Spider Bite Leaves SpaceTiger Fading Fast

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The discussion revolves around a humorous and somewhat dramatic account of a spider bite experienced by a user named SpaceTiger. After being bitten by a Broad-Faced Sac Spider, SpaceTiger humorously contemplates his mortality and requests a tongue-in-cheek obituary. The conversation shifts to various reactions to spiders, with users sharing their experiences and methods for handling insects, including the glass-tumbler technique for safely relocating bugs. Some participants express their dislike for certain spiders, particularly brown recluse spiders due to their dangerous bites, while others advocate for a more humane approach to dealing with all spiders. The thread also touches on personal anecdotes about relationships and the shared experience of dealing with household insects, showcasing a blend of humor, camaraderie, and light-hearted banter among the participants.
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...by several bugs. But most importantly, this spider decided to feast on my elbow last night:

http://www.ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/Spider/spiders.htm#broadsac"

The spider has been taken down, but I'm fading fast. If I die, please give the following statement to the press:

"SpaceTiger was a simple man who cared for nothing but his family, his country, and the sheep he tended. His presence (or lack thereof) was an inspiration to us all and he will be sorely missed at [your address here]."
 
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Did you bite back?
At least then, you could die in the happy knowledge of having made your revenge.
 
SpaceTiger said:
...by several bugs. But most importantly, this spider decided to feast on my elbow last night:

http://www.ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/Spider/spiders.htm#broadsac"

The spider has been taken down, but I'm fading fast. If I die, please give the following statement to the press:

"SpaceTiger was a simple man who cared for nothing but his family, his country, and the sheep he tended. His presence (or lack thereof) was an inspiration to us all and he will be sorely missed at [your address here]."
Wait a minute! Was this spider red and blue and had a distinct tinge of radioactiveness? Do you have the desire to change to a career in journalism and have suddenly found yourself liking red headed women with two first names?

If not then maybe you are on the way out.
 
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We won't forget you ST, we'll sticky a Space Tiger Memorial thread in Astronomy.

Does the spider bite still hurt? We're you romping through the hay last night?
 
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Evo said:
We're you romping through the hay last night?
With a spider??
That's probably why it bit him then, knowing the temper of she-spiders..

SpaceTiger:
Do it with someone your own size next time.
 
arildno said:
Did you bite back?
At least then, you could die in the happy knowledge of having made your revenge.

I did. In fact, I'm putting it in a little box to show to my date for lunch. Maybe she'll be impressed by my hunting skills.
 
Or maybe she'll just toss her lunch when she sees it.
 
SpaceTiger said:
...by several bugs. But most importantly, this spider decided to feast on my elbow last night:

Broad-Faced Sac Spider
Nice looking spider. I see them here periodically and I have to escort them outside if other family members notice them.

SpaceTiger said:
"SpaceTiger was a simple man who cared for nothing but his family, his country, and the sheep he tended. His presence (or lack thereof) was an inspiration to us all and he will be sorely missed at [your address here]."
Can we add "the starry skies" to the list of things that you cared nothing about? Do you have any last requests? What is your favorite drink, so the we can properly toast you?

You might try Benadryl, topically and orally, if you have a reaction to the bite.
 
Astronuc said:
...have to escort them outside if other family members notice them.

Ha! I thought I was the only one. :biggrin:
We have a fairly new bug up here in New England called the Western Conifer Seed Bug. It's a harmless insect (to humans), but it is fairly large and comes indoors when the weather starts turning cold.
I usually just let them be since I think they're pretty neat looking, but my wife is absolutely terrified of them. If she see's one I'll hear her scream and then I have to run over yelling "don't kill it! don't kill it!" so I can catch it and put it outside.

-GeoMike-
 
  • #10
GeoMike said:
Ha! I thought I was the only one. :biggrin:
We have a fairly new bug up here in New England called the Western Conifer Seed Bug. It's a harmless insect (to humans), but it is fairly large and comes indoors when the weather starts turning cold.
I usually just let them be since I think they're pretty neat looking, but my wife is absolutely terrified of them. If she see's one I'll hear her scream and then I have to run over yelling "don't kill it! don't kill it!" so I can catch it and put it outside.

-GeoMike-
You aren't alone. I catch bugs (the biting/stinging ones anyway) by tipping a glass tumbler over them and sliding a playing card under them. then they get a free ride out to the deck. My reluctance to kill spiders has backfired on me, though. I woke up one morning with the base of my left middle finger painfully swollen and it took days for the swelling to go down to the point where it was no longer uncomfortable. I still have the fang marks (a pair of red bumps) and it has been over two years since the rascal bit me.
 
  • #11
Insects don't last long in my house of 3 cats. Especially if the bugs make noise or move.:biggrin:
 
  • #12
turbo-1 said:
You aren't alone. I catch bugs (the biting/stinging ones anyway) by tipping a glass tumbler over them and sliding a playing card under them. then they get a free ride out to the deck. My reluctance to kill spiders has backfired on me, though. I woke up one morning with the base of my left middle finger painfully swollen and it took days for the swelling to go down to the point where it was no longer uncomfortable. I still have the fang marks (a pair of red bumps) and it has been over two years since the rascal bit me.

Ouch!
Due to a severe alergic reaction to bees and wasps, I have to have my wife kill any wasps or bees in our home.

larkspur said:
Insects don't last long in my house of 3 cats. Especially if the bugs make noise or move. :biggrin:

I'm often rescuing bugs from our cats as well. They seem especially fond of the taste of moths. The bigger the better (although they'd probably be afraid of a Luna Moth).

-GeoMike-
 
  • #13
I catch bugs (the biting/stinging ones anyway) by tipping a glass tumbler over them and sliding a playing card under them.
That's my method unless I pick up the spider in my hands. I use a glass and piece of paper or card if the spider is on a flat surface and won't climb on time hand. Plus I don't want to squish them.

I've never been bitten by a spider, but my wife has.

When I was very young, my brother and I used to play with 'daddy longlegs' (harvestmen). We let them run over our hands and crawl up our arms or legs, on our heads. I guess we just got use to handling spiders and other arachnids. Scorpions require more care.
 
  • #14
Evo said:
We're you romping through the hay last night?
This is the most original apostrophe-mangling typo I've seen in a long time. :biggrin:
 
  • #15
DaveC426913 said:
This is the most original apostrophe-mangling typo I've seen in a long time. :biggrin:
:smile: I'm really getting bad at that lately. I've found that I'm also forgetting how to spell common words. Words that I've known how to spell all my life. I guess the end is getting near. :frown:
 
  • #16
GeoMike said:
We have a fairly new bug up here in New England called the Western Conifer Seed Bug. It's a harmless insect (to humans), but it is fairly large and comes indoors when the weather starts turning cold.
Oh! We have http://images.google.com/images?q=Western+Conifer+Seed+Bug". At least I think we do. The ones we get are jet black, never coloured. But they have that wing pattern on the back. They are stupid, hiding in plain sight (like the middle of a wall), and often tumble down stairs.

All this time I've been told this was an http://images.google.com/images?q=assassin+bug".

[EDIT] You know, the WCSB isn't a great match either. I never seem to see pictures of either of these guys in jet black (and frankly, I'm astonished at the variety of both types). I'm not going to rest until I have these guys positively identified.

What I get look exactly like http://www.forestry.sa.gov.au/privateforestry/insect_fact_sheets/Fact_Sheet_html/Image50.jpg" , except shiny jet black. Well, I suppose that could just be a species.

http://bugguide.net/node/view/7334/bgimage" (too bad it's in Kentucky)
 
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  • #17
Evo said:
Does the spider bite still hurt?

Nah, it was kind of embarassing. I brought the spider, but couldn't even find the bite!
 
  • #18
DaveC426913 said:
Oh! We have http://images.google.com/images?q=Western+Conifer+Seed+Bug". At least I think we do. The ones we get are jet black, never coloured. But they have that wing pattern on the back. They are stupid, hiding in plain sight (like the middle of a wall), and often tumble down stairs.

All this time I've been told this was an http://images.google.com/images?q=assassin+bug".

[EDIT] You know, the WCSB isn't a great match either. I never seem to see pictures of either of these guys in jet black (and frankly, I'm astonished at the variety of both types). I'm not going to rest until I have these guys positively identified.

What I get look exactly like http://www.forestry.sa.gov.au/privateforestry/insect_fact_sheets/Fact_Sheet_html/Image50.jpg" , except shiny jet black. Well, I suppose that could just be a species.

http://bugguide.net/node/view/7334/bgimage" (too bad it's in Kentucky)

I'd have just assumed it was a stink bug if I saw that. Is it just another name for the same bug as it varies a bit across the US? There are other stink bugs too. Anyway, if it is a stink bug, it's a good thing you carry it back outside rather than squishing it in the house!

http://images.google.com/imgres?img...?q=stink+bug&svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&safe=off&sa=G
 
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  • #19
Moonbear said:
I'd have just assumed it was a stink bug if I saw that.
Well, that's true they do stink. I'd assumed that was a general trait though, since ladybugs do that to.

Your picture is an excellent likeness. Again, except for the jet blackness.
 
  • #20
My favoured approach to bugs is a can of WD-40 and a lighter. :approve:
 
  • #21
Moonbear said:
I'd have just assumed it was a stink bug if I saw that. Is it just another name for the same bug as it varies a bit across the US? There are other stink bugs too. Anyway, if it is a stink bug, it's a good thing you carry it back outside rather than squishing it in the house!

http://images.google.com/imgres?img...?q=stink+bug&svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&safe=off&sa=G
Oh, I haven't seen a stink bug in years. I can still remember the odor.
 
  • #22
Evo said:
Oh, I haven't seen a stink bug in years. I can still remember the odor.
I had never seen one until I lived in MI. It was in one of the farm lab buildings, and just as I was about to stomp it, the farm manager saw it too and shouted not to kill it, and then explained it was a stink bug and escorted it out. Weird looking bugs.
 
  • #23
So your now SpaceSpider
 
  • #24
scott1 said:
So your now SpaceSpider
:smile: :smile: :smile: That better than Spider Tiger. :rolleyes:
 
  • #25
Astronuc said:
That's my method unless I pick up the spider in my hands. I use a glass and piece of paper or card if the spider is on a flat surface and won't climb on time hand. Plus I don't want to squish them.

I've never been bitten by a spider, but my wife has.

When I was very young, my brother and I used to play with 'daddy longlegs' (harvestmen). We let them run over our hands and crawl up our arms or legs, on our heads. I guess we just got use to handling spiders and other arachnids. Scorpions require more care.

Cool. Although I'm not experienced with handling spiders, I have few qualms about our cohabitation and, in fact, am a big fan of spiders in general. I think this one bit me out of fear -- it was chilling under my pillow and I reached around underneath, unaware of its presence. As soon as I felt the bite, I knew it was a spider (it was a very sharp sting that only could have come from fangs), so I shook it off as quickly as I could. Either it didn't deposit much venom or I just didnt' react to it, because there's no swelling or discoloration at all. I kinda feel bad for killing it now. :frown:
 
  • #26
The rules of engagement here are clear; spiders outside are at peace, inside is total war. The front porch lamp is a bit of a DMZ.
 
  • #27
Since recluse spiders are common here and their venom destroys flesh, I tend to get a little antsy when I see brown spiders. See bite pictuires http://www.brownreclusespider.org/brown-recluse-spider-bite-picture.htm

The fat hairy black ones I call "happy jumpers" are cool though. They don't spin webs and are great for keeping bugs off your plants. I'll smash a brown spider without a second thought, but I won't harm a happy jumper.
 
  • #28
Rach3 said:
The rules of engagement here are clear; spiders outside are at peace, inside is total war. The front porch lamp is a bit of a DMZ.
My wife is the "stomp 'em and ask questions later" type. I repatriate them to the great outdoors as often as possible with no negative consequences. They do not come inside with evil intent - they're just being spiders. Frankly, I'd rather have one or two wolf spiders patrolling the cabin, than the many insects that they are capable of eating.
 
  • #29
Rach3 said:
The rules of engagement here are clear; spiders outside are at peace, inside is total war. The front porch lamp is a bit of a DMZ.
Same rule, expanded context:

Outside is fine.
Inside, if it ain't payin' rent, it's open season. (And that applies to humans as well, and they know it.)


(Actually, I'll try to transplant most of them outside (bugs, not kids). Ooh except centipedes. They are to be expunged.)
 
  • #30
We have millipedes at the university residences! Also cockroaches, earwigs, and weevils.
 
  • #31
I've given Ember her instructions; she's allowed to kill and eat any spiders that enter the house, as long as I don't see her doing it. Crickets are also fair game if they get past the entryway, especially if they start chirping indoors in the middle of the night, but I don't want to find dead bodies...she either has to finish them off, or leave them to be released alive and well. Anything with less than 6 legs seeking refuge indoors are mine to handle, and she's not allowed to do anything to them unless it's only to chase them back out. And, lastly, if it has more than 6 legs and is furry, and she carries it to bed her, she's being evicted!
 
  • #32
SpaceTiger said:
I kinda feel bad for killing it now. :frown:
You did the right thing! It teaches all spiders a lesson that they shouldn't be too cheeky to bite a tiger!:devil:
 
  • #33
SpaceTiger said:
I did. In fact, I'm putting it in a little box to show to my date for lunch. Maybe she'll be impressed by my hunting skills.

Apparently she was. We've been dating for a month and a half now. :biggrin:
 
  • #34
SpaceTiger said:
Apparently she was. We've been dating for a month and a half now. :biggrin:
How nice for you! :smile:
 
  • #35
Congratulations! I hope things work out positively for both of you. :approve:
 
  • #36
The glass-tumbler method is the method my college roomates and I used to catch roaches in our house. We would then deliver them a few doors down and deposit them outside the house that had loud parties involving hideous music choices.

Our best moment was when I caught two going at it in our hallway (making catching BOTH of these top priority)... let them stare at each other for a few days from under separate tumblers...(yeah, you WANT to be under the glass don't you, you horny little insects)... then, after our amusement with this torture faded, slipping them in the same glass for delivery to the party house.
 
  • #37
physics girl phd said:
The glass-tumbler method is the method my college roomates and I used to catch roaches in our house. We would then deliver them a few doors down and deposit them outside the house that had loud parties involving hideous music choices.
:smile: Wow, you're a devious one! :biggrin: That's the best retribution for loud parties keeping you up all night I've ever heard! :smile:
 
  • #38
Danger-danger! No wonder you're "Danger"! WD-40 and a lighter!

I have a VERY vivid memory of my big-brother doing the exact same thing to a large black widow-like thing in our garage when I was a wee little one.
 
  • #39
SpaceTiger said:
Apparently she was. We've been dating for a month and a half now. :biggrin:
Oh, I forgot...congrats! (I was distracted by the thought of trapping cockroaches with a tumbler. )

Hey, that's the same way I met my very first boyfriend, way back in Kindergarten! He showed me his collection of dead bugs (I think they were supposed to be alive in the plastic little bug house thing he had) and then I helped him catch a fly to add to the collection. :biggrin: Then we decided we would be boyfriend and girlfriend and get married (I had much better luck at getting proposals when I was young :smile:). He's the same kid who got me in trouble in first grade...he brought in a big rubber spider, and gave it to me, and then I promptly put it on the chair of one of the other girls who started screaming when she saw it. I just didn't understand why I got in trouble because she screamed so much over a rubber spider. :rolleyes:
 
  • #40
Evo said:
We won't forget you ST, we'll sticky a Space Tiger Memorial thread in Astronomy.
Does the spider bite still hurt? We're you romping through the hay last night?
This was the consequence of spending night with a Black Widow :smile:
 
  • #41
physics girl phd said:
The glass-tumbler method is the method my college roomates and I used to catch roaches in our house. We would then deliver them a few doors down and deposit them outside the house that had loud parties involving hideous music choices.

Our best moment was when I caught two going at it in our hallway (making catching BOTH of these top priority)... let them stare at each other for a few days from under separate tumblers...(yeah, you WANT to be under the glass don't you, you horny little insects)... then, after our amusement with this torture faded, slipping them in the same glass for delivery to the party house.

Wow. Physics girl phd was a really strange person. Is she still around?

I once tried breeding cannibalistic roaches, hoping to release them after many generations of nothing to each but each other, but cockroach sex torture is just plain demented.
 
  • #42
BobG said:
... of nothing to each but each other...
Practising your FDR, eh?
 

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