They say Dog bites Man isn’t news but Man bites Dog is news. You know we love our tarantulas and even have our own species-the New River rust rump.
Tarantulas eat insects. This isn’t news, but we have an insect that eats tarantulas. It’s the Tarantula wasp.
Here’s one we saw this morning. The adults eat nectar and pollen but when it comes to reproduction, they go nasty. The female finds a tarantula hole (like this one in our back yard) and stings the spider and lays an egg in the spider itself.
When the egg hatches, it starts eating the spider alive. Therefore, it’s news when an insect eats a big spider. What does all this have to do with anything? The tarantula wasp isn’t aggressive but if threatened, it can sting. We haven’t had a sting yet but it’s supposed to be the most painful sting of any insect-but it goes away in a few minutes. This has to do with us because Kaci loves to race around the yard trying to catch one-they’re not fast flyers. All she has to do is catch one and she’ll stop chasing the wasps because she isn’t stupid.
kylascott 
Kaci, stay away from those wasps. They might lay an egg in you!
That’s the strangest thing–those wasps. SHE likes spiders because they eat flies and mozzies, so SHE says they’re her friends. We usually have a few up near our ceilings.
(Not tarantulas)
XXXOOO Daisy, Bella & Roxy
These tarantulas are friends. Occasionally they somehow sneak into the house and they’re escorted (gently) outside.
Ok, I’m creeped out by that spider. It is disgusting and huge. The wasp that kills, seriously gross story. Yuk. Kaci, please don’t catch the wasp. Please. By the way, I hope none those things every make it into your house!
Alyssa, Mr. Fox & Scruffy
Oh-those tarantulas are fine. They are harmless to the peeps and us. They will eat a scorpion so they’re fine with us.
Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwweeeee!!!!!! Sorry, spiders CREEP MA OUT!!!!!
Couldn’t read the rest of the post cause she HATES WASPS, TOO!!!!! (she’s allergic)
Oh, man…I thinks Ma needs CPR…..1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9….
Gotta go!
Kisses,
Ruby
That’s life in the big country. They’re country people at heart. She was born in the small town of San Francisco and He was born in the village of New York City.
OMG I have just died seeing that huge T.SPIDER… You should of herd her screaming like a banshie cos there was a small spider in the bath yesterday..BOL.. You be real careful Kaci, I chase bumble bee’s cos they are slow.. xxx00xxx
Mollie and Alfie
Catch one and you’ll never do it again.
hahaha mom jumped screaming on my lap as she saw the Spiderman :o) She is such a chicken…
That must have scared the spider.
Absolutely, hope he needs no psychotherapy…
Wow a wasp that kills tarantulas! Who knew
Not the spider.
I saw that on discovery channel. Freaks me out.
Right in my own back yard but I didn’t see TV cameras.
Scary. I’m staying inside.
They don’t come after us.
That bug is scary. I don’t like it.
They’re harmless to us but not to insects.
Dad thinks your spiders are SUPER PAWSOME – he is into bugs and spiders. Mom…not so much.
Wally & Sammy
Dad ought to take a trip to Panama where in a month he’d barely scratch the surface of the different bugs and spiders there.
So these Tarantula wasp go around implanting eggs singing, So you’re having my baby, Why the poor tarantulas never even got to have the Big O!!!
Sweet William The Scot
The tarantulas certainly aren’t saying “thank you for being a friend”.
Gross.