We have a new pet!

On Monday we found this spider in our pantry. It is the third one we found in our house in the past couple of weeks. (More about the other 2 in a minute.) When we looked it up on the internet, we were positive it was a brown recluse, but just to be sure I called the county extension agent. She said to put it in the freezer and bring it in on Wed when there was a spider expert there to help us. Do you know how awful it was to open the freezer and see that thing lurking there!? Ug! Shivers! Creepy! It's not really our pet. I just put that title for shock value. Thankfully it died in the freezer!

The first one we found was in my water glass that I had left on the counter in the kitchen overnight. It was drowned, but I'm really, really, really glad I didn't come downstairs in the night and get a drink in the dark! (Which I have done before!) The second one was in KayBee's room. It was on the lamp shade right by her bed. She thought it was a fake one her brother had put there and started to pick it up. As her hand got close, it moved. After screaming and freaking out for a bit, she spent the rest of the night in her sisters' room. None of us slept well that night.

Anyway, the spider expert lady was very helpful. She picked it up and showed us various parts of it that helped to identify it. We got to look at it under the microscope too! It really was amazing to see how intricate and detailed it was. It is called a Giant European House Spider. Curses on the European who brought the dang things to America! When we asked her if it was poisonous, and what would happen if it bit us, she cheerfully assured us that all spiders are poisonous, but their venom has various degrees of reactions in humans. This spider's spit is not like a black widow, or brown recluse, but it will produce a reaction. (Which I believe I have experienced -- but that is another story.)

Hopefully this weekend Homie will be able to spray human-made venom around the perimeters of the house, which will produce a reaction in all the remaining spiders who are contemplating coming inside!