An Uninvited Guest

[Balboa]

Spotted this little guy scurrying about a couple days ago. I'm sure he (and yes I think its a male) came in on one of the weeds I transplanted. I had at first assumed it was one of the little black "grass spiders" we get around here (related to wolfs), but got a good close look just now, and I think its a true wolf.



As I've done a bio-active substrate, he could be very beneficial. I watched him feed for quite a while, picking over the substrate, eating teeny tiny creepy crawlies.

LOL this might tie in with Peanutbutters thread about non tort companions thread.

There is the concern of him over grazing possible beneficial creepy crawlies, and what about tort bites? These aren't a threat to humans, but what about Rocky? I'm not really too worried, as Rocky will be encountering these in the garden in spring.

hehe just thought I'd share and garner feedback on keep him there or not.

 

[DeanS]

The first thing I thought was wolf...I think that's GREAT! Are you gonna contain him or is he going to be free to come-and-go as he likes?

 

[Balboa]

I should probably try and contain him, the wife and kids are none too fond of his kind, though I try to encourage them to leave them be.

We have a somewhat unique spider problem in the PNW. We have quite a few Hobo Spiders, which can give a nasty, flesh eating necrotic bite. Trouble is the best defense against Hobos is the Giant House Spider, which looks VERY similiar. I've gotten the girls in the habit of not smooshing them right away, let me catch them and study them to decide if they get released in the yard, released in the house(when the kids aren't looking) or smooshed. I've only smooshed one so far, I'm 95% certain it was a hobo, close enough for me.

We don't get to see alot of Wolfs, they used to be more common, but the Hobo and Giant House Spiders (which are actually imports and not native) seem to be displacing them. If I remember correctly, our true native wolf here used to hold the record for fastest spider in the world, and darn this guy's fast. Some spider in Africa bumped them down to #2.