Dear Tweeters, LET THIS BE A WARNING TO ALL OF YOU!!!! After being bitten,
hospitalized and having surgery (on my face of all places); because of a hobo
spider bite, I was horrified to find a female building
a funnel, in my wooden suet feeder which hangs six feet off of the ground.
My husband works for Terminix, and was able to determine who she was.. Females
run up to and above 1/2-3/4 of an inch. This is body mass, excluding the legs,
which are hairy. The aggressive house spider subspecies we have here is
Tegenaria agrestis, whose bite can be fatal if
caution and medical treatment is not taken. I had noticed spider webbing
in the feeder before and determined this was where the earwigs had
dissappeared to, and was glad to be rid of them. The Hobo is supposed to
be in damp, low lying areas, under houses in heavy brush, garages and
basements. However they can actually live in the attic( they don't seem to
have read up on where it is best for them to live). At any rate please
look before you stick your hand into your feeders; it is well worth the
extra moment....This is no April fools joke......Vicki Biltz
Bonney Lake Wa.
email sawwhet85b at netscape.net

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