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Fred's Garden Blog

After a nearly five year hiatus, Fred's Garden Blog is back! Now you can enjoy and experience the gardening exploits and adventures of Fred in his quest to hybridize brugmansia and keep his jungle and nursery under control.

Sommer Gardens / Wednesday, October 7, 2009 / Categories: Garden Pests, Creatures

You better look before you grasp!

When gardening in Florida you know it is always best to look before you grab something....or you may regret it.  This friendly, and beautiful wolf spider was just hanging out on the side of a tray of rooted cuttings.  Wolf spiders are quite common around here and this one is just a baby.  When full grown their leg span can equal the width of your hand!

wolfspider.jpg
Wolf spiders are a beneficial spider because they love to eat roaches.  Believe it or not you can actually hear them crunching away while they hold a large roach and munch on the head and torso.  If you shine a light on them at night their eyes reflect ruby red.  Living in an old wooden house I have learned to coexist with them.  This can really test your heart when you wake up at night feeling something walking across your face.  By instinct, you grab it and sling it away only to hear a loud thud when it hits the opposite wall.  In just a matter of seconds you realize this was not a nightmare but rather an actual, real life experience.  Needless to say it make take some time, and perhaps even a few beers, before you are able to go back to sleep.

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