I don't think I can adequately describe the horror my girls and I witnessed in my backyard a few hours ago. There is a running list of things that paralyze me with fear...snakes, sharks, crocodiles, bridges.....and somewhere near the top are spiders and wasps.
Today, I was out laying by the side of the pool while my girls were swimming. I was completely relaxed until I heard Taylor scream, "Mom, what is that?" as she pointed at the flower bush near me. I turned my head to check it out. Was it a bird or a cat making all of that rustling noise in there? no, IT WAS A FREAKING TARANTULA! It came scurrying out of the bush as fast as it could trying to escape from what looked like a black wasp with bright orange wings.
My neighbors probably called 9-1-1 after hearing the high pitched screams coming from our backyard as we all booked it into the house with record speed. We watched through the sliding glass door as this "black wasp" stung the tarantula and killed it. It then dragged the tarantula about 5 feet across the grass and back into the flower bush. WHAT?! I had never seen such a strange looking wasp let alone one that could drag a huge spider across my yard. My poor girls were mortified and probably even more so as they found their mom on the floor crying in fetal position. Just kidding, but I won't lie, I was hyperventilating and very jumpy. I had never seen such a crazy looking wasp let alone one that could drag a spider three times it size across my yard.
I was so freaked out that I had to google "wasp with orange wings". It turns out I have a "tarantula hawk" living in my flower bush. They are wasps that paralyze large spiders with their sting and then they drag them back to their home to bury them in the dirt for their larvae to eat. Oh, by the way, the spider doesn't die, it's just paralyzed as the little baby wasps are eating it. WHAT?!! I have a paralyzed tarantula buried in my back yard with little baby paralyzing wasps feeding off of it. Anyone want to come over for a swim?
10 comments:
OMG! My skin is crawling just thinking about that. Sorry won't be coming over anytime soon to swim but not because of the Tarantula Hawk just don't live close enough. Call the bug guy!!
Oh...my....goodness...! I have no words. I'll just pick my jaw up off the floor and be on my way. :-) WOW! Every part of that story is disturbing.
Icky Ick!!! We kind of had the same thing but just not a tarantula. The kids were playing on the swing set when my mom started screaming because a wasp was dragging a really big spider right by the swings. I grabbed the raid (all I had) and sprayed them both like crazy. Thankfully raid works for wasps and spiders too cause they both croaked!! I think it was some kind of wasp that buries itself with the spiders because it was started to burrow in the ground when I got to it!!! Aaahhhh!!! Send Sheldon out to spray some raid on your bush!! ;)
That sounds like something straight out of a horror movie. I am going to have nightmares tonight!!!
That's just NASTY!!! EWWW!! I'd be calling the bugman..and sound like I did when I found a 4" scorpion in my house!
Gosh! It is like the Discovery Channel at your house. Who would have ever guessed? Too much excitement for me...but my boys would have probably thought it was cool.
Ok, so you're going to think I'm strange but it's too bad you didn't get that on film. When I saw the picture I knew exactly what that was. At the end of last year Walker had to do a report on Tarantulas. He found that their main predator was the Tarantula Hawk and that it does just what you read...so nasty. Anyways, I'm sure Walker would've been quite intrigued to see the whole incident.
However I, like you, would've been found hiding under the bed with the phone calling the bug people to get their arses over to my house immediately.
That is so freaky! I am glad you all ran. My boys would be all over that trying to catch the triancula. I seriously would not blame you for crying in the fetal position. You are hilarious. How is everything going? How is your new house. Obviuosly awesome!! I have never been one to blog hop much but I am finding all these great blogs, like yours!! Check us out at rockonwiththewildones.blogspot.com. We are in the process of moving out of my sister house and back to Utah so I haven't much. Maybe once we are settled. Good luck with the bugs.
Allison Ashby
By the way we are having a little get together for my moving tomorrow (Thursday Sept 3 at 8pm) at Kaydee Shakespear's house. It would be a good excuse for you to come visit us once again. We'd love to see you.
Holy crap, that is freaky!!! I would have been right there with you with my bloody scream and hyperventilating. That whole situation is insane.
I love your stories and I love your blog! It's so fun to know what's going on in your life.
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