Ive never had so many spiders come in on the wood. Im sure it's due the warm weather we've had but im ready for those suckers to disappear already. I've killed 3 huge wolf spiders in the past two days. I mean round as a beer can huge! Sorry no pics of the deceased
damm! You get spiders like that in NJ? Time to spray around the stacks with insecticide. Also, spread some Comet cleanser around too. They don't like the chlorine smell.
That's the main reason I don't bring any wood into the basement until after Thanksgiving..... The basement stays fairly cool (we don't use the basement for anything other than storage), it usually stays in the low to mid 40's-low 50's all winter down there), I will build a stack of wood right off of the deck (around a cord or so) here in the coming weeks that will last me until Thanksgiving. Usually by December, the spiders and such go dormant, then I bring the wood in the basement, in batches that will last two weeks or so at a time.....
Yep we sure do! The one i killed tonight came crawling up the wall behind the splits, right as i was reaching for another! I screamed like a girl, smashed him with a split and ran upstairs.
You bet Al! I getm down here big time, Lot's of Black widows. I did find they don't like cedar chips/shavings to much. After my stacks were to size, I threw cedar shavings all over the rows, an Old mill wright fella told me that, It seemed to help alot.
There are a lot of spiders in my stacks too. I try to leave them be so they can kill insects. As a kid I would fry them with a magnifying glass or put dirt down my BB gun barrel and shoot them shot gun style. I am trying to make amends for my death and destruction as a kid.
The only wood I bring in the house right now goes directly in the stove, got some racks right outside the door so It's easy. Had to knock a spider off a piece yesterday , lots of webs in the stacks
I like the Cedar shavings idea. Much less toxic. Our Wolf Spiders are smaller, usually. This year not too many, but a lot of Daddy Long Leg spiders. Then we get these weird spiders with big marbleized butts in brown and orange that spin huge webs. Only at this time of year, though.
I had spiders in the beams of the roof of the porch. We have a table and chairs there. I got this rash on my leg that did't seem to want to heal. Tuned out to be spider bites. Took months to get cleared up. I now vacuum them up when I see them building a web out there. I hate most bugs. I got Lyme's disease from a tick bite. Now we have the threat of west Nile and triple E from mosquitoes. Come on winter! At least during the winter months I don't get bitten by bugs.
SM, that lymes disease "SUCKS"!!!!! I had it of all places, East Lyme, CT. where it all started, I was stationed at the USCG Academy. I still get pains in my joints from that! I'm more scared of ticks than spiders although I agree, I don't like either one of them, although the spider has a purpose.
This summer I was moving a wood stack in short sleeves and felt something on my arm, when I looked down there was a wolf spider that was every bit of 3" across moving at a quick rate of speed up my arm. I have never moved so quick in my life. It frieked me out just because I wasn't ready for it. I have seen some big wolf spiders but nothing that has ever been that size before. I had to convince myself it wasn't a tarantula.
They are a bit intimidating but, If you "hate crickets" then you'll love wolf spiders. Wolf spiders just love crickets! That's how they get so dam fat. They gotta be quick to catch them, thats why they love the wood pile so much, ambush tactics! They really are harmless, but most of you are right, and you can't explain that to my daughter, She won't go near the wood pile until we have had a good freeze.
That explains it! My basement is loaded with crickets this year. I'd much rather listen to crickets than be scared like a little kid to go in the basement lol
