I am surprised I haven't had a nightmare yet!

I did have one nasty one a month ago about spiders... cringe!

Not my favorite beasties.

It took me YEARS to get used to them on vacation. I'll tell you there is a spider for every rock up there. They like to hide in the bed too.

Still I can cohabit with them now, but I don't like them any more than before!

I recall when my son was about 8 yrs old and he found a huge toad.
We put the toad in our 5 gal aquarium I keep up there, to watch beasties.
Hubby decided to feed the toad, and he caught a big orb weaver under the eave using a broom. We fed that to the toad, and it was one gross moment, cherished by my son.... but not cherished by ME!

We had 2 praying mantis's in that aquarium once, a male and female.
Watching them eat the flies we caught for them was tame compared to the toad eating the huge spider! LOL (we let the mantis's go eventually and watched them run up the trees to the top!)

I am now scratching Florida off of the list of possible vacation destinations....

gross! i HATE insects. and i'm moving to FL in 8 wks. yikes!
i'd call a professional exterminator.

my feeling is where there is one there is 2 etc.
i don't trust insects. ewwwwww.

Great news people--after the information you all gave me, it definitely is not a brown recluse (it doesn't have the "fiddle" shape on his head....)

Turns out it isn't poisonous, either--at least, not lethally! I sprayed near it's "home" the other day and haven't seen it since. Let's keep our fingers crossed!

Thank you, thank you, thank you for the information!! I knew I could count on you guys!

OK Mrs. D,
Here's my toad story. DS was having a pool party, DH ran down little hill to filter and lifted high a black snake with a big lump halfway in him for all the boys to see. They loved it! Then that snake heaved up dead that HUGE toad he'd eaten. Boys loved it.

Gotta love boys!

Okay my story... A couple years ago we did the family reunion in florida. All the little (an not so little) boys were catching lizzards and frogs. so of course, decide to scare us old ladies with the. Worked for most of 'em.

I am not crazy about spiders and snakes, but I like those tiny anoles - had one as a pet for years. When those boys saw that I could catch and hold a lizzard, OMG, how cool was I.



As long as they stayed outta my drink, it's all good. I don't share my margaritas.

One time, my nephew *Ant* brought me a big ol frog and I made him dance the *Michigan Rag* - we still bust up about that one.