[Wondergirl]

Dear Spider Expert:

There's a nice spider in our bathroom window. All summer, he has enjoyed trapping and eating evil flies in his nicely spun web. The web has somewhat disintegrated, but the spider still is there, proudly poised to pounce on another fly that zooms into his web. Trouble is, the flies have disappeared and the spider hasn't eaten for at least a week.

Last night, I thought he had died, but today he is sitting up and looking alert. Should I find some bugs outdoors and put them into his web? We even thought of trapping him and taking him outside, but the weather is turning cold, so that's probably a death sentence -- although he would die wild and free. The window will soon be closed and ice crystals will form between the window and storm window, freezing him into oblivion.

Please advise.
Wondergirl

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Dear WG:

Ok... chances are, the spider is nearing the end of its life anyway. You say the web is kind of disintegrated which tells me that the spider isn't keeping up with housework. In general, a spider will work on their web quite often and not let it remain damaged for too long... unless there is something wrong with the spider itself. It could be that she just senses the weather is changing and may have plans to move somewhere into a nook or something along those lines... or, as I already mentioned, she could be dying. Either way, I would just allow things to go as they have already been planned as you won't really be able to change anything.

As far as eating... spiders are amazing survivors (one of the reasons I like them) and can adapt to a variety of things. Most spiders can go months without eating. Sure, I guess they would prefer to eat but they are designed to survive without eating if they have to. I know of some spiders that can go 6 months without food as long as there is some sort of moisture.

I hope I was able to help you with this.

Take care.
The Spider Expert

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Dear SE:

I've named him Sammy (Sarah, if he turns out to be a girl). Sammy's rebuilt his web several times, so will watch to see if he does that again. I was thinking of putting a drop of honey near where he sits, but am not sure if spiders eat honey.

Our house was built in 1920, so there are lots of nooks and crannies that Sammy can crawl into. I think I will let nature take its course. He's looking pretty feisty today.

I'd put him in the basement, but our rescued cat Deborah likes to roam down there. She came upstairs the other night with a half-eaten mouse in her jaws, like "Looky what I found!"

Thanks for the information.
WG

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Dear SE:

Remember Sammy, the spider who lived in my bathroom window, the spider who was starving and looking sad?

I accidentally killed him Tuesday, thinking he was someone else.

I was walking into the bathroom and a spider was ambling along in the middle of the room. Now I am not afraid of spiders but this one seemed to be the size of a dinner plate, HEADED RIGHT TOWARD ME! He stopped ambling and looked at me with his beady little eyes, smiled strangely, then waggled his front feet at me.

I thought he was planning to kill me, so I grabbed the little wastebasket in the corner and bashed him with the bottom. I had to do that three times before he gave up the ghost and curled up twitching. There was no blood shed.

I grabbed a tissue and laid his now-quiet body gently in the wastebasket, said a short prayer (I'm a preacher's kid, after all), and then went about my business.

It hit me later. That must have been Sammy!! (He was no longer in his spot in the window.) He had been maybe ambling toward a warm corner for the winter, had stopped ambling when he recognized me, smiled a goofy smile, and was waving at me! And I killed him!! I had never seen him walking around and didn't know how big he was, had just seen him peeking over the top of our indoor-outdoor thermometer in the window.

I dug him out of the wastebasket and tried mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, but several hours had gone by. It was too late. Sammy was no longer among the living. Maybe we will meet again another day. Do spiders wait for their people like dogs and cats do on the other side of The Rainbow Bridge?

WG

amhd.rainbow bridge.jpg

EPILOGUE

This afternoon, I noticed that a little red spider was assiduously building a web at the bottom of our bathroom window, on the inside near where Sammy used to live (must be a good spot). A big fat housefly landed next to him and asked what he was doing. The little red spider told him, and the big fat housefly said the web looked too small and puny to catch a real meal like a big fat housefly such as himself. The little red spider just smiled.

[odinn7]

I remember this. Poor, poor Sammy.

[Wondergirl]

Yes, odinn7, you are my Spider Expert.