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04-03-2007, 07:03 AM
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Maple Grove, MN
Posts: 2,334
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Skeeters
This great thread reminds me of when I was painting my plane. I had built a nice enclosure in the garage, complete with blowers and filters. It was May in Minnesota, and I directed the blower exhaust out under a partially opened garage door. It was a warm, muggy evening, and I emerged from the enclosure into the main garage area around 10:00pm in my bunny suit. Off came the bunny suit, since I was croaking in it. I was at the little fume hood I used to clean the gun, when this wall of skeeters came pouring into my face. Understand, we crazy Minnesotans are more or less used to these things, but there were hundreds of them. It became clear that there was no way I could actually get the gun cleaned no matter how much I concentrated. So, I got the shop vac, turned it on and slung the hose over my shoulder. About every 5 seconds, I would grab the hose, furiously wave it at the little invaders and suck up around 20. This went on for what seemed like forever, but I started to realize I was winning the battle. I would guess that by the time I got the gun cleaned (which took 10 times as long as normal), I'd sucked up around 2 or 3 hundred of the miserable creatures. It was quite sporting.
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Alex Peterson
RV6A N66AP 1700+ hours
KADC, Wadena, MN
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04-03-2007, 08:10 AM
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Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: south carolina
Posts: 1,111
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black widows
man those suckers are everywhere in my shop. hate em with a passion. watch out pulling the door down. 
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William Weesner/ still kicking.
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04-03-2007, 08:53 AM
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Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Lantz,Nova Scotia ,Canada
Posts: 556
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Canada ain't so bad
There are some reasons I'm glad I live in Canada and that's one, The only thing that startles me up here from time to time is the extremely dangerous ,venom spitting ,constricting,rattling, etc.etc. 2' Garter snake.They reduce this 6' ,220lb weight lifting fool to cowardly acts, such as hiding behind my 5'3" honey until it's safe to proceed.The guys I work with and friends alike get a huge charge out of my reaction to snakes, thus set me up to be ambushed at every opertunity  You seldom see me walk point in the summer. I HATE !!! snakes. 
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Paul Tuttle
RV 8
C-FPVT
Flying.
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04-03-2007, 10:14 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 264
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A friend of mine went fishing and was running across the lake when he felt something crawling up his leg. You guessed it....it was a snake.
I'm not sure he has been fishing since that time. Apparently it curled up underneath his console.
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Donald Prater
Formerly 52F now Arkansas...Go Hogs!
RV-8 Empennage Underway
N-284DP (Reserved)
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04-03-2007, 10:53 AM
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Join Date: May 2005
Location: Tuttle, Oklahoma
Posts: 2,563
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by DanH
Spiders eat bugs. They are GOOD.
I recon a chicken snake in your corn crib would be out of the question. <g>
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I have to admit that the appearance of all of those legs working at the same time gives me the creeps but I have to agree with Dan. Don't kill spiders just because they give you the creeps. You would not believe the number of bugs that one tarantula will devour. Most tarantulas in our country are not dangerous to humans. There are some species in South America that can be dangerous but not here and especially not the brown one shown in this picture. They are definitely more beneficial than harmful so please think twice before indiscriminately killing a spider just because you see it. In our part of the world the Brown Recluse (also known as the "Fiddle Back") and the Black Widow can be dangerous and I would not think twice about killing either of these types of spiders but most all others will benefit you to have them around. In fact the larger spiders such as this tarantula tend to actually be the more beneficial ones.
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04-03-2007, 12:23 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: LSGY
Posts: 3,200
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Spiders
I've got dozens of spiders in my shop - they've never bothered me. I just think of them as tiny lobsters.
From what I know of tarantulas, you'd have to try pretty hard to get one to bite you. A friend of mine has one as a pet, and when he gets home, he sticks his hand in the "aquarium" and it runs right up and sits on his shoulder. It sits there all evening with him while he works around the house, watches TV, drives to the store, whatever. Before bed, he puts his arm back in the aquarium, and it runs down his arm. It's really quite affectionate!
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04-03-2007, 01:24 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Oklahoma City
Posts: 10
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spyders are cool
Its those darn wasps that I abhor (hate is too kind of a word). Yes, I run at near takeoff speed from them, gain my composure, and then find a way to rid the earth of the pest.
disclaimer: brown recluse and black widow spiders are decidedly NOT cool.
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I'm gonna order the Emp when the wifey isn't looking 
Brad Bush
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04-03-2007, 01:29 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 19
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Garfield the cat has the answer
I grew up and have lived in the southeast for about 65 years. Spiders and snakes are very common here. My wife grew up in south Texas where they have snakes, spiders, scorpions, etc. We find this thread very amusing. Only a few of the snakes and spiders carry venom that is toxic. They normally aren't interested in biting you - you aren't suitable food.
A good friend once said that all the spiders around our house simply show the air is okay and not likely a problem. (remember the canary in the coal mine)
My wife and I aren't snake or tarantula (or spider) fans but we can live with them. Generally they are beneficial. I do kill black widow spiders if I find them simply because they are poisonus.
The Garfield method, whack them, works great. For spiders almost anything works. Step on them if they are on the floor. A fly swatter works great. You don't have to stand 10 feet away! A rolled up piece of paper works. Mash them with any tool at hand. Bucking bars really flatten them when applied.
Snakes are a little more trouble but if you must kill them any long tool such as a hoe or shovel will do the job. Farmers have been doing it for many centuries.
I think we see too many Hollywood movies like Snakes on a Plane and other fright stuff. We are afraid of critters that have been with us since the dawn of man. If you can keep your cool and fly your plane use the same cool and deal with the critter. I've known people to crash their car because a bee flew in and they went crazy trying to kill or get away from it.
Actually you shouldn't unload a can of insecticide in closed spaces that you inhabit. Not very healthy. It might be more of a long term hazard than the spider.
Remember - stay calm and deal with it.
Larry Dickinson
RV-9A 135 hours
Atlanta, GA
KLZU
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04-03-2007, 01:44 PM
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Chief Obfuscation Officer
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Join Date: May 2005
Location: Livermore, CA
Posts: 1,110
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by rv8ch
A friend of mine has one as a pet, and when he gets home, he sticks his hand in the "aquarium" and it runs right up and sits on his shoulder. It sits there all evening with him while he works around the house, watches TV, drives to the store, whatever. Before bed, he puts his arm back in the aquarium, and it runs down his arm. It's really quite affectionate!
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That is so wrong in so many ways! 
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04-03-2007, 02:09 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Dallas area
Posts: 10,769
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I was bitten by a Black Widow when I was 5. Family says I was very sick for over a month. I don't remember being sick.
Other spiders, except for the brown recluse, are good. Also snakes eat mice, a good thing.
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Mel Asberry, DAR since the last century.
EAA Flight Advisor/Tech Counselor, Friend of the RV-1
Recipient of Tony Bingelis Award and Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award
USAF Vet, High School E-LSA Project Mentor.
RV-6 Flying since 1993 (sold)
<rvmel(at)icloud.com>
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