9/3/2009A spider is suspended among a network of webs near the Interstate 82 bridge on the Columbia River.Staff photo by Tammy Malgesini
Spiders: friend or foe?
By TAMMY MALGESINI
East Oregonian
A Web site I recently went to said most spiders are small, inconspicuous and harmless to humans.
Whatever.
Sure, they're small if compared to, let's say, an elephant. But regardless of their size, the creepy, crawly, arachnids make my skin crawl.
And inconspicuous - yeah, right.
My husband and I took our dog to a spot along the Columbia River recently, yet because of hundreds of the "little" web-swingers, we couldn't even make it down the trail to the water.
Jeter, our German shepherd, was oblivious to the situation. He merely headed down the trail, periodically trotting back to nudge us forward.
Feeling the dangling webs as he headed further down the path, John grabbed a piece of brush and waved it in the air as he pressed onward to the river.
As I followed behind I tried to stay focused on the trail, but out of the corner of my eyes I could see hundreds of spiders.
Now just for a frame of reference regarding my disdain for the creepy creatures, just a few days before our excursion to the river I sat on my bed and yelled, "Speeder!" as I pointed to single, solitary spider that was crawling on the wall three feet away from me.
As part of our marriage vows, John promptly responded and the spider met its maker.Now let's look at the definition of harmless: Not intended to harm or offend; inoffensive.
Well, the spiders may not have intended to offend, but they did. I found it upsetting that they had overtaken an area I've enjoyed bringing my dog to during past summers, not to mention raising my blood pressure and causing sweat to pour from my brow.
In wrestling with the question of whether spiders are friend or foe, I recognize they are a food source for numerous animals - birds, mammals and amphibians. So if you see some starving or vagrant-looking animal, tell them there's an all-you-can-eat spider buffet available below the Interstate 82 bridge on the Washington side of the Columbia River.
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Tammy Malgesini is the EO community editor. Her column, Inside My shoes, appears every other week. You can reach her at tmalgesini@eastoregonian.com or 541-564-4539.
Spiders: friend or foe?
By TAMMY MALGESINI
East Oregonian
A Web site I recently went to said most spiders are small, inconspicuous and harmless to humans.
Whatever.
Sure, they're small if compared to, let's say, an elephant. But regardless of their size, the creepy, crawly, arachnids make my skin crawl.
And inconspicuous - yeah, right.
My husband and I took our dog to a spot along the Columbia River recently, yet because of hundreds of the "little" web-swingers, we couldn't even make it down the trail to the water.
Jeter, our German shepherd, was oblivious to the situation. He merely headed down the trail, periodically trotting back to nudge us forward.
Feeling the dangling webs as he headed further down the path, John grabbed a piece of brush and waved it in the air as he pressed onward to the river.
As I followed behind I tried to stay focused on the trail, but out of the corner of my eyes I could see hundreds of spiders.
Now just for a frame of reference regarding my disdain for the creepy creatures, just a few days before our excursion to the river I sat on my bed and yelled, "Speeder!" as I pointed to single, solitary spider that was crawling on the wall three feet away from me.
As part of our marriage vows, John promptly responded and the spider met its maker.Now let's look at the definition of harmless: Not intended to harm or offend; inoffensive.
Well, the spiders may not have intended to offend, but they did. I found it upsetting that they had overtaken an area I've enjoyed bringing my dog to during past summers, not to mention raising my blood pressure and causing sweat to pour from my brow.
In wrestling with the question of whether spiders are friend or foe, I recognize they are a food source for numerous animals - birds, mammals and amphibians. So if you see some starving or vagrant-looking animal, tell them there's an all-you-can-eat spider buffet available below the Interstate 82 bridge on the Washington side of the Columbia River.
---
Tammy Malgesini is the EO community editor. Her column, Inside My shoes, appears every other week. You can reach her at tmalgesini@eastoregonian.com or 541-564-4539.
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