When my wife and I decided to start a life together, there were lots of gifts. It is a helpful way for the newly married couple to get a head start on what is likely going to be a bumpy road learning to live together. One gift, in particular, seemed so thoughtful, we kept it guarded and safe for years. The jetted foot massager finally made its way to be opened late in my wife’s first pregnancy. We opened the box and my wife’s face dropped – towels. It just contained some cheap towels. I don’t recall if she laughed or cried, but I wondered what of all this exists with spiders (what else would a bug nerd think of?). Are spider and human unions similar?
Love Dances
It is always interesting to see the songs and types of dances chosen for that wedding dance to kick off the party. Some are clearly more skilled than others. Some parties are more judgmental than others. Being the rhythmless dance attempter that I am, I wish judging people would be more like jumping spiders. Jumping spiders dance for their mate. They have to dance their hearts out to win their opportunity for affection. More interestingly, the male’s life may depend on his performance for his mate to be. She always has the option of eating him right then and there. While I don’t envy the possibility of being eaten, I do like that their judgment of said dance seems to be mostly effort-based. Try hard and you win.
Gifts of Love
It turns out we are not the only species that include gifts as part of our mating union. Some nursery web spider species are known to catch prey for their desired mate and wrap it up in a fancy silk delivery package. While this is pretty impressive on its own accord, their capacity for deception is far more so. Some males in an act of desperation will find some random item to wrap up in silk and try and pass off as an acceptable nuptial gift – much like a towel in a foot massager box.
The Deception
The deception of the fake nuptial gift is quite interesting. It falls in line with a spider’s genetic wiring. They are wired to trick and snare their prey. They disguise their webs. They hide in holes. They mimic their prey to gain entry to their nest. Some will even try to mimic prey getting caught in a different spider’s web to get that spider to come within range for capture. This reminds me much of our dating process. We spend the courting and engagement time showing some best version of ourselves only to deliver reality after the exchanging of vows.
The Consumption
We eat the cake. They eat the nuptial gift…assuming it is not a fraudulent gift. In some cases, one spider eats the other. Regardless, there is a lot of eating going on in these unions.
Professional Help
Just as many (most?) marriages could benefit from some kind of coaching or professional help, spider situations often demand the same. Whether you simply need to keep the spiders away or have a host that needs to be removed, the spider pros at Rove Pest Control are ready and willing to help. Give us a call and see how we can custom fit a spider (or any other pest) control plan to give your life a boost.