new menace to detectorists in GA

maxxkatt

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Well in the summer we have mosquitos, poison, poison oak and COPPERHEADS!!!!

Now we have a new menace to contend with. The invasive Joro spider. They have invaded north Georgia by the millions. I mean they are every where.

The spiders are huge about 3 1/2 inches across for the females. These suckers build huge webs in the woods with many of them just about head level. Their spider webbing is much stronger than your average spider web. Reports of humming birds getting caught in them.

So I am now spending a lot of my looking time looking up for these golden traps. Not much fun running to one and trying to back out flailing your hands trying to figure out if the darn spider is on you.

This takes a lot of my time away for looking for a much dangerous foe, the dreaded Copperhead. UGH!

By the way they say they came from Asia on containers. Boy lately we are getting a lot of !!!! from Asia.
 

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Well in the summer we have mosquitos, poison, poison oak and COPPERHEADS!!!!

Now we have a new menace to contend with. The invasive Joro spider. They have invaded north Georgia by the millions. I mean they are every where.

The spiders are huge about 3 1/2 inches across for the females. These suckers build huge webs in the woods with many of them just about head level. Their spider webbing is much stronger than your average spider web. Reports of humming birds getting caught in them.

So I am now spending a lot of my looking time looking up for these golden traps. Not much fun running to one and trying to back out flailing your hands trying to figure out if the darn spider is on you.

This takes a lot of my time away for looking for a much dangerous foe, the dreaded Copperhead. UGH!

By the way they say they came from Asia on containers. Boy lately we are getting a lot of !!!! from Asia.

are these nasty little bastards poisonous?..looks like a widow!

(h.h.!)
j.t.
 
I dont mind spiders, but BIG spiders, I'm out! :laughing: we get some big brown recluse around here. I remember one night after working 4 PM to midnight, I walked through the front door of my home at about 1 AM. I saw a shadow run across the floor, sure enough, it was a brown recluse big enough to cast a shadow :shock: we also get some nasty looking wolf spiders from time to time, and these ugly yellow, pink and black ones...
 

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I once found an huge Ike dollar size furry spider in my house. :shock:

I would guess it's a wolf spider. They don't build webs, they just run around and hunt bugs. They run fast, too. Spiders don't particularly bother me, but sometimes, the argiope spiders (big black and yellow things) will build a giant web in the middle of a pathway, and it startles me when I run into one.

I've only seen Black Widows twice, and I've never seen a Brown Recluse.

-- Tom
 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trichonephila_clavata

I thought this tidbit was interesting...

Researchers led by Masao Nakagaki at Shinshu University, Japan, have succeeded in creating a silk thread that is stronger, softer, and more durable than conventional silk by injecting silkworm eggs with genes of the spider. The silkworms that hatch weave cocoons containing 10% spider protein. The dragline silk is said to have many uses, such as bulletproof vests, sutures after an operation, tennis rackets, fishing line, and nets. A Japanese manufacturer, Okamoto, had begun developing commercial applications for the spider silk, and planned to release extra-thin, durable spider socks by 2010.
 
I would guess it's a wolf spider. They don't build webs, they just run around and hunt bugs. They run fast, too. Spiders don't particularly bother me, but sometimes, the argiope spiders (big black and yellow things) will build a giant web in the middle of a pathway, and it startles me when I run into one.

I've only seen Black Widows twice, and I've never seen a Brown Recluse.

-- Tom

In Georgia Black Widows are common. Wood piles, under big sheets of old tin in the woods and crawl spaces under houses.

We have brown recluses spiders, but never have saw one except in pictures which is fine with me.

Once working in the garden digging in the flower bed with my bare hands a spider bit the heck out of my finger. Didn't know what type it was, but it did not swell up or turn red. Felt like a little crab biting me. I put it in a plastic medicine container in case I died, they would know what killed me.

That was 10 years ago. Never dug in the garden again without gloves.
 
I went camping a couple weeks ago. Loading things up from my storage unit, I went to grab the ice chest and almost grabbed this gal. I don't mind spiders in general, but I despise black widows.

Pic is upside down.
 

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Banana spiders. Large, colorful and harmless.

I thought detectorists were supposed to be manly, macho men. Can’t believe 1/32 of a gram of insect is so frightening.
 
there's "no shame" in hiding bill Shatner!
sulu said!

(h.h.!)
j.t.
 
Coincidence. Just tonight my wife had me “catch and release “ a spider in the house. We’re not allowed to kill anything in this house. ( if only she knew )
 
One night I was sleeping in bed when I felt this thing crawl across me really fast! I jumped up turned on the light, looked around and found a largish tan spider on the rug! I tried to smack it but it was quick! Finally it stopped and I whacked him! Harmless but I don't want bugs in my house.
That should keep you up tonight!😳:lol::laughing:
 
Banana spiders. Large, colorful and harmless.

I thought detectorists were supposed to be manly, macho men. Can’t believe 1/32 of a gram of insect is so frightening.

try getting stung by a yellow jacket. they weigh only 0.04 g.
Been there and had that done to me by 12 at one time. Makes my skin hurt just thinking about. Never will forget.
 
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