Nanci Kuykendall

>"I believe the only two poison spiders in north
>America are those two." (Brown Recluse and Black
>Widow)
>Sandra

Hi Sandra, and everyone,

I noticed that someone posted a mention to the hobo,
and that was what I was going to do. We live smack
dab in heavy hobo country. They are not webspinners,
but nomads, hence the name. They are also
opportunistic hunters, and very agressive. I have
seen them chase my kids, or my nieces, clear across a
room at top speed until the kids hopped onto a piece
of furniture or the hobo got squished by an adult,
whichever came first.

Hobo's are LARGE, some of the largest spiders I have
ever seen (barring tarantulas that is) and I have
squished ones as big around as a fifty cent piece
(from leg tip tp leg tip.) That is not all leg
either, but mostly heavy body. A plus side to that
though, is that their bodies are so heavy that they do
not climb well, and you will most often find them on
the floor or on a lower part of a wall. I am not
friendly to spiders roaming my house, particularly
aggressive, poisonous ones. So hobos do not get a
chance to find another home if I happen upon them in
my house.

I have learned something useful though. The best
deterrent to hobos is other spiders. I think they eat
the hobos while they are still little, as well as
dirve them out of their hunting areas. The first year
we had this house was our worst hobo year EVER. The
previous owners had sprayed for bugs in the yard every
year. The second year we did not spray and there were
noticably less hobos around. The third year we saw
maybe 2 dozen in the house throughout the summer and
fall, and last year that was halved. I don't think we
will be around long enough this year before we sell
the house to get a good idea of how many we do or do
not have, since we are selling the house. But this
method of hobo control has to be practiced by someone
comfortable with plenty of harmless spiders about in
the yard and garden, and periodic cobweb cleanings on
the outside of the house. Spiders love this desert
climate.

Nanci K.



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