Taking Care of the Creepy Crawlies...

Fair warning if you hate spiders, in particular large hairy ones stay away from today's post. I repeat don't look at the following videos.

We have a fair number of tarantulas around here in the summer. I caught a video with my camera phone the other day while the kids were riding bikes. Just in case you are freaking out about my kids riding near tarantulas, they really aren't dangerous and don't want anything to do with you. Even at fairly close range (I had to get close with my phone) it took no notice of us.

As you may recall last fall I posted a picture or two of my lovely friends the tarantula hawks who are in abundance again this year.




In fact I thought that poor tarantula is doomed hanging out here the open because just that morning I had tried to photograph an actual tarantula hawk dragging off a tarantula in my garden. I was so excited since I knew what they did but had not got to actually witness any of the process. Alas my pictures did not come out so I was very excited when my husband called me out back to see another one last night.

In both cases it was apparent the tarantula was paralyzed and one almost feels bad knowing it's fate as a live feeding chamber for the tarantula hawks young. You can read all the gory details on DesertUSA if you want. As I finished filming this my dog came over and decided to stick her nose in the hawks business and she got upset and charged us. I hear the sting is painful, although not poisonous, so we backed up quickly.

I love insects they are so interesting!