a tale of tails, tenacity, and tedium, as told by me, usually barefoot and bellowing

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

The Wonderful Mud Dauber

drinks from the edge of my water garden,  These are not aggressive like paper wasps. I let them out doors if they somehow get in.  I know they are doing work for me.

Recently a very good friend and her husband had some very terribly, scary, touch and go days when he was bitten by a Black Widow spider.

I have always been fascinated with dirt daubers, mud daubers or whatever you choose to call them but this little blue guy specializes in capturing Black Widows.

In my book that makes them heroes.

Heal well, Ron and hang in there, Kim,  God had His hands in your recovery.

22 comments:

eileeninmd said...

Sounds like a good bug to have around! Their color is pretty! Enjoy your day!

Buttons Thoughts said...

Oh I did red about Kim's husband and that is truly scary. We do not have those spiders here but we do have those pretty "Maud Daubers" you speak of. Good thoughts going out to Kim and Ron. Hug B

21 Wits said...

Quite pretty color these have. Also, Very interesting links, especially since the Black Widow spider was like the worst of them all, and totally deadly, and it's good to know they're not as horrible as I thought. Although one must always beware of those females that will devour their mate! Yikes!

Country Gal said...

Lovely photo and interesting post ! I don't think we have those bugs here never seen one . Thanks for sharing , have a good day !

jp@A Green Ridge said...

Hats off to you and them for being a good defense against Black Widows! Hope your friend comes through all right...:)JP

MadSnapper said...

i do so hate spiders and did not know this about the dirt daubers, i always thought they were like the paper wasp which i hate hate hate.. good news to know there are winged critters to kill the black widows. sorry to hear about the bite.

TexWisGirl said...

we get the coppery colored ones here moreso than the pretty blues. :)

Marion said...

Well no wonder I've never seen a Black Widow spider around here. I have tons of these blue cuties. The only thing I kill here in the swamp is poisonous snakes because I have 4 cats and worry about them getting bitten. I let the good snakes slide on by. xo

Linda Kay said...

Interesting little bug!

Sketching with Dogs said...

What a beautifully coloured insect.
I recently read about 2 supermarkets here finding deadly poisonous spiders hidden in bananas, one of which was a Black Widow.
I ask hubby to pick the bananas now...
Lynne x

Magaly Guerrero said...

They are heroes, indeed! I've seen what Black Widows can do; and any part of nature which can balance their power is good in my book, too.

LindaG said...

I will look at this closer when I am home. I want to know good from bad. Thank you Gail.

LindaG said...

I will look at this closer when I am home. I want to know good from bad. Thank you Gail.

Farm Girl said...

I love how pretty blue they are. Ours are just black.
Thank you for mentioning us.
Have a lovely day.

Coloring Outside the Lines said...

The blue ones are rare here- we get the ones that you have to look twice at to make sure they aren't a stinging wasp. I also have those dreaded black widows, and those are scary because they do like to hide. I'm glad Kim's husband is better.

Susan Kane said...

I don't think I have seen one around here. We do have yellow jackets, but no such helpful insect here. Too bad.

LindaG said...

Not sure why my other comment posted twice.
Anyway, not sure if I have seen those. They aren't as 'waspy' looking as the wasps we have.

I know we get yellow jackets, or the ones that nest on the ground; and I know we have black widows. I try to remember to wear gloves whenever I have to touch something that hasn't been touched in a while; but I can't swear we have the mud daubers.

They are pretty though. Thank you for sharing that knowledge with us, Gail. :-)

Anonymous said...

I don't trust spiders, even in all of their glory. And they do have their glory.

LilliStJohn said...

I am amazed that a little bug like that could catch a black widow spider. I find that pretty amazing and I would keep him around too and invite his buddies over as well. Pretty little bug too.

LilliStJohn said...

I just followed your link and read some interesting history on Mud Daubers - pretty cool.

Ida said...

Mud Daubers...how interesting. So very scary about your friend and the Black Widow bite.

Susan Anderson said...

I had thought black widow spiders were not that deadly. Hope your friend is doing better now!

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