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Spider Uses a Light Show to Trick Eager Male Fireflies into Its Web

nytimes.com

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Re: Spider Uses a Light Show to Trick Eager Male Fireflies into Its Web

#21

Post by limit499karma »

aflukasz wrote: post #18

I love spiders! Just kidding. I block them by putting a transparent cup over them, slide an open book cover beneath where they stand, so that they must enter on top of it, close the book, and off we go - I, the book, the cup that I press with all my force, and the spider trapped inside - to the nearest opening in the building, wishing them the very best on their new way of life, outside, and for me to live and thrive…

Any semi-stiff plane would do, the thinner the better so as not accidentally injure the little critter's legs and what-not. These days keep an unpeeled decal that has just the right thinness/stiffness properties.

Re: Spider Uses a Light Show to Trick Eager Male Fireflies into Its Web

#22

Post by nicwolff »

xr4y wrote: post #16

This reminds me of this sci-fi book called Children of Ruin where in a terraformed world, a genetics experiment goes wrong and the whole place is now overrun with super-intelligent giant spiders, who were infected with the uplift virus and have built their own civilization in the meantime — and who are protected from orbit by the immortal computer intelligence of Avrana Kern, who has determined in the intervening cen…

Sequel to Children of Time by the (great!) Adrian Tchaikovsky – middle book of a trilogy.

Re: Spider Uses a Light Show to Trick Eager Male Fireflies into Its Web

#23

Post by aflukasz »

limit499karma wrote: post #21
aflukasz wrote: post #18

I love spiders! Just kidding. I block them by putting a transparent cup over them, slide an open book cover beneath where they stand, so that they must enter on top of it, close the book, and off we go - I, the book, the cup that I press with all my force, and the spider trapped inside - to the nearest opening in the building, wishing them the very best on their new way of life, outside, and for me to live and thrive…

Any semi-stiff plane would do, the thinner the better so as not accidentally injure the little critter's legs and what-not. These days keep an unpeeled decal that has just the right thinness/stiffness properties.

Haha, wasn't expecting such a tip!

The problem is that if this plane is semi-stiff, it's hard to put your hand under it without making an opening between it and the glass. And that is not a risk I'm willing to take.

So the trick is that I slide something thin (the cover itself), but then can, as a second stage, put the rest of the book there, by closing it. But true, no reason those two layers must be a part of the same thing.

Today someone posted Show HN for a catalog of problems looking for better solutions. Maybe I should submit there?

Re: Spider Uses a Light Show to Trick Eager Male Fireflies into Its Web

#24

Post by jvolkman »

limit499karma wrote: post #21
aflukasz wrote: post #18

I love spiders! Just kidding. I block them by putting a transparent cup over them, slide an open book cover beneath where they stand, so that they must enter on top of it, close the book, and off we go - I, the book, the cup that I press with all my force, and the spider trapped inside - to the nearest opening in the building, wishing them the very best on their new way of life, outside, and for me to live and thrive…

Any semi-stiff plane would do, the thinner the better so as not accidentally injure the little critter's legs and what-not. These days keep an unpeeled decal that has just the right thinness/stiffness properties.

I use a cardboard coaster (e.g., from your local pub), which is necessarily cup-sized.

Re: Spider Uses a Light Show to Trick Eager Male Fireflies into Its Web

#25

Post by [deleted] »

aflukasz wrote: post #18

I love spiders! Just kidding. I block them by putting a transparent cup over them, slide an open book cover beneath where they stand, so that they must enter on top of it, close the book, and off we go - I, the book, the cup that I press with all my force, and the spider trapped inside - to the nearest opening in the building, wishing them the very best on their new way of life, outside, and for me to live and thrive…

[deleted]

Re: Spider Uses a Light Show to Trick Eager Male Fireflies into Its Web

#26

Post by lowdest »

aflukasz wrote: post #18

I love spiders! Just kidding. I block them by putting a transparent cup over them, slide an open book cover beneath where they stand, so that they must enter on top of it, close the book, and off we go - I, the book, the cup that I press with all my force, and the spider trapped inside - to the nearest opening in the building, wishing them the very best on their new way of life, outside, and for me to live and thrive…

I admire your dedication to preserving life in the face of discomfort! I personally use a two-tiered approach: if the spider inhabits the DMZ, they may persist unmolested. This includes most parts of the house where we aren't likely to come into physical contact. However, protected territories include my bed, my clothes, and pantry. Venturing into protected territory as an arachnid is, unfortunately, a capital crime.

Re: Spider Uses a Light Show to Trick Eager Male Fireflies into Its Web

#27

Post by [deleted] »

aflukasz wrote: post #18

I love spiders! Just kidding. I block them by putting a transparent cup over them, slide an open book cover beneath where they stand, so that they must enter on top of it, close the book, and off we go - I, the book, the cup that I press with all my force, and the spider trapped inside - to the nearest opening in the building, wishing them the very best on their new way of life, outside, and for me to live and thrive…

[deleted]

Re: Spider Uses a Light Show to Trick Eager Male Fireflies into Its Web

#28

Post by danans »

aflukasz wrote: post #23
limit499karma wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Any semi-stiff plane would do, the thinner the better so as not accidentally injure the little critter's legs and what-not. These days keep an unpeeled decal that has just the right thinness/stiffness properties.

Haha, wasn't expecting such a tip! The problem is that if this plane is semi-stiff, it's hard to put your hand under it without making an opening between it and the glass. And that is not a risk I'm willing to take. So the trick is that I slide something thin (the cover itself), but then can, as a second stage, put the rest of the book there, by closing it. But true, no reason those two layers must be a part of the s…

> it's hard to put your hand under it without making an opening between it and the glass. And that is not a risk I'm willing to take.

TBF, for most of the spiders that we find in our homes, the risk is only psychological, not physical. That said, I prefer not to make physical contact. My nephew though, he plays with them like they are puppies.

Re: Spider Uses a Light Show to Trick Eager Male Fireflies into Its Web

#29

Post by thinkingtoilet »

nicwolff wrote: post #22
xr4y wrote: post #16

This reminds me of this sci-fi book called Children of Ruin where in a terraformed world, a genetics experiment goes wrong and the whole place is now overrun with super-intelligent giant spiders, who were infected with the uplift virus and have built their own civilization in the meantime — and who are protected from orbit by the immortal computer intelligence of Avrana Kern, who has determined in the intervening cen…

Sequel to Children of Time by the (great!) Adrian Tchaikovsky – middle book of a trilogy.

OP has it confused. They lay out the plot to Children of Time which is the first book but call it Children of Ruin. Ruin was the second book that focuses on something else (no spoilers). Time focuses on the spiders.

Re: Spider Uses a Light Show to Trick Eager Male Fireflies into Its Web

#30

Post by limit499karma »

aflukasz wrote: post #23
limit499karma wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Any semi-stiff plane would do, the thinner the better so as not accidentally injure the little critter's legs and what-not. These days keep an unpeeled decal that has just the right thinness/stiffness properties.

Haha, wasn't expecting such a tip! The problem is that if this plane is semi-stiff, it's hard to put your hand under it without making an opening between it and the glass. And that is not a risk I'm willing to take. So the trick is that I slide something thin (the cover itself), but then can, as a second stage, put the rest of the book there, by closing it. But true, no reason those two layers must be a part of the s…

Well, this is not even 1 mm thick. It's just 2 glossy papers that are held by the adhesive so the gap while I slip it under the glass is pretty minimal.
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