Plm- Most likely that is what you saw. When I find them in the house, I try and get them outside since they also work on keeping a scorpion population down. But, those buggers are humungous! Their bodies are larger than a 50 cent piece! AND they scuttle to the side - very quickly. They also bite and it can be painful.

I came home from a weekend away visiting the kids, walked inside, was talking on the phone to DH, and let out a huge screech! One was up on the ceiling in the corner. Well, he was way too big to be sitting in the corner - close to my desk, so he had to go. When I hit him with the spray though, he jumped AT ME.

Another time, early in the AM, opened the shower curtain, (had the lights off in the bathroom), and I turned on the water, went to step inside - but for some really weird reason I did not put my foot down. I can't see diddly without glasses, but it looked awful dark in one spot in the tub. I decided to turn on the lights. Dang glad I did! That guy was huge too! They come in for the water, so out here, you cannot reach under sinks, toilets, water spigots, hoses, without checking first. (same thing as scorpions).


plmccut Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Rainyday - So that's what those humungous spiders
> are - wolf spiders? Years ago my brother, his
> family and I drove out to the Grand Canyon and
> came back to NM by going south along the Salt
> River and we had to go to the bathroom really bad.
> The only place was one small rest stop which only
> had the old fashioned wooden outhouses. When it
> was my turn to go I went in, turned around and saw
> these humongous spiders clustered down the corners
> of the outhouse. Needless to say, I never even
> unzipped my jeans but decided I'd wait. I asked
> my very fastidious sister-in-law what she thought
> they were and she said she never even looked as
> she kept her eyes closed!


I don't know Lisa.. if the spiders are shy - they will creep up on you before you know it! LOL! My husband hates spiders - I don't mind them. I'll even name them. Normally it's "Harry". Don't mind snakes either. Roaches? Forget it. That's probably how I'll die, falling into a pit filled with roaches.


LisaSTL Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> We have wolf spiders around here, but apparently
> everything is bigger in Arizona, LOL! Ours are
> also quite shy.
>
> Hey my Florida friend, it's a dry heat, but then
> so is my oven

The ones I've seen will just freeze and not move if you look at them. Turn your head and they skedaddle. I would never kill one outside and try to put spiders back out if I find them in the house since they help with those other pesky bugs. Snakes you can have and roaches are worthless! My favorite pest control are birds and bats. With the predicted uptick in bugs in general and mosquitoes in particular I'm happy to be seeing a lot of both

I had to look at the subject line to remember what this thread was about, LOL! Who says we get off topic around here

LisaSTL ~ We are giving an Evaluation on the Service of spiders, snakes, birds, and bats in regards to insect control Concepts. Now we are back on topic! :-)

r@inyDayZ3 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You forgot something...
>
> Those creepy, crunchy flying ROACHES. Oh, sorry,
> Palmetto Bugs.
>
> (someday I'll give up the absolutely hysterically
> funny story - now it is anyway - that my husband
> and son still find amusing - at my expense. ;(
>
>
>

Well, I will tell my story.

I was 22 yrs old, 6 ft and 220lbs of young husbandly muscles and pride. My young tender bride of 5 feet and 108 lbs was tending to our 3 month old son. They were in one room and I was in another.

She called for me and I didn't answer. I had been napping. This was the start of a horrific series of events.

Wifey had come out of the room to visit the bathroom. I heard of little footsteps then she shrieked.

I jumped up and came running only to be met by the thing. Of course I had seen roaches up north but never like this.

I paused, man-ned up and told her to toss me a shoe. I should have told her to toss my big boy pants too.

Meanwhile the baby had followed her out the room. We all stood (kneeled) there just staring at the pint size dino-roach just chillin on the carpet. She yelled, "Kill it! Kill it!"

My baby darted toward the Mega-Roach so my protective instinct kicked in. It was no time to changed into my SuperDad costume so I just jumped forward and slam the shoe atop the object of my newfound fear of creepy crawly things.

I then took a couple of deep breaths and lifted the shoe like any triumphant gladiator only to discover that the vile beast wasn't dead.

It darted toward the wall and started to climb.

We had all fallen back like lightning had struck the ground before us.

I tried to smash the titan against the wall but it took flight and slam right into my chest and shoulder like a spikey, fast pitched softball. I fell back several steps and over the arm of the sofa. I hit my head on the table and was still in fear of the next wave of attack from this Starship Troopers inspired thing from another world.

It landed on the floor in the kitchen and my wife sprung into action. She slammed a nearby textbook on the beast and then stood on it.

There been an audible crunch. She gave it several seconds to expire.

Finally, the beast was no more.

Meanwhile, I was broken, battered and defeated.

I will forever show respect for the king of Florida, the Palmetto bug and my personal protector and guardian, my beloved wife.

@ LMAO at Royal - there's no way I can take away your Super Hero Dad-ness... But since you bit the bullet, I'll have to fess up and relive this nightmare of comedic proportions...

Cast:
Me (30'ish palmetto-bug-scaredy-cat)
SADH (30'ish smart ass dear *cough* husband)
Bratty Son (8 year old who thinks mother is a wimp)

Scene:
Cleaning the bedroom and bathroom in our Florida Mobile Home (first mistake)

I was a stay-at-home mom back in the day so one bright and sunny morning I decided to house clean the bathroom and bedroom. Considering this is a long, drawn out process and involves moving furniture, taking down curtains, etc., I got an early start. A 6AM start.

I'm happily minding my own business, my Bratty Son is getting ready for school, and my SADH is getting ready for work.

I, in my infinite mind-set of cleaning, failed to notice a big brown thing crawling behind the dresser.

Within seconds, I notice the big brown thing and run to the cabinet under-the-sink for the BIG can of RAID. Unbeknownst to me, this big brown thing has a cunning, conniving, vengeful mind.

I gleefully run around the room shooting long streams of RAID at the intruder; sure I am killing it, when all of a sudden it flies.

Directly AT me.
Directly ON me.

The can of RAID makes a loud thud as it lands on the floor.

But NOT, as loud as the screech that was drawn forth from my vocal chords. A death screech of terrible volume. A screech that had the neighbors looking out their windows.

In the blink of an eye, I went from one gleeful RAID spraying huntress to a banshee jumping up and down in a circle waving her arms and screeching, "GET IF OFF ME! GET IT OFF ME!" Hands in the air I surrendered to the panic and fright from being victimized by this big brown thing.

In between a screech and a breath of air, I hear vague sounds of laughter coming from the doorway. In a split second of clarity, I see two oddly familiar shapes by the door.

I kid you not. One of them is on the floor. The other (SADH) is standing in the doorway. Laughing. AT. ME. Not a slight giggle mind you. But bowled over, belly-shaking laughter. At first ignoring my banshee-like screeching, SADH finally realized I was completely and utterly scared ishtless. He finally makes his way over from his bouts of laughter to search my hair for this big brown thing.

It was never found. I had nightmares of it for days.

OMG, just when I needed it most you two have had me ROTFLMAO!

Just for you Lisa... (and of course anyone else who so desires to read this WAY "Off-Topic" post...)


SCENE: Again, our Florida Mobile Home. Our street row, backed up to acres of an old orange grove that no longer produced and was just left. Our Trailer did NOT have the skirting around the back that faced toward the grove.

STORY BACKGROUND: I planted a garden that Spring. We had a little 2-foot chicken wire fence around it. We've seen black snakes around, which is fine, they keep out the diamondback rattlers; and SADH actually witnessed a black racer fighting with a rattler.

CAST: Again: Me (a 30'ish female who likes snakes); SADH (same 30'ish smart-ass dear *cough* husband); and Bratty Son (8 year old - yeah, same year - kid who knows his mom likes snakes, lizards - but really hates roaches)

This fine, sunny, early summer day I was doing my normal weekly cleaning. SADH, myself and Bratty Son were all cleaning his room. Windows were open to enjoy the lovely breeze of the morning.

Que Sound Effects: "Rustling in the grass and tree leaves"

A quick peek out the window and much to our amazement we see... three black snakes slithering under the trailer.

I decide to put on my "My Mom is SO COOL" hat and go to investigate; saying to myself and anyone listening: "How cool is that? I wonder what they are doing!" Meanwhile wimpy SADH and Bratty Son take ringside seats at the windows watching every movement.

I approach the garden area with trepidation. I am stalking these slithering creatures to find out why our trailer has become their new habitat. Curiosity getting the better of me, I slowly make my way over to stand beside the garden fence closest to the trailer.

I hear voices in the window telling me, "Do you see them? How many do you see? Be careful!" (Of course those voices are inside the safety of the trailer - double wimps) I holler up to them - giving myself away to those creatures in the grass - "I don't see them anymore! Do you still see any on the side of the house?"

The next thing you know - over FIFTEEN - yes, your ears are clean, that's right. over, OVER 15 - 1-5, snakes of all sizes come BARRELING out toward me. They make a beeline for the grove - not caring that I am in the middle of them!

Frozen. I'm not moving one inch. At least, not for about 5 seconds.

The next thing you know I'm on the OTHER side of the garden fence.

A stupid little CHICKEN WIRE FENCE meant to keep out rabbits - but with holes in it that these slithering black critters on the move toward me will have absolutely NO problem going through!

Of course, what do I hear?

Laughter in the windows. Lots of it. Where they are safely behind the walls of the trailer and I'm out in the garden with snakes. Lots of them.