black widow ...

A story today in the news about a black widow spider giving factory workers a shock when it crawled out of a delivery box. The South American stowaway hid in a crate of mechanical parts bound for construction company Miller UK in Cramlington, Northumberland.

After doing a bit of investigation on this spider, I thought I would share with you how black widows like to keep in touch:

Generally black widows do not keep in touch! Males must contact female, and he must approach carefully to avoid being eaten. He vibrates her web in a certain manner that she recognises, allowing him to approach her without risk.

She really has got the right idea, hasn't she!

my photo

a lovely mug ...

I am a mug of tea sort of girl, not a cup and saucer one.

What pretty mugs these are, my recent bargain buy from Ponden Mill. I very rarely buy new kitchen china, everything I have bought over the years is still going strong and I am a stickler for getting wear out of things and will only throw anything away if chipped, but I couldn't resist these for £2.99 for the set of four.

My perfect brew:
Use a good quality teabag.
Teabags must be stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
Always use freshly drawn boiling water, not water boiled more than once.
Allow the teabag to brew.
Add milk last.

I shall be off now to make myself a nice cuppa in one of my new chintzy mugs, lovely!

Oooh, just opened up one of my kitchen cupboards and there was a house spider looking up at me, it did make me jump, luckily it seemed a bit dozy so I coaxed it into a plastic jug and managed to get it out in the garden, although I have read, that as soon as you put them out it doesn't take them long to find their way back in again!

Why is there more house spiders racing around your skirting boards at this time of year, well it's because they are males looking for a mate, this is fact!