Spiders...keeping us healthier one mosquito at a time.

  Here lately, it seems as if I hear a lot of folks complaining about spiders in their homes and in the gardens.  "I hate spiders!" they exclaim.  In an equal excited state they add, "The only good spider is a dead spider." Sorry but that is one of the stupidest things I have ever heard.  When I try to extol all of the ways a spider helps us, I get the "Well, you have never been bitten by one!" Sorry...yep, I have.  A Black Widow left a decidedly painful bite on my leg.  A number of Wolf Spiders have chomped my feet and hands.  Some yet unidentified spiders have tasted my blood.   As matter of fact, I get bitten quite a bit but have no reason not to like spiders.  The benefits they provide do, indeed, outweigh their demerits.  

  I was down checking the old skiff to make sure the pump was still working after the rain overnight.  I was surprised but happy to spy several nice sized webs still intact in spite of the nasty weather.  The spiders were doing their jobs!  Each web was filled with mosquitoes, midges and gnats.  Yep, even though it is November, those pests still abound on the Bayou but the spiders were working overtime in inclement weather to keep them in check!

Look closely and you can see a number of mosquitoes, midges and gnats entrapped in the spider's web.

  If you are one of those folks who are a bit squeamish about spiders, consider this.  How often do you hear of someone getting bit?  How often do you get bitten by mosquitoes?  It is a fact that more people die from mosquito bites than spider bites.  Mosquito bites are known to spread quite a few deadly diseases.  That said, I think I like spiders even a bit more.  
  
  With all of these thoughts blasting through the brain this morning, I peered over at the spiderweb and thanked all the spiders for doing their part in keeping us healthy.