onewomanarmy
has rocks in the head
Carpe Silicis!
Member since January 2007
Posts: 645
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Post by onewomanarmy on Aug 2, 2011 12:23:21 GMT -5
When we bought our house, there were a few landscaping rocks in varying places. Came across this one the other day and thought I'd snap a photo to see if anyone can tell me what it is.  and a little more detail:  I was going to try to gather more info but got distracted (that happens a lot) when I saw this pretty little thing:  Which was really pretty until I turned my back and it was gone and I just kept thinking about the next time I reach over that way to turn the hose on. Now I'm not quite so convinced of her beauty. I hate killing things - and know despite how much they love to snack on me, spiders are really helpful little creatures to have around. However, this one is too close to where hands (sometimes little hands) reach - so is going to have to go. If she shows herself again, I'm thinking about transplanting her (she is, of course, a she unless she's a he and I didn't get close enough to get a peek). I'm sure this is the thought process of many people who've ended up needing treatment for her bite...  Thanks for any help on the rock ID! oh - it's about the size of a basketball give or take - not that that is a lot of help... shannon |
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Post by tkrueger3 on Aug 2, 2011 13:00:55 GMT -5
Shan, sorry, I can't help with the rock, but  WOW! I do hope you know that the spider in the picture is a BLACK WIDOW, and is one of the most venomous spiders we have in the U.S. Nasty, nasty biter! I agree with you on most spiders - leave them alone, they eat other bugs. But when I find a black widow, she's gonna be toast! Regards, Tom |
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Post by FrogAndBearCreations on Aug 2, 2011 13:07:18 GMT -5
Yep I feel the same way about the black widows and brown recluse - they are gonners if I see them
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Post by jakesrocks on Aug 2, 2011 13:14:34 GMT -5
You're right. She is a she. The males are much smaller, and lack the coloring.
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onewomanarmy
has rocks in the head
Carpe Silicis!
Member since January 2007
Posts: 645
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Post by onewomanarmy on Aug 2, 2011 13:29:57 GMT -5
I did know it's a black widow Tom - they are actually pretty common around here - those and brown recluse spiders. I'd not seen one that far out in the open before - nor that big - and they are such fascinating things from the coloring to the danger. Having said that - she's pretty from a distance - now that I don't know where she is she's not near as pretty. I'm afraid I'm just going to have to spray the area and hope I get her. Hate doing that - there are other, less-painful spiders around there also. Just don't want her getting her "teeth" into me or my 3 yo niece. It's funny how ingrained that red blaze is in our instincts. I had it in my head that the males didn't have the coloring - but wasn't positive. Thanks for the info - I'm not sure I'd recognize a male. I also have it in my head that the males aren't as venomous...? Not that I'm looking to try that theory. I'll stick with Google for the answer to that one! I see you guys had the same problem I had. What rock?  |
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Post by tandl on Aug 2, 2011 14:22:43 GMT -5
That is one crazy Missouri lace agate.
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Post by gr on Aug 2, 2011 23:34:09 GMT -5
Shannon, I go around the outside of my house with a flash light and a big paint stir stick once a week and kill the widows. They're out in the web at night and I just knock em down. Good Luck!, and tandl gave ya what you need on the big rock
gr
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Post by tanyafrench on Aug 3, 2011 8:43:45 GMT -5
The rock looks like a really neat garden rock that you might just want to cut some. As to the spider spray you don't need the widows hanging around and where there is one there are many more.
Tanya
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onewomanarmy
has rocks in the head
Carpe Silicis!
Member since January 2007
Posts: 645
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Post by onewomanarmy on Aug 3, 2011 10:44:09 GMT -5
I thought it looked sorta like lace - not quite as defined in it's pattern - but I'm never sure. Is it in feldspar or something similar? Given I usually buy my rocks from people here, I'm not used to seeing them in such "raw" form! Luckily and un-luckily, I don't have a saw large enough to cut this. Probably better - I like it as it is. But disappointing cause I'd like to see more... The paint stick is a good idea gr! She may have heard me muttering about "got to go" and "smoosh" cause she's not shown her face in the last day or so. May have to resort to spray and just hope I get her. I'd prefer some visual confirmation that she's gone given her proximity to our hose and faucet. Got me curious brown recluse vs black widow bites - I always had it in my head that recluse bite was worse - not sure why. After researching I've decided that it's best to avoid both. Photos are gruesome for recluse bite though. |
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Post by FrogAndBearCreations on Aug 3, 2011 10:50:15 GMT -5
I get brown recluse traps at Home Depot and set them all around the house and my rock shop in the dark places they like to hang out.
Each year I catch several in the traps from my rock shop and laundry room
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Post by NatureNut on Aug 3, 2011 11:56:54 GMT -5
Yes, it looks like Amethyst Lace to me. Jo
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller 
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,504
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Post by Sabre52 on Aug 3, 2011 20:24:27 GMT -5
I would have guessed without knowing hardness, that it was some kind of travertine. Those widows used to love my rockpiles in California ( ask Lowell *L*). Now it's striped bark scorpions which are much less toxic than widows but much more likely to sting you.....Mel
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Post by Bikerrandy on Aug 3, 2011 21:18:07 GMT -5
Holy crap, I think I'll stay in Virginia. I'm an Ebay rockhound. lol
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rockfarmer
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since July 2011
Posts: 93
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Post by rockfarmer on Aug 4, 2011 0:12:44 GMT -5
Nice rock. Spiders are nasty, just smush 'em. Fly swatters work just as well and they don't bite.
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onewomanarmy
has rocks in the head
Carpe Silicis!
Member since January 2007
Posts: 645
|
Post by onewomanarmy on Aug 4, 2011 9:08:44 GMT -5
For some reason, scorpions seem more threatening than spiders. I kinda picture them as one of those creatures that goes out looking for trouble. I don't have any problems not having any of those in my area! Had been out a couple of times to try to find ol' girl (as she had been dubbed after I first saw her) but she always managed to disappear deep in that crack before I got near. Had read that not many sprays really work with black widows and wanted to make sure I knew I had her - so was just kinda waiting to catch her out so I could just smash her and end it for sure. Anyway, got home yesterday - peeked out - didn't see her. We'd had a good storm here that morning and I noticed that her web had picked up quite a bit of debris with all the wind. I turned to go inside and I thought...wait a minute...is that really "debris"? Got closer and blew very slightly on the web - and that "debris" went running all over the web. Babies. Lots of 'em. Lots. And unless there's some weird quirk in black widow DNA, I was pretty sure that they were allll going to grow up to be...well, black widows. At least the ones that survived. Still - that's too many. So, I had to do something - but smooshing them at the angle they were just seemed more likely to scatter them all over the place. Did a little poking online and decided that hornet spray (the foaming kind) seemed like my best option. Just as I started to spray - that ol' mother (she has a new name now) came flying out of the crack in quite the attack mode. Luckily it was the spray disturbing her nest and not my finger. Think I wiped them all out - I know I got her. So, at least for now, little fingers are safe turning on the hose. You can bet I'll be doing a thorough check around the rest of the house now. With Gary's paint stick and flashlight in hand. Just glad we don't have scorpions...  |
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WOW! I do hope you know that the spider in the picture is a BLACK WIDOW, and is one of the most venomous spiders we have in the U.S. Nasty, nasty biter! I agree with you on most spiders - leave them alone, they eat other bugs. But when I find a black widow, she's gonna be toast! 
