Accomodating Spiders

Boy, I was vacuuming up a storm when I first noticed it. The small hole near the bottom of the wall was not new, but the gossamer, funnel-shaped web leading into it certainly was. Perhaps it was just laziness on my part, but I decided to just let it be. After all, it was winter, and even she needed shelter. Besides, how much trouble could one small spider possibly be?

I have gotten into trouble before with such thinking. As a child, I was always collecting odd critters in jars which often ended up in the large bay window in our kitchen. The results of one such episode are crystal clear in my now grown-up mind. My mother was an extremely patient woman, but one day she had just had enough of my “collecting”. One jar in the window contained an odd assortment of cocoons. “This has been here long enough.” she said, handing it to me. “Get rid of it.” Well, I thought I did. Taking the easy road, as children are wont to do, I tossed it in the garbage in the back hall. A day or two later, Mom bellowed “One of these days this whole house is just going to grow over in green mold, and it will all be your fault!!!” Mom didn’t get upset easily, and although this reprimand stung, she had a point. One of those “cocoons” had hatched - the trash was crawling with what seemed like a thousand baby spiders! You’d think I’d have learned...

Perhaps a month or two went by after this latest spider discovery. To be honest, I mostly forgot about it. I figured this little spider was helping keep down the population of whatever other bugs were trying to winter over inside with us. Live and let live, I nobly thought.

But the come-uppance came. It was my night to host our Book Club. The house had been gone over, dessert and coffee made, my husband and I were tending to a few last-minute details before the first guest arrived. Some cobwebs were spied in the skylight above the sofa. I grabbed the dust mop to do away with them, but just before I whisked it through them I noticed something else. Dozens of tiny spiders dotted the area. My husband raced for the bug spray. “No!” I cried. Sprayed spiders immediately drop down on single strands of web. Picture that over the sofa! After quick - and I might add HEATED discussion - we decided to pull the skylight cover closed and deal with them the next day. Of course, nothing was mentioned during the meeting. Some of those who attended are hearing this for the first time.

Thankfully, those little guys cooperated (unknowingly, I’m sure) and stayed out of sight. The next morning we moved furniture out of the way, spread plastic on the floor beneath the sky light, and sprayed the heck out of them. Dozens of tiny bodies gently lowered on silken strands. Oh yeah, and the funnel web in the hole in the wall got a good dose, too. The hole got taped over for good measure. I’ve not been so accommodating to indoor spiders since. I guess a lesson learned late is better than one not learned at all...

Keep hold of instruction, do not let go;

guard her, for she is your life.

Proverbs 4.13