to as "daddy long-legs" are actually opiliones, not spiders. However there is a "daddy long-legs spider" that is a true spider, also called a house spider or a granddaddy long-legs spider. Harvestmen are not poisonous, and the daddy long-legs spider is not known to be deadly. Thank you Wikipedia.

Also, I kill spiders in my house (though if I'm having a softer day I may take the time to escort them outside), but live and let live outdoors. If you catch a spider crawling on you, I think it is okay to consider that attempted assault and to deal accordingly (you know, file charges, restraining orders, the works).

[cstudent]

I let 'em live if I can catch them and sit them outside. My favorite spider is the Grandaddy longlegs. They always remind me of an old Johnny Quest episode.

[nalmeth]

@ panickedthumb
Those wolf spiders are freakin crazy. I haven't seen any here in alberta, but they are quite populous in BC.

They are REALLY COOL the way they hunt their prey, but I don't want a damn thing to do with them.

:lol:

[futz]

I love spiders, especially jumping spiders. I don't particularly want them "on" me, but near me is fine. They're cool as hell when you study them closely. All houses should have some predators (spideys :p ) to keep the pest bug populations down.

Interesting link - Vietnamese spiders
http://www.richard-seaman.com/Insects/Vietnam/Spiders/Highlights/index.html

[richbarna]

Pick 'em up and chuck 'em outside. My wife absolutely freaks when she sees a spider, but then I run when I see a large moth. I hate moths, they come straight for you, and we all know that they are trying to fly up your nose so that they can lay eggs in your head and then eat their way out of your eye sockets.

Is there a moth-eating spider?

I'd gladly keep one as a pet :)

[fuscia]

a former student of mine is afraid of spiders. i suggested that she give them cute names and that might help her. she tried, but it didn't work.

[djsroknrol]

Thanks Wikipedia for busting that myth..:^o

One spider I have only seen once here, and with all the time I've lived here, I would have thought I would have seen more of, are tarantulas...

[DirtDawg]

Goddamned nasty spiders. I grew up in a basement bedroom infested with wolf spiders. I hate wolf spiders. They used to bite me at night as I slept.

Nowadays, I'm a little more at peace. If the spider's inside, it's taking a crap-shot with its life (depending on my mood). In the place we live now, we have another critter called a house centipede (http://bugguide.net/node/view/5590), which I beleive wars with the spiders. They don't bite people, but eat other nasty bugs. I let them live until 3" or so, then they're too nasty to live.

All in all, I voted yes.

[Iandefor]

I really try not to when I remember... but I have arachnophobia, and, oftimes, I wind up going "OMG! SPIDER!" and that's the end of another adorable, fuzzy, octopedal octoculist.

[Christmas]

I have arahnophobia so I really don't like not only spiders, but bugs in general. In the house if I see one I have to kill it, I don't feel well if I know there's a spider on the lose in my house. However outside I never touch them as I don't like killing animals just for fun.

[Anduu]

Depends on the spider.

I once spotted a monster crawling across the coffee table so I dropped the remote on him...he crawled out from under it and went on his merry way :shock:

[apollo1900]

Yeah, If it looks like an eminent threat, than it will die, but if it's in the corner making a web, then no.

[woedend]

heck yeah its ok. Me spiders get me...im not "phobic" i just hate the damn things because i cant see them. With my bad vision and being 6'5 im sure to squish em before trying to identify them. I have no problem killing insects...or animals, but only if i'm going to eat them or if they are eating your crops.

[RAV TUX]

I think it's only ok to kill spiders when your going to eat them

(I don't eat them so I don't kill them, but I know in Cambodia they have a spider eating festival and you wash your spiders down with spider infused drink)

[arsenic23]

House centipede huh? Interesting. I've always thought those things were silverfish, but now that I've looked it up it would seem I've never even seen a silverfish.

But anyway.... personally I love spiders, I have spiderwebs all over my porches that I knock down whenever they get dirty. The next morning there is a fresh web there, and I get free bug controll without having one of those annouying bug-zappers. I do wish I had spiders mean enough to kill millipedes though. God I hate millipedes. They just smell so awfull when they're dead and tend to lurk in my parents laundry machine. Luckly I have none of the little suckers in my basement. But I guess I'd need sipders with like, Gamma radiation induced super powers to go after those damn milipedes.

[Bezmotivnik]

Around here, the spiders are the least dangerous insects, though those cobwebs are a terrific mess.

The mosquitos are carrying West Nile virus, so I figure encouraging spiders is a smart move. Could possibly save my life.

[carl13]

I see nothing wrong with killing spiders. If a spider (or any other bug) is in my house, I will kill it. It's not that I don't like them, I just don't want them in my house. Outside of my house, they can do what they want and I will leave them alone.

If killing spiders presents an ethical dilemma for you, pat yourself on the back because you must be pretty decent person. :D

[sethmahoney]

I've seen more men freak out about spiders than women...

[RAV TUX]

This spider is pretty cool looking:

http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/1894/araneustitleys5.jpg

[RAV TUX]

In Cambodia Spiders are a delicacy:

fried spiders & gum?
http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/4599/1964friedspidersandgumue3.jpg

[sabredog]

Here in Australia, we have some seriously nasty spiders.

In the eastern states are Funnelwebs which are the most poisonous in the world. Nasty things!

Luckily over on the west coast, we just have Redbacks and White Tails, which although quite poisonous are not as nasty as Funnelwebs!

Any spider that is a threat to the family is terminated without trial.

[bobbybobington]

i dont really mind spiders as much as centipedes (shudders)

[WildTangent]

Depends really on my mood, whether or not it's in my way, and the time of day. During daytime, I'll either leave it where it is, or I'll get a piece of paper and see if I can coax is onto it so I can release it outside. At night...assuming I spot it, It usually ends up getting squished. Anything larger than my pinky fingernail gets killed, no matter what time of day it is...they give me the creeps. Don't get me started on those damn centipedes, they're one of the few bugs I fear. Big spiders bother me, centipedes scare me :shock:

-Wild

[graabein]

I usually kill them when they're inside. My girlfriend is afraid of spiders so I sort of have to do it. And besides I honestly don't want spider webs inside either. Kind of gives away the impression of being a clean house you know.

Where I live we don't have problems with bugs at all. I leave everything alone outside my house and when bees and flies get trapped inside I lead them out through a window. Spiders usually gets it though. Maybe I should try to scoop them out on the porch next time. There are lots of webs in the back yard and they look really cool.

[adam.tropics]

Here in Australia, we have some seriously nasty spiders.

In the eastern states are Funnelwebs which are the most poisonous in the world. Nasty things!

Luckily over on the west coast, we just have Redbacks and White Tails, which although quite poisonous are not as nasty as Funnelwebs!

Any spider that is a threat to the family is terminated without trial.

Seconded. Funnel webs are not good. Plus living in a place where some spiders, rather than escaping from a human threat, jump (yes, jump) right toward it, makes the idea of killing them wholly acceptable. We have kids. That said, spiders are probably the least overall worrying of the critters that thrive here. Between snakes, crocs, spiders, sharks, stingers, and such like, you develop a healthy respect for the environment around you. Wouldn't live anywhere else though.

[asimon]

There is also the forgotten option to not kill them and just take them (just enclose your hand around them, they usually won't bite) and let them free in the outside. Or have some cats ... they love spiders, especially the big crunshy ones.

I think I would only opt to quickly kill them instead of setting them outside if they are highly poisonous and a threat for humans or the cats. But such spiders don't exist where I live.

[Kvark]

If it's a mosquito or blood sucking fly I'll try to kill it no matter where I run into it but those flies have way too fast reflexes. I just don't like being the prey and gotta fight back. I never kill non blood sucking bugs outside my home. In my home I escort the cute ones out and kill the rest. It's my territory. Spiders are in the cute group specially the funny jumping ones that actively hunt flies instead of spinning a web and wait.

The only dangerous bugs we have here are bees, wasps and ticks. Ticks are the only bugs I hate cause they stick on you for days and give you diseases if you don't discover and remove them the first day.

[Malac]

Well, I voted No.
Living in Britain we don't have any deadly spiders so they can do me no harm therefore I just pick them up and put them outside in the garden or shed.

Even if they were deadly I would probably try to catch them in something then release them somewhere safe. (This is probably what they advise you not to do) :)

[Kernel Sanders]

Any bug in any form in my house gets wasted by me....

I'm afraid/worried by every single one I find.... *shudders*

[tseliot]

According to Oscar Wilde killing spiders is bad luck.

I kill them if they get in my way though. ;)

[Teroedni]

I norway we have only very small Spiders anyway, so their pretty harmless here:)

I Find Spiders to be cool and would really want a big non poisonend spider one time as a pet:cool:

Anyone want to send a spider to Norway;)

[hizaguchi]

wolf spiders also catch bugs, dude. Non-threatening spiders are not a problem with me, but then, I grew up in houses that also had lizards crawling on the walls.

People freak out too much about small critters.
They stay on the floor too much, so my dogs usually eat them. We used to have a whole colony of em when I lived with my parents though. Those were the only spiders we ever had big enough to move stuff out of their way instead of crawling over it. I'll never forget playing video games one night and seeing one lift up the bed skirt and look around the room.:D

[mips]

All life is precious and all creatures have a purpose. But if an insect might pose a danger to you I suppose it is ok to kill it.

One thing I cannot stand are cockroaches but what feaks me out even more is that crunchy sound when you stomp them :-&

[Footissimo]

Not a big fan of spiders, but after living in a shared house with two arachnaphobes, I've had to go through what was effectively a forced exposure program...and ever since, I've been OK with picking the little critters up and chucking them out...well with a glass for the huge* ones.

* I am a Brit, so huge means..any where near an inch and about as vicious as a angry fairy cake *puts on big girl's blouse*

[BWF89]

I was looking up daddy long legs on Wikipedia and aparently insect everyone calls a daddy long legs where I live isn't the same as what Wikipedia says it is. Our daddy long legs aren't actually spiders.

[mips]

I was looking up daddy long legs on Wikipedia and aparently insect everyone calls a daddy long legs where I live isn't the same as what Wikipedia says it is. Our daddy long legs aren't actually spiders.

Well what we call a daddy long legs is the same thing as on wikipedia.

So what do you have, got a pic ?

[BugenhagenXIII]

I voted no. I'll always do my best to get them outside. If they're not cooperating, they give me little choice.

Wasps/bees/hornets, on the other hand, I will attempt to kill immediately. After my attempts to destroy only succeed to **** them off, I'll run around like a little girl, begging whoever is around to kill it. I don't think I've ever killed a wasp, because I'm to afraid to get that close to them.

[mips]

I voted no. I'll always do my best to get them outside. If they're not cooperating, they give me little choice.

Wasps/bees/hornets, on the other hand, I will attempt to kill immediately. After my attempts to destroy only succeed to **** them off, I'll run around like a little girl, begging whoever is around to kill it. I don't think I've ever killed a wasp, because I'm to afraid to get that close to them.

Bees I kill immediately if they come close to me. I'm highly allergic to their toxins (and some other critters like bluebottles etc) so I strike first. Wasp stings hurt a lot more though but at least i'm not allergic

[chadk]

I used to kill every spider I ever saw, even if it meant going out of my way and stalking it for an hour. Now, I let spiders live if they're OUTSIDE my house. There is no quarter given for spiders inside my walls. Once they come into my home and make themselves known, I will seperate them from their lives.

[RAV TUX]

Well what we call a daddy long legs is the same thing as on wikipedia.

So what do you have, got a pic ?

Here is a pic of the Daddy Long Legs I am used to:

http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/2199/leiobunum1ph0.jpg

http://www.uky.edu/Ag/CritterFiles/casefile/relatives/daddy/daddy.htm

TAXONOMY KINGDOM: Animalia | PHYLUM: Arthropoda | CLASS: Arachnida | ORDER: Opiliones (harvestmen)
Other Names: Kentucky Harvestmen, opilionids, shepherd spiders, granddaddy-long-legs, reapers



WHAT IS A HARVESTMEN?
Harvestmen are members of the class Arachnida, which also includes spiders (http://www.uky.edu/Ag/CritterFiles/casefile/spiders/spiderfile.htm), scorpions (http://www.uky.edu/Ag/CritterFiles/casefile/relatives/scorpions/scorpion.htm), and mites (http://www.uky.edu/Ag/CritterFiles/casefile/relatives/mites/mites.htm). Like all arachnids, harvestmen have 4 pairs of legs, fang-like mouthparts called "chelicerae," and 2 antennae-like appendages near the mouth called "pedipalps." They have no antennae. Most Kentucky harvestmen have very long legs, and these species are usually called "daddy-long-legs." Some harvestmen have short legs and look very similar to mites, but these species are rarely seen in Kentucky.

Harvestmen are often confused with spiders, but they are not true spiders. Spiders have 2 body segments (cephalothorax and abdomen) that are distinct and separated. On harvestmen the 2 body segments appear fused into a single large body segment (as with mites and ticks). Also, spiders have venomous fangs, whereas the fangs of harvestmen have no venom glands.
SIZE: Body length up to about 1/2" (1 cm) for Kentucky harvestmen

LIFE CYCLE
Like all arachnids, harvestmen have incomplete metamorphosis. This means that young harvestmen hatch from eggs and look like tiny versions of the adults. They molt (shed their skin) as they grow larger. Most harvestmen in Kentucky live for about a year. Females lay eggs by the hundreds in moist soil.

ECOLOGY
The biology and ecology of harvestmen is poorly known. Most harvestmen species are found in moist, shady environments. Some harvestmen live deep in caves, while others are found in basements or in the deep shade of woods or plant growth. Regardless of where they live, they are usually active in darkness or in the shade. Some harvestmen search methodically over the ground and on plants for slow-moving or dead insects, insect eggs, earthworms, plant material, and just about anything else. Harvestmen are often seen sitting motionless on the upper sides of leaves, like the one shown below, perhaps waiting in ambush for soft-bodied insect prey.

http://www.uky.edu/Ag/CritterFiles/casefile/relatives/daddy/leiobunid4.jpg
Harvestman on leaves (B. Newton 2003)

Although they resemble spiders, harvestmen do not have venomous fangs or silk glands. Some species, however, have glands on the sides of their bodies that can secrete bad-tasting and bad-smelling defensive chemicals which help protect them from predators. Harvestmen are sometimes eaten by birds, large spiders, and predatory insects like assassin bugs.



HARVESTMEN ECOLOGY QUESTION:
Phoretic or Parasitic Mites?

Harvestmen are often found with mites attached to their bodies. Are these mites "parasitic" or "phoretic?" A "parasitic" organism is one that attaches itself to and feeds on a host, like a tick on a human. An organism that attaches itself to a larger organism for the purpose of moving from place-to-place, but that does not feed from its host, is called a "phoretic" organism, and the condition is called "phoresy." Phoresy is very common in the arthropod world, especially among mites, who sometimes "ride" on larger organisms, often so that they can move quickly to a food source.


http://www.uky.edu/Ag/CritterFiles/casefile/relatives/daddy/daddymites3.jpg
Harvestman with mites
(B. Newton 2003)

http://www.uky.edu/Ag/CritterFiles/casefile/relatives/daddy/daddymite.jpg
Mites on harvestman leg
(B. Newton 2003)

It is unknown if the mites that attach themselves to harvestmen are phoretic or parasitic. Are these mites just hitching a ride, or are they living like ticks, sucking blood from their hosts? This is one of the many harvestmen questions that scientists have not yet answered.

PEST STATUS
Harvestmen are sometimes a nuisance around buildings where they congregate by the dozens, but they are not harmful to humans, animals, buildings, or crops.

COMMON KENTUCKY HARVESTMEN

DADDY-LONG-LEGS: Leiobunum genus
FAMILY: Leiobunidae | Genus: Leiobunum

As mentioned above, long-legged harvestmen species are usually called "Daddy-Long-Legs." Many of the daddy-long-legs encountered in Kentucky are in the genus Leiobunum. Leiobunum daddy-long-legs are almost always present around trees, shrubs, or any thick vegetation in Kentucky during warm months. They are also common around buildings, especially barns, sheds, and similar structures. Pictured below are two common Leiobunum species. The one on the left is probably Leiobunum vittatum, a species that occurs over much of the eastern United States.
http://www.uky.edu/Ag/CritterFiles/casefile/relatives/daddy/leiobunum1.jpg
Daddy-long-legs, Leiobunum sp. (R. Bessin 2000)

http://www.uky.edu/Ag/CritterFiles/casefile/relatives/daddy/leiobunum2.jpg
Daddy-long-legs, Leiobunum sp. (R. Bessin 2000)

COLLECTING & PHOTOGRAPHY
During warm months, harvestmen are extremely common on the shady sides of buildings, underneath eaves, in crawl spaces, and on trees, and they are found in both rural and urban environments. Harvestmen can be easily collected by hand, but take care not to break off any legs. Harvestmen will usually stay still for a photo as long as you don't touch them. These creatures have soft bodies, and should be preserved in alcohol.

HARVESTMEN FACTS
The legs of harvestmen fall off easily and continue to twitch for some time after removal. It is believed that this helps the daddy-long-legs escape predators (as when a lizard's tail breaks off).

MYTHS - LEGENDS - FOLKLORE
You may have heard that "daddy-long-legs are the most poisonous spiders in the world, but their fangs are too small to bite humans." This is a widespread myth. It has even been presented as a fact on televised nature programs. Daddy-long-legs are not actually spiders, and they do not have venom glands. For details about this myth, take a look at this webpage (http://spiders.ucr.edu/daddylonglegs.html) from the University of California Entomology Department.
In the old days, it was believed that you could use daddy-long-legs to find your lost cattle. When you wanted to know which direction the herd had wandered to, you could pick up a daddy-long-legs by all of the legs but one, and the free leg would point in the direction of the cattle (or so it was believed).
Another myth from the old days: if you kill a daddy-long-legs, it will rain the next day.
This from the link in the qoute above:


Daddy-longlegs (Opiliones) - these arachnids make their living by eating decomposing vegetative and animal matter although are opportunist predators if they can get away with it. They do not have venom glands, fangs or any other mechanism for chemically subduing their food. Therefore, they do not have poison and, by the powers of logic, cannot be poisonous from venom. Some have defensive secretions that might be poisonous to small animals if ingested. So, for these daddy-long-legs, the tale is clearly false.
Daddy-longlegs spiders (Pholcidae) - Here, the myth is incorrect at least in making claims that have no basis in known facts. There is no reference to any pholcid spider biting a human and causing any detrimental reaction. If these spiders were indeed deadly poisonous but couldn't bite humans, then the only way we would know that they are poisonous is by milking them and injecting the venom into humans. For a variety of reasons including Amnesty International and a humanitarian code of ethics, this research has never been done. Furthermore, there are no toxicological studies testing the lethality of pholcid venom on any mammalian system (this is usually done with mice). Therefore, no information is available on the likely toxic effects of their venom in humans, so the part of the myth about their being especially poisonous is just that: a myth. There is no scientific basis for the supposition that they are deadly poisonous and there is no reason to assume that it is true.
What about their fangs being too short to penetrate human skin? Pholcids do indeed have short fangs, which in arachnological terms is called "uncate" because they have a secondary tooth which meets the fang like the way the two grabbing parts of a pair of tongs come together. Brown recluse spiders similarly have uncate fang structure and they obviously are able to bite humans. There may be a difference in the musculature that houses the fang such that recluses have stronger muscles for penetration because they are hunting spiders needing to subdue prey whereas pholcid spiders are able to wrap their prey and don't need as strong a musculature. So, again, the myth states as fact something about which there is no scientific basis.
In summary

For true daddy-long-legs, the opilionids, the myth is certainly false, and for the daddy-long-legs spiders it is certainly not based on known facts.

http://spiders.ucr.edu/daddylonglegs.html

From this article above it should clear up some confusion:

There are two different uses of the name: "Daddy-Long-Legs"

1. Daddy-Long-Legs (Kentucky Harvestman)

2. Daddy-Long-Legs Spider


Not Spiders?

Another misconception is that the Daddy long-legs spider is not a true spider. This misconception arises from the multiple uses of the name Daddy long-legs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daddy_long-legs). It is the Harvestman (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvestman) (which is also called Daddy long-legs) which is an arachnid (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arachnid) but not a true spider. The Daddy long-legs spider is a true spider.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daddy_long-legs_spider

from this site you see the difference between the Daddy-Long-Legs Spider and the Kentucky Harvestman(Daddy-Long-Legs) above:

http://img366.imageshack.us/img366/5550/200pxpholcusmk2.jpg

[BWF89]

@yozef: What we call a daddy long legs doens't look like either one of those bugs you posted. I'll try to get snap a picture of one.

[RAV TUX]

@yozef: What we call a daddy long legs doens't look like either one of those bugs you posted. I'll try to get snap a picture of one.


"Daddy longlegs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daddy_longlegs)" is a name that is used for several unrelated arthropods with extremely long and thin legs, including these spiders, the harvestmen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opiliones) and tipulid crane flies (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crane_fly).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daddy_long-legs_spider

Is it the tipulid crane flies?

They are actually very beautiful:

http://img485.imageshack.us/img485/2052/190pxtipula1webfd7.jpg

http://img485.imageshack.us/img485/3668/250pxcraneflyrw0.jpg

[sanderella]

http://www.satsig.net/walking-france/france-spider-295-3.jpg

A WARNING TALE

I live in the south of England. A few years ago I found a nest of tiny baby spiders that were coloured like bees in my garden. Thinking they must be foreign and poisonous, I grabbed the insecticide and exterminated the lot of them.

A few days later, I heard on the TV news that Bee Spiders had been found in the south of England, in a place near me. The newscast said that they were very rare, and were not to be touched or tampered with.#-o

Imagine how I felt: I had murdered some of the poor little beasties!!!

Now I'm spider friendly. I can pick most of them up with my fingers and place them on a shrub outside. The bigger ones get trapped in a glass and then released in the garden.

Spiders are mentioned in the Bible: "Spiders are small people but the live in Kings' palaces."

[BWF89]

@yozef: Nope, I'll try to snap a picture of it if I see one.

[RAV TUX]

http://www.satsig.net/walking-france/france-spider-295-3.jpg

A WARNING TALE

I live in the south of England. A few years ago I found a nest of tiny baby spiders that were coloured like bees in my garden. Thinking they must be foreign and poisonous, I grabbed the insecticide and exterminated the lot of them.

A few days later, I heard on the TV news that Bee Spiders had been found in the south of England, in a place near me. The newscast said that they were very rare, and were not to be touched or tampered with.#-o

Imagine how I felt: I had murdered some of the poor little beasties!!!

Now I'm spider friendly. I can pick most of them up with my fingers and place them on a shrub outside. The bigger ones get trapped in a glass and then released in the garden.

Spiders are mentioned in the Bible: "Spiders are small people but the live in Kings' palaces."

That is a very beautiful spider. I voted no on killing spiders, most spiders are very helpful and like bats they eat mosquitos.

anything that eats mosquitos is worthy of life. I vote for scooping them up gently to not harm them and take them outside.

[eriqk]

Spiders are good folk, so I won't kill them. They're a great pest control. As are wasps, I won't kill those, either[1].

Groet, Erik

[1] Although I did come close to killing the one that bit me in the upper lip yesterday. I had just eaten some icecream and apparently it wanted some, too. It never stung me, but it's bite was pretty annoying.

[kadymae]

Depends on where the spider is and what kind it is.

A Black Widow in a remote corner of my back yard will live.

A Black Widow/Brown Recluse in my house or garage is killed on sight. (I know stay away from them, my cats don't.)

Daddy Longlegs and other similar "house" spiders are welcome and I always fish them out of the tub or sink.

[Kimm]

I try not to kill anything if I can avoid it. However, I dont like having things crawling/flying around me, so I allways try to move them somewhere else (as in: outside)

[gThree]

It was worth joining the forums just to read this thread ....

:D

[vayu]

I don't believe in killing unless your life is at stake and there is no other option. Flys and mosquitos are about the only thing exempt from my ahimsa philosophy. I use a glass and a thin piece of cardboard to capture and let the creature outside. I put the glass on top of the insect, then slide the cardboard under the glass. I did it for a black widow recently and a scorpion not too long ago.

My wife is telling me she has a friend that uses a compassionate bug remover purchased from Gaiam called bugzooka. She says she saw her suck up a wasp very easily.
http://www.gaiam.com/retail/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=gai&category%5Fname=l3%5FIndoor+Pest+Control&product%5Fid=16%2D0267

[BarfBag]

Spiders REALLY scare me*. Kill the damn things, please!

*as do bees, roaches, ticks, and leaches. Actually, most bugs scare me.

[GuitarHero]

We climbed to the top of the food chain by killing things. Why stop now?

[RAV TUX]

Re: What, if any, are the benefits of spiders to our society? (http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/2000-01/949275419.Zo.q.html)

Date: Sun Jan 30 16:26:54 2000
Posted By: David Richman, Staff, Entomology, New Mexico State University
Area of science: Zoology
ID: 949175618.Zo Message:
It is often difficult to place a given organism in to a category of usefulness to society. Nevertheless, spiders are quite important in relation to the well being of society. Spiders are numerous enough in agricultural fields (sometimes literally thousands or millions to the acre) that they serve to dampen insect numbers, often including pest species, because these are often the most common insects. The world wide benefit of pest control by predatory insects and spiders together may exceed US $100 billion per year. Spiders are also important in natural systems as secondary consumers, again keeping insect numbers in a reasonable balance most of the time. In this modern age of bioengineering they may also provide raw materials for new generation pesticides based on their venoms and new drugs and textiles based on venoms and spider silk.
In addition, in some societies, spiders are considered as good food items!
References:
Baskin, Y. 1997. The Work of Nature: How the diversity of life sustains
us. Island Press, Washington, DC.
Gertsch, W. J. 1979. American Spiders, 2nd ed. Van Nostrand Reinhold, New
York.
Menzel, P., and F. D'Aluisio. 1998. Man Eating Bugs: The art and science
of eating insects. Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, CA.
Wise, D. H. 1993. Spiders in Ecological Webs. Cambridge Press, Cambridge,

England and New York.


http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/2000-01/949275419.Zo.r.html

[Arisna]

Absolutely, yes. They are useless to me even if they kill other bugs because I hate them more than any other bugs. I hate looking at them, I hate walking into their webs by accident, and I wish that all of them would magically disappear from the face of the planet, no matter what the ecological consequences.

I would honestly rather die just about any death than be in direct physical contact with a large, ugly spider for any length of time.

This has only a little bit do do with the time that one bit me in my sleep (my doctor said it looked like that's what it was), which somehow left me with some kind of fungus growing all over my torso that I have never been able to get rid of, even with the further assistance of my doctor.

I would fully support a law that bans displaying images of spiders in all public media, and I generally consider myself a Libertarian. I was really hoping no one would post any pictures of them in this topic, and I nearly died on the second or third page when someone did. I just cleared my cache because I don't want that image anywhere on my hard drive.

All that said, I go out of my way to kill spiders. Yesterday I slaughtered one outside my workplace because I was tired of walking past its web and looking at it on my way in and out of work.

If you disagree heartily enough with anything I just said to post a rebuttal, I apologize in advance for not responding to you. There is no way I will be reading anything else in here, just in case there are more pictures.

[Malac]

We climbed to the top of the food chain by killing things. Why stop now?

Food, yes. For any other reason except immediate protection, no.

[megamania]

Food, yes. For any other reason except immediate protection, no.

There's a lot of good food you can have without killing.

I find it very odd how most people feel they have a right to kill an animal "just 'cause" (they're scared, they don't like it, it's on "their" territory, it has too many legs, etc.) but when it comes to humans, life is sacred.

[23meg]

I'm against killing any creature (yes, flies included) that isn't immediately life threatening and am sadly surprised by the results in this poll.

I have an improvised "custody" device for trapping and throwing away insects, spiders and the like which my peers may find "dirty" or "nasty" without hurting them. That said, having briefly lived in Australia I know that even very small spiders of certain species can be very dangerous (I could identify them back then), and having been stung by a scorpion and seen more than one around the house, I would resort to deadly means if the creature poses a danger and there's no other way of dealing with it.

[Spif]

I don't think it is "Ok" at all. If there is a small bug that has found it's way into my room, I will take as much time as needed to get it out in the open again.

Just because certain bugs can be annoying as hell, doesn't give you the right to kill them.

[sophtpaw]

the question is it ok or not is misleading. I often find spiders in my bathtub for some reason. I catch it with a cup and put it outside

[Raavea]

I'm terrified of spiders, and have been since I was tiny. When I was about two (my parents enjoy this story immensley) I would often get hair-spiders trailing after me and would freak out. (Hair-spiders for those who don't know: You ever seen something trailing across the floor towards you and freaked out, only to realise it's a nasty mess of fallen hair? That's a hair-spider. xD)

But, I also have a path to follow, and the best way to explain it is Bhuddism - so no killing spiders for me. I tend to go mental if I see them creeping (webs are fine, they're doing a job) along, and get my girlfriend (she lived on a farm - used to bugs) to come get them. I always tell her about five times not to hurt it, but to put it outside nownownow.


Oddly enough, I'm only scared of 'little' spiders like house spiders and daddy-long-legs, but I adore 'big' spiders like tarantulas, because they're furry.. And big... And they can't scuttle out of sight so fast, I guess.

We had one as a pet once, we called him Boris. The guy told us he was something perfectly safe, but later we found out that he was the sort of tarantula that when aggravated sprays his hairs everywhere, choking things to death. A chilean rose or something, but I don't remember now (it was a long time ago) whether that was what he was meant to be or turned out to be...

[Malac]

There's a lot of good food you can have without killing.

I find it very odd how most people feel they have a right to kill an animal "just 'cause" (they're scared, they don't like it, it's on "their" territory, it has too many legs, etc.) but when it comes to humans, life is sacred.

I don't make the distinction, there are some toe-rags I would quite happily terminate if they threatened me or mine.
Actually now I think about it, I do make the distinction as I regard animals more highly than humans.