In my never ending quest to bring you the latest cutting edge bug stuff I thought this article by Marty Smith of Williamet Week was great on relating the facts about Brown recluse Spiders. Bear in mind this is from the Portland, Oregon area but I’m always addressing the fears of people here in Arizona concerning this very hyped spider.
Arizona – No frost, no ice and no snow = bigger, badder bugs!
I absolutely love living in the south, warmer temperatures and no shoveling snow or slipping on the ice. I did grow up in Ohio and was fortunate enough to have a Cub Cadet lawnmower snow plow to help me avoid work. Yes it’s hotter than hell here in Arizona during the summer months but gladly I will endure the HEAT versus the cold and snow. The best thing for a bug guy is that the bugs seldom die and this year we didn’t have any real cold and frigid weather to speak of.
So guess what, yep the bugs are going to be out if force this year. So what does that mean for the average homeowner? The crickets and feeder bugs, you know the kind of bugs that scorpions love to eat – are going to be huge… Bark Scorpions eat small insects, spiders and sometimes other scorpions depending on conditions. They feed at night and often hang out on retaining or block walls which hold the Arizona heat. The idea here is to identify, reduce the numbers and where they live, stop them from getting in and pesticides if needed.
I just knew this was TRUE! Spiders eggghh…
A new study by Ohio State University researchers says people who have an intense fear of spiders see those creatures much bigger than what they really are.
This information was in the Journal of Anxiety Disorders It was as big as my head, I swear!: – You have to sign up to get to read the entire story, but I bet I knew this answer without the study.
Shades of “Snakes on the Plane” SPIDERS
I’m just amazed with stories like this, what in the hell was he thinking? I guess money speaks louder than sense does. Here is a story from the Dailymail in the U.K.
This is too funny….. to much time on their hands…
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rT69oekJArs]
If you ever get the chance to hear Dr. Jerome Goddard University of Mississippi Medical Entomologist – you must, he is exciting and just full of knowledge. Thanks to http://home seal.myerspest.com/ for bringing this to my attention. He and some of his students put this little video together, don’t go out in the woods alone…. Here is his youtube site info, he has a few more informative video’s available – http://www.youtube.com/user/Jeromie1234/videos
Right here in Tempe – you’re not going to believe it…
I run into stories every once in awhile that are just to good not to post, this first story (google alerts spiders) took me to this
It was just funny that in the same google alert was this story from Tempe where a young man was stealing spiders and putting them in his pants
Now I’m probably guessing he hasn’t read the article above, but it was funny that they appeared in the same alert. Watch where you put things or something may happen that won’t “Make Your Day”!
Exciting News – A new species of spider found in Australia…
I know what you are thinking, exciting news for who? I love it when they find something new that nobody ever noticed before. Our spider makes top 10 weirdest list from http://www.inmycommunity.com.au by Joel Kelly Avon Valley Gazette.
10 weirdest forms of life 2011 National Geographic
1. Cyclops shark
2. Furcifer timoni chameleon
3. ‘Albino’ spider
4. Beelzebub bat
5. Ophiocordycepscamponoti-balzani fungus
6. ‘Pancake’ sea slug
7. ‘Flying’ tree frog
8. ‘Devil’ worm
9. ‘Big-lipped’ seaworm
10. ‘Pink meanie’ jellyfish
Movies – There are a few that may surprise you on this list but I think some of you will appreciate some of the weirder ones. Here was my list of Top 7 homicidal-creepy crawlies movie creatures… When I was 15 I had the chance to go to Japan for the 13th World Scout Jamboree and on the plane flight I read the book “I am Legend“. It became one of those items that I would read from time to time and then they made a movie of it “I am Legend“
My all time favorite is the 1951 version on “The Day the Earth Stood Still” – I did watch the remake but the original was and is still my absolute favorite.
Now I know you’re waiting for my favorite bug movie and it has to be the 1990 Arachnophobia with John Goodman as the bug dude – it stills creeps me out.
Check it out – it is a spider creepy movie…
Arizona has some unique bugs, have you seen any?
Any guesses on this one? Comment below!
Most places have bugs/insect/wildlife that are native to their environment and Arizona is no different since we are a desert. A lot of people think we are extremely hot all the time and that is far from the truth. Here is the Wikipedia definition of the Sonoran Desert.
The Sonoran Desert includes 60 mammal species, 350 bird species, 20 amphibian species, over 100 reptile species, 30 native fish species, over 1000 native bee species, and more than 2000 native plant species. The Sonora Desert area southwest of Tucson and near the Mexican border is vital habitat for the only population of Jaguars living within the United States.
Here is a field guide to the “Nature Study in the Sonoran Desert”.
While many entry points are not obvious, a few are. Let’s look at a quick checklist of the more common ones:
1. Under garage doors; where the door does not meet the concrete pad. Replace the seal.
2. Crawlspace vents; repair or replace if screens are ripped or vents broken.
3. HVAC penetrations; where HVAC refrigeration lines go through the foundation and around the unit itself.
4. Hose bibs; where water line goes through foundation or wall.
5. Under first course of siding; occasionally you’ll find an opening between the sill plate and footer.
6. Door frames; openings between door frame and structure.
7. Plumbing vent cover missing or broken; reinstall or replace.
8. Under entry way doors; adjust or replace door sweep.
9. Wire/cable through wall or foundation; seal around opening.
10. Basement and crawlspace doors; seal all openings.
This information taken from an article in B&G EquipNet Technical Newsletter November 2011 by William H. Robinson, Ph.D
I would also like to state a few others that we all should be aware of:
