One trick is being knowledgeable in the art of Spider Crouching Calculation…
Ever stopped hiking in the trail only to be lunged at by a hiding spider? The spider generally experiences a huge rate of growth when the story is retold, doesn't it?
"I was walking along the beautiful Canadian trail minding my own business when this two-foot spider lunged at me. Well, heck yes I fell down! I was lucky to have escaped with a broken phalange."
Fact is, spiders are great crouchers and know all the secret places to hide. In fact, that's why they lunge at you; because they don't want you taking their perfect spot away. Especially those male spiders…
Spiders are wondrous little creatures of nature. They are tiny but they are built sturdy with a digestive system, a heart, a little liver, and a really, really big poison gland. They are excellent spinners (watch out Rumplestilskin); they also eat grasshoppers, flies and mosquitoes. They can even help you keep a very happy garden.
On the naughty side of the coin, some species of spiders can really get a body down. In you're hiking the wild in the United States keep a sharp eye out for the black widow, the tarantula, and the brown house spider because they pack poison that they will gladly unload in you!
HOW TO IDENTIFY THE BLACK WIDOW SPIDER- Identifiable by their black coloring; these vicious babies come equiped with either a red or yellow hourglass on the underside. A couple of good informational links are: TheWidow's Nest and Black Widow Spider. Check out Hey! A black widow spider bit me! with your kids.
TARANTULA - These fuzzies resemble a used piece of steel wool with hairy legs. (I'm sure there is an ex-wife joke in there somewhere.) Poisonous Plants & Animals is a fantastic source worth checking out.
HOW TO IDENTIFY THE BROWN RECLUSE SPIDER - This vicious spidermonger has dark violin-shaped spot on the head that doesn't play sweet music. Just in case you need it, here's a first aid site for spider bites: First Aid for Spider Bites.
An excellent identification page is: SPIDERS!!
Some precautions you can take while out in wild are:
- Wear protective clothing such as long sleeves, pants, hat and boots.
- Watch where you are walking. Several people (perhaps millions) meet their fate each year by walking off cliffs, falling down gullies, running into boulders, trees, buffalo and snack machines just because they weren't paying attention to where they were going. Yes, sometimes a handful will forget the glasses, but after that fall down the 90-foot ravine, they'll feel painfully stupid.
- Ix-nay on the cologne and perfumes - but do indulge in the mouthwash and underarm products, especially if expecting a crowd. It's just one way to clear a forest fast.
- If you are tenting, spray some repellent about the area and onto yourself while you are at it. This will keep spider food away from your area (mosquitoes, flies, etc.) thus reducing your chances of meeting up with that 2-foot spider.
If you want to have an Experience, go hiking in the woods on a drizzly day. A spider's web that has been dusted with mists of rainwater is intricately beautiful!
My favorite spider? The little roaming Wolf Spider of the Spider Tribe. When the female hatches her young, the spiderlings ride on her back for several days as tiny white, translucent ghosts. It's the Mother of all Piggy-back rides!
