And the Spider Drama Continues...

Today, I received this email as a follow up to the meeting we had yesterday:

All:

Thanks to everyone who attended the lunch and informational meeting
yesterday.

On Friday afternoon, XXXXX Pest Control will be back in to do the
two-week follow-up pesticide treatment for the offices. He will
begin spraying at 2:30pm when the office closes in support of summer
hours. Please be aware that any work in the offices within 24 hours
of spraying should be avoided.

Thank you.


Now, let me tell you a little bit about yesterday's meeting. Here's what I learned:

• Brown recluse spiders are nocturnal, so the fact that we have them roaming around in the daylight is bad.
• We need to wear closed shoes for a few weeks until the infestation "calms down".
• We have "hundreds" of spiders living in our workplace.
  
• After the first spraying, they were coming out in "unexpected" areas on peoples' desks (like out of books and folders--not the norm, they are usually more reclusive).
• Once a female brown recluse has been impregnated, it can reproduce forever.
• They can survive for weeks without food or water and can live for years.
• Every single wall of our workplace had spiders in it.
• The pest control person who treated our place (who is African American) said that when he went home he told his wife, "Those people better get some socks and shoes on their pretty little white feet!"
• They are providing us with an "anti venom" kit that we should use within 6 - 12 hours of being bitten.
• Brown recluse bites can cause dead tissue, partial paralysis and even death.
• They are providing us with long gloves to use in case we have to go dig in our storage area (it will be a cold day in hell before I'm digging in our storage area ever again).
  

During the meeting, my hands were shaking and my heart was pounding. Of course, there were handouts with pictures as well.

Just add this to the list of reasons why I hate 2008. I wonder if I should get a T-shirt made.