OT: UGLi shut down due to poisonous spiders last month?

I lived in Australia for a few years and the number of poisonous creatures they have there is just terrifying. I remember watching tv with the wife the first time we saw a Huntsman spider crawling around the walls (it's the spider from Arachnophobia and they are roughly the size of my hand)...you don't see shit like that in Michigan. 

As we were packing up our house to come back to the States we found dead scorpion underneath our mattress pad. I believe that was the universe giving us the sign that it was time to leave!

The Mediterranean Recluse Spider: An Abundant but Cryptic Inhabitant of Deep Infrastructure in the Washington, D.C. Area

Notwithstanding the obvious Deep State jokes, the PDF accessible at the link below provides a thorough look at the typical habitat and behavior of this spider. In short:

• They dwell almost entirely in unoccupied, dark, subterranean spaces enclosed by masonry walls with sufficient cracks allowing access, and ideally with numerous items to hide under, especially if there is a continuing source of water (as through plumbing leaks) and heat.

• They are invariably found in association with prey populations of cockroaches, termites, and other harmful insects.

• Because of their reclusiveness in habitats where there is infrequent human activity, they may be more widespread than is commonly thought.

• "We strongly emphasize that the remoteness of this spider’s typical habitat combined with their extreme shyness makes human contact with L. rufescens exceedingly unlikely in most circumstances. None of us have been informed of any claimed necrotizing bites by an occupant of any of the buildings in which we conduct pest management activities. Moreover, we have never encountered any personnel who work in or close to the areas of greatest L. rufescens abundance who had even been aware that the spiders were present."

https://academic.oup.com/ae/article/55/3/158/2474949

I was stationed in Oklahoma for a few years in the early 2000’s and Recluses are simply a way of life in Oklahoma and Texas, it didn’t matter how clean you kept your house, the little bastards were coming for you.  My roommates and I would set off spider bombs every two months and the worst part after we did that was pulling the couches away from the walls and seeing just rows of the dead little bastards against the walls that we would then have to vacuum up.  Bought us about a week of peace before you would have to make sure to thoroughly check out the book you put on the nightstand before picking it up.

There’s no such thing as a poisonous spider; the word you’re looking for is venomous. 

This is the kind of thing youd expect to happen at the University of Richmond .

Recluse during the pandemic. Sounds about right.

I replied to the first comment in this thread with some acrimony.  As I read through all of the responses, I must admit to some surprise at the percentage of terrified responses from a bunch of people that love the more (ahem) 'man-ly' sports.  I get that people don't like spiders - I don't necessarily want to handle them, or even to have to squish a bigger one (they're messy!).  But I refuse to be terrified of them!  Treat them with respect - keep your distance until you have some control on the situation, and be aware that they will escape your attempts a few times before you can capture or squish them (whichever is more appropriate).  

Same with snakes.  I don't like a snake - not at all - and I will not pick one up.  But I refuse to run away screaming from them!  I've let many black snakes (typical rat snake) go through my yard, and have killed a few that got into the chicken coop and feasted on eggs/chicks (once they find the grocery store, they aren't leaving).  Copperheads are immediately condemned to death by beheading (I have a boy and dogs they could kill, so have no tolerance for them).

Chances of being hurt by either (spider or snake) are actually pretty small.  Chances of being mentally terrified at the thought of being hurt seems far more likely!

Posted last night and so far there's still only ONE reference to Spiderman?!

The MGoBlogoverse must be saving its mental energy for the game tonight.

Anybody studying at the UGLi these days per the shut down and or restrictions on campus? I am not sure but the undergrad students do not refer to the UGLi anymore. I could be wrong. The term would be deemed inappropriate.

Spiders are awesome.  They eat the bugs that really annoy people.  
 

If my wife sees them, I pick them up and put them outside.  If I see them, I let them just keep doing whatever they’re doing. 

We have a lot of brown recluse spiders down here in Kansas! So, I'm use to them, living with and around them for 25 years.