the boundary between inside and outside is sometimes hard to determine. where is inside the house and where outside? i say the boundary lies at the flyscreen. insects not welcome past here. but insects and arachnids and other creatures do not abide by my rules occasionally. most people merely get out the killing apparatus of one form or another, when creatures cannot undertsand or will not acknowledge boundary-setting, but one of the abiding philosophies of eldon could be summed up in the prosaic aphorism, live and let live.
this rule is not adhered to in several specific instances. in the case of biting or sucking creatures on my person, or one potentially biting/sucking creature anywhere near me or my animal charges. i refer to mosquitos in my immediate hearing, ants biting my person, leeches anywhere on my person or any animal charge, and fleas in our immediate habitat. you will note the absence of spiders, snakes, and flies. actually i will swat a fly in the house if it keeps drawing attention to itself. a bee can sting me if i am careless enough to catch it on my arm or hand – but generally they do not bother me, even if i am cutting stalks in their vicinity.
spiders i like. they catch flies and eat them. slugs and snails, hmmm. i will squish them if they are found eating my plants. caterpillars will be pitched at some distance into other foliage. but anyway, as long as they stay out of the house i am content. cockroaches… here in adelaide they are not in evidence indoors, it is too dry for them i believe. but in sydney, they are sometimes in plague proportions. certainly in japan, i was not amused by cockies in the sink or on my food preparation surfaces, and so i did despatch one or two of them there. and then, the ants took care of the carcase.
but at the moment, it seems spiders are not taking notice of the house boundary policy. OK daddy long legs, as long as your webs keep out of my way. but one timid variety of spider which nevertheless packs a big punch – the redback spider – has decided to inhabit our toilet. no, not the bowl, but the room. usually they won’t come indoors near humans, although they do like a nice dark dry place. the thing is, no-one has been living here for the past couple of months, and so spiders and insects seem to think there is some sort of free-for-all. there have been redbacks in the garage since we got here. we gave them a wide berth, and when taking bicycles out or other pieces of furniture etc, we wear gloves and give it a big inspection and a brush off of webs just in case. the toliet was traditionally the preferred habitat of spiders, especially redbacks – as the lyrics to the song (pasted below) will attest – but that was when the dunny was out in the backyard, unlighted, and quiet. our toilet is inside. it is near the bathroom, and has a window to the outside. but perhaps this little gal thinks it safe in there. if i loom over her she scuttles under the toilet brush holder. i am checking every time i go in there, where she is lurking.
to catch her is more dangerous than leaving her where she is. if left alone to her own devices, she will catch mozzies and flies and will not come near us. if we stand on her or try to pick her up she will get upset and maybe bite in self-defence.
i tried to take a picture of her for your edification:
our red back spider in the web next to the toilet
and now the promised lyrics to the famous song – unfortunately there is no recorded version on the internet that i could find:
Redback on the toilet seat
There was a redback on the toilet seat,
When I was there last night.
I didn’t see him in the dark,
But boy I felt his bite.
I jumped up high into the air,
And when I hit the ground.
That crafty redback spider,
Wasn’t nowhere to be found.
I rushed into the missus,
Told her just where I’d been bit.
And she grabbed my cutthroat razor,
And I nearly took a fit.
I said ‘Forget what’s on your mind,
And call a doctor please.
For I’ve got a feeling that your cure,
Is worse than the disease.’
There was a redback on the toilet seat,
When I was there last night.
I didn’t see him in the dark,
But boy I felt his bite.
And now I’m here in hospital,
A sad and sorry plight.
And I curse the redback spider,
On the toilet seat last night.
I can’t lie down,
I cant’ sit up I don’t know what to do.
The nurses think it’s funny
but that’s not my point of view.
I tell you it’s embarrassing
and that’s to say the least,
For I’m too sick to eat a bite,
While the spider had a feast.
And when I get back home again,
I’ll tell you what I’ll do.
I’ll make that Redback suffer
for the pain I’m going through.
I’ve had so many needles,
I’m looking like a sieve.
I promise you that redback
hasn’t very long to live.
There was a redback on the toilet seat,
When I was there last night.
I didn’t see him in the dark,
But boy I felt his bite.
And now I’m here in hospital,
A sad and sorry plight.
And I curse that redback spider,
On the toilet seat last night.
