Black Widow Spiders

The house on Rose Circle had faux shutters on each side of the windows in the front. The living room windows next to the front door were relatively tall, and their shutters were easily reached by Gordon's & Laura's little hands. Imagine our dismay when we discovered black widow webs surrounding these shutters. Black widows have distinctive erratic-looking webs, and since they hide during the day (behind shutters, in this case), they are difficult to get to, unless you are a small child who likes to stick your fingers behind such things.

I was, therefore, highly motivated to get rid of them. I often got up early in the morning when it was still cool and hunted spiders. They would be out, spinning their little disorganized webs, and THWACK! I would smack them upside the body and turn them into nasty little damp spots. Then I would clear away the webs so I could tell if/when another one appeared.

It seems my campaign was successful, because none of the kids were ever bitten. I have no tolerance for toxic creatures, which includes scorpions and wasps, although I admit a certain fascination for gila monsters.