Spider-breath

[janestarz]

You can tell autumn is around the corner once the big running spiders start coming into the house. I've had the occasional running spider when our house had a garden, but I never had one I can remember skulking around an apartment.

I was on the couch, quilting a bit and generally minding my own business, when suddenly I saw something creeping near the door to the balcony. Genus Tegenaria was coming to find the ladies of the house (I had to browse through several webpages filled with pictures of huge macro'ed spiders to find the right kind and so I read up on their habits...brrr!).
Of course I did what any sensible girl would do: tuck my feet up on the couch and try to find flamethrower-worthy materials in the vicinity.

By the time bed-time rolled around, big runny spider was of course nowhere to be seen, but I was quite sure my feet were safely tucked under the blankets. I was dozing off, nearing sleep, and suddenly I heard paws.
Paws playing...

I ran out of bed and sure enough, Doortje had found leggy spider and was in the process of professional wet-work. The spider feebly moved one or two of his five remaining legs, and he was bitten just to show him who was boss.
Doortje tried to eat the spider, but spat him out again as he was still a bit wriggly.
I made my way back into the bedroom after singing praise from as far away as I could and tucked myself back in, hoping against hope that Doortje would not be bringing me her trophy later that night and that she would not happily lick my forehead while still suffering from spider-breath.

This morning, spider was nowhere to be seen, and my house is, presumably, safe again from all 8-legged menaces.

Comments

[anemoona.livejournal.com]

Die ken ik! Ik heb haar Shelob gedoopt (ervan uitgaand dat het een 'haar' is), omdat er geen enkel glas is in mijn servieskast die groot genoeg is om over de spin te passen zodat ik haar buiten kan zetten. Zolang ze in de kelder blijft zitten ben ik tevreden...

[wannabe-bitch.livejournal.com]

Zo blij dat ik normaal ook vier potige, acht potige verdelgers heb.
Helaas logeren die nu ergens anders zodat ik elk weekeind heel erg goed moet kijken in mijn kamer of ik nogwel veilig ben.

Yeey voor Doortje dat ze zo dapper was.

[https://me.yahoo.com/maladignia#6d2f0 (from livejournal.com)]

We actually named the one that was living behind the bookcase in my father's house: Japie. :-) And later son/daughter of Japie because there was a new one that was smaller. (could've been other gender though)

I don't think we got those in our own house now, but we do have those little jumping spiders which seem to be able to teleport when you scare them.
And our front garden is filled with Araneus diadematus (kruisspin) among which a few individuals that like to make their web across our garden path. So every morning when I go for my walk I have to relocate at least one web to be able to freely move along the path.
So glad that I am not afraid of spiders. ;-) Though I do get the creeps when I try to move a spider (out of the house) and it starts running up my arm.

Good that you have your fierce protector Doortje. Our Lina only pats at running bugs/spiders and quickly looses interest. Melisse only focuses on flies.