Sunday, April 13, 2014

Quick Loop Around The Pond At Night

 
Everyone should own a headlamp. 
On a recent night walk down to the pond, the headlamp revealed glowing, green sparkling gems ... everywhere, spaced about a foot or so apart.
When I followed the light beam down to the source of the green sparks, I find wolf spiders like this girl.
EVERYWHERE.

If you figure the square footage of a 10 acre parcel like mine and guestimate a single wolf spider on every square foot of unbuilt (95% in my case) land ... it's mind boggling.

And every night these fierce hunters roam my dirt taking out other insects.
That image might make sleeping out under the Florida stars a bit of a squirmy, arachniphobical idea, but I love this pest control army.

Of course, you can pay some "lawn management" company to come drench your yard with poison if having it done for free by spiders "bugs" you.

As for me, well, ...you already know.
 
It actually was a quiet spring night down at the pond on this evening. There are times when the croaking and calling of hundreds of frogs and toads can be heard LOUDLY even when the house is closed up tight with the A/C running.
For me, the trilling of toads in unison when they are really massed for mating is painful to my ears if I am within 10 feet of the action.
This young bullfrog was the only frog of note on this particular evening.
But, he's awesome.


 
 
At the end of this walk, there was this alien bullfrog tadpole.
I shared this picture already on the timesucker from hell ...Facebook.
 
What I didn't share is the source of the odd lighting.
My headlamp has white LED's, but it also has red LED's for conserving your night vision and creeping around on critters.
I didn't realize at the time of the photo, but I had the red on at the same time as the white, hence the cool coloruxtaposition.
 
All the photos were taken with my Galaxy S4 phone.
So, if you don't own a headlamp, go get one and own the night.
 
Just try not to step on the pest control crew.
 


5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Interesting thinking about all those spiders and the wonderful froggy-balanced intervention. I was just thinking the same thing about our buggy world and the lizards and spiders here. When we bought this house in 2010, the previous owners had used a pest control company for many years. There wasn't a spider or wasp in sight. It took at least a year for that poison to be fully gone and the bugs to return. I prefer the insects, lizards and frogs way of doing things.

Pablo said...

I suspect it takes more than a good headlamp to see the things you see. I suspect it takes some stalking skills too.

I have a headlamp, probably much like yours, but I use it for running in the early morning hours. Nothing worse (well) than slipping on a stick the size and shape of a pencil.

Mark P said...

I've seen the hoards of wolf spiders around our house, too. It's like living in an emerald mine.

Katherine Edison said...

Such a cool post! I love nighttime walks! Great photos!

Marilyn Kircus said...

I've amused myself for years by either holding a little flashlight up to my forehead or using a headlight - to see those eyes, you need the light coming from right above your eyes. Sometimes the wolf spiders are one per square foot apart.

And some insects reflect beautiful turquoise eyes.

Thanks for the memories. Great pictures.