Why a wastebasket?

[vgqn]

I just escorted a spider out of our bathroom wastebasket. Why in the world do you suppose she thought that would be a good place to set up household? I'm sure it wasn't in eager anticipation of my toenail clippings. In fact, she seemed most unimpressed. I hope life is better for her in the jade hedge. At least there will be fewer toenail clippings out there.

Comments

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

I only just recently found this out: taking indoor spiders and moving them outside does the spider no favors, and probably does you no favors either. Most house spiders are just that: house spiders. They're specialized for the conditions that exist indoors, and the bugs they eat are the bugs that live indoors. If you take them outside, they generally do not prosper.

At least, so says this page of the Burke Museum's, on spider myths.

[jbru.livejournal.com]

If she was a funnel-web sort of spider, I'd bet the wastebasket would make a perfect frame for a lovely web.

[barondave.livejournal.com]

The spider probably thought, using it's bitten-by-a-radioactive-superhero brain, that flies would be attracted to the wastebasket. This may or may not be true, but spiders have limited options.