Spiders R Us.

I hate spiders. The only thing I hate worse than spiders are scorpions. The funny thing is that I hardly ever see a scorpion outside the house.... the scorpions are always inside, the spiders are usually outside. Welcome to my Insect World.

Just before dinner-time, I remembered that I forgot to water the yellow marigolds. I try to water them every day unless it rains, because they're planted in a very shallow circle of dirt around the fountain, and that spot gets broiled in the afternoon sun.  So there I was, just about to bend towards the hose, and there's the biggest banana spider I've seen so far.  Had I not been paying attention, I would have walked right into the web and the spider would have been splayed across my left knee.

In that particular spot in front yard, there's been a banana spider web all summer long.  First it was high above the water faucet, near the peak of the first floor roof line.  I left the web where it was because it was far enough above my head and out of my way.  The spider stayed there for weeks and weeks, and I checked its whereabouts each time I used that faucet for watering the marigolds.

Then the spider decided to relocate about a month ago.... she re-built her web on one of the sago palms..... at knee level, but away from the water hose and the faucet. Fine. I left it there, and again and again, I kept checking to see where that spider was before I used that particular hose.

It rained in the middle of the night on Saturday.... so I didn't bothering watering plants yesterday.  But today, the sun was out, it was a lovely day, and those marigolds needed fresh water, and so did the fountain, which the bluebirds and barn swallows use for their daily baths.  (We don't have a water fountain, we have a tri-level birdbath.)

I came within an inch or two of walking right into that spider web this afternoon. Scared the daylights out of me.  I looked at that spider, sitting right in the middle of her web....... and I knew it had to go. Where would she build her next web?  Right across the front or back door?  "All's fair in love, war, and spider-webs," I told the banana spider.

Back I went to the other side of the house.... and I came back with the can of wasp spray. (I've yet to see a can of spider spray.)  I sprayed that spider as she sat on that web.  Cruel way to go, let me tell you..... and I had to watch her till her last twitch, just to see where she landed so I wouldn't step on her. (I don't step on spiders, living or dead. I can't stand the crunching sound.)

I used the broom to destroy the web after the spider met its Maker....... and all remnants of that particular spider and the web are gone now.  My apologies to E. B. White and Charlotte.