Flying Spider Season

[Michelle53]

Hi all,

For a moment of levity, I'm considering posting a "Flying Spider Season" notice in my space. 

If you think I'm joking, and Chicago, being urban, doesn't have critters, think again !    The Hilton Hotel has a warning notice to travellers regarding flying spiders, which can inhabit balconies up to 95 stories up !  

More at this link :-

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/its-flying-spider-season-in-chicago/

CHICAGO -- If you're afraid of spiders, the last thing you probably want to hear about is a flying spider. So you may want to think twice about staying at a posh downtown hotel in Chicago after seeing the flyers they've been passing around to guests.

A note to guests at the Hilton Chicago Magnificent Mile Suites, shared on Reddit, suggested that "you not open your windows in your suite during this time, to avoid the annual migration of high-rise flying spiders, a Chicago phenomenon."

Though they may make Chicago residents shudder, the flying spiders play an important role in the environment, says Steve Sullivan, the senior curator of urban ecology at the Notebaert Nature Museum.

"Spiders are a wonderful part of our neighborhood ecology. If we didn't have spiders, we'd be neck-deep in flies by early summer," Sullivan said.

[Michelle53]

Since there seems to have been a rash of account suspensions due to spiders lately, I thought I would move this posting up to "recent", since it's almost flying spider season here. 

[Ann72]

@Michelle53  It might be time to add an illustration saying "Great Stay" spelled out in a spider's web to your listing...

https://youtu.be/__7NUrkFirA

[Michelle53]

@Ann72   I'm imagining a festoon of webs outside giving me 5 stars and thanking me for a great stay, on behalf of the spiders 😉

[Ann72]

I'm seeing the exact same thing @Michelle53 😂

[Nick]

I'll be passed out in the corner if you need me @Michelle53 @Ann72 😂

[Ann72]

Wait until you see the other spider discussion, @Nick.  You’ll wish you’d stayed at this one!  😂

[Michelle53]

@Nick  You might want to make a note to self never to visit the US over Halloween. 

By the way, that fake webby stuff that most people buy is very bad for wildlife, actually.  Especially birds. 

This  is not my house. 

[John5097]

A tenant sent me this pic of the spiders she killed and created an alter where she saved them. 

 

[John5097]

[Michelle53]

@John5097  People are so thoughtless. To me, that represents about 100 flies that didn't get eaten. 

[John5097]

@Michelle53 I think everyone is at a different place. I thought she didn't like killing anything, and compassion has to start somewhere. I try to give people the benefit of the doubt. I did tell her that I can't be responsible for spiders outside, but did pressure wash the house twice a year.

She pointed that this was a black widow and it is right in the doorway. 

I've only seen a very small one every now and then. The only way insects get in is if guest leave the door open. The apartment is so sealed. I sealed every possible crack, including all the plumbing. 

Generally guest from colder climate have no idea how many insects are in tropical area. There are products that keep them from reproducing. If not the entire place would be crawling with thousands of roaches and would be shut down. 

Maybe she was saving them as some kind of evidence against me.  

[Michelle53]

@John5097  A Black Widow isn't going to harm anyone that just leaves them alone.  I would steer clear of that one, though, since it looks like she is nurturing some egg cases. 

I used to live in South Africa. We came across a nest of Black Widows hanging on our fence, and had to call the local wildlife protection agency to come get them, since they are a legally protected species. 

[John5097]

@Michelle53 

She had a key to the utility shed and an entire storage rack that was part of our agreement, as there is limited storage in the apartment. So I don't think she was being thoughtless. I didn't realize it was a black widow and didn't know we had those. I did try and remove the web and it was very aggressive and fast. 

If it was on a fence I would just have left those alone. That would be part of the environment and ecosystem and easy to avoid. 

I never use any chemicals with my vegetable garden. The wasps are beneficial insects, however they also like to make nest in the doorway corners so have to remove them. I just use a leaf blower to move them and remove the nest. They all die in the winter and the queen buries down in the ground for next year. 

Anyway, I think we are on the same page here, the flyer and post are trying to inform and educate guest about insects and spiders. 

As a host I have to do the best I can and can't always expect guest to be at the exact same place I am in regards to other living creatures on the planet. 

I think this tenant  was an insect lover but didn't want them inside. Its hard to tell which ones are poisonous. I think she likely brought the eggs with her belongings, though. 

I used an embossing labelers for a note on the door lock to "Please keep doors closed. Mosquitoes." and have it in the house rules that leaving doors open will let in insects. 

Always good to educate so great post. Some people are just really afraid of insects or spiders even if its dead. 

[Laura2592]

@Michelle53 when I lived in New Orleans we had flying termite season and stinging catepillar season. People made the funniest signs. I say go for something cheeky!