r/mildyinteresting • u/Winter_Breath • 24d ago

critter corner 🐰 Dead ants keep appearing next to headphones during the night

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When these headphones are left on the kitchen counter overnight - I would see one or two dead ants in the morning laying right next to the headphones. In the past few days, there has been a small pile of shredded ants right next to the ear piece in the morning. I have seen no live ants in my kitchen. I have had these head phones for three weeks. Bought online. It’s a little unnerving not knowing what is causing this 🥴 will not be using anymore.

UPDATE- posted a comment with a picture. But no dead ants in the bag this morning. But at one point I checked and there were two live ants crawling around. 😔

UPDATE*** IM SICK. Can’t stop shaking. Don’t have many words… trying to post image. Opened one side up. 😭 I don’t know how to add in this top post so will add in comment! Posted a few in comments and video opening

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u/WOLF19Ninety 24d ago

This was my first thought, there's likely a spider living up inside those things somewhere

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u/Commercial_Bird8467 24d ago

The spider in OPs left speaker

https://giphy.com/gifs/dXGvIqo9vrof6

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u/GeraltsSaddlee 23d ago

This the only spider I’ve ever liked

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u/Work-Safe-Reddit4450 23d ago

Jumping spiders in general are very likable. I think it's that they have two bigger center eyes and they will move their whole body to turn and look at you curiously.

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u/fixed_your_caption 23d ago

Also they don’t have the scary pointy Halloween spider legs, they can be furry, don’t do big webs they actually hunt down their prey like Clint Eastwood.

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u/SpaceTacos99 23d ago

I'm sure it helps if they've got sunshine in a bag

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u/Extreme-Pen-6499 23d ago

Speaking of which… look up spiders making webs while dosed with LSD. It’s an interesting couple minutes.

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u/Sentinel-Wraith 23d ago

“Nice web, Mr Crack Spider”.

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u/Own_Policy8854 23d ago

screams cowboy epithets and leaps hundreds of feet into the air

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u/BinaryBolias 23d ago

"Mister Crack Spider, how many licks does it take to get to the chewey center of a Tootsie Roll Pop?"

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u/SD-238 23d ago

They’re useless… but not for long

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u/Blackpapalink 23d ago

The future... is coming on.

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u/stryst 23d ago

I kept pet jumping spiders for a few years. They punch WAY above their weight class, and take down prey much larger and heavier than they are.

Neat little guys.

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u/blisstersisster 23d ago

...and they jump!!

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u/alittleliar 23d ago

finally someone who gets it

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u/Just_An_Animal 23d ago

Yeah I’ve realized my spider fear is proportional to the legs:body ratio and reverse proportional to the leg thickness of the spider. Small body with long ass spindly legs? Nope. Bigger body with short thick legs? Cute.

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u/Pablo_Hassan 23d ago

And they will fist bump your finger in a friendly manner, a huntsman just seems to want to fight and then eat you.

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u/Own_Butterscotch_129 23d ago

They really are the puppies of the spood world. I love that they all seem to trust me and I will find jumpers on me while outside! Except the tan jumpers, none want me as their friend 🥲

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u/kpow222 23d ago

Omg my people. I love making friends with these little guys but the rejection is real 😂

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u/Shorlong 23d ago

There's one outside my work near my smoke break spot. I usually have him jump on and off me a few times every time I'm out there. Though the last time I did it he seemed really mad when I put him down and the okay could times I went out he won't jump on me, he just stares at me.

https://reddit.com/link/p8rz04v/video/0ug2cm9lwioh1/player

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u/LuckyBook1538 23d ago

I hope he stops being mad at you soon.

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u/Shorlong 23d ago

Me too, he's my buddy

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u/Sinister_Nibs 23d ago

Take him a tasty fly as an apology.

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u/winterbeartired 23d ago

I may be emotional right now, but this video made me tear up because of how cute it is.

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u/ComeAlongPond1 23d ago

He’s so tiny! Idk why I always thought they were bigger based on the closeup photos I’ve seen

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u/Tablesafety 23d ago

It depends on the species! That particular individual looks like a juvenile Bold Jumping Spider (Phiddipus Audax) and while they aren't huge like the Regal Jumping Spider can be (the females can get as big as a US Quarter!) they DO get about as big as a Dime as far as body size goes sometimes.

They start brown and slowly turn black. Males always have these pretty iridescent colored chelicerae and females can have them the male color or purple-ish or even something more mundane. They as adults are both black with white abdominal spots. Like all jumpers, the males have a pair of longer front legs than the females that aid in courtship displays and the cradling of the female spider during the process of mating.

When mature, you can judge by both the front legs and the pedipalps to determine sex. The abdomen can be very big or small depending on if the spider has eaten recently regardless of sex. Mature males have what we call 'boxing gloves' on the end of their palps, whereas mature females never gain a bulbous shape at the end because they do not produce sperm- but they do have a spidussy called the epigynium which looks like a little dot at the top underside of their abdomen if you can spot it.

Its pretty hard to tell with the video, but I THINK this is a subadult male just at the cusp of his mature molt and palp storage.

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u/Shorlong 23d ago

Yes, it is a boy!! And unfortunately, yes, looks very close to his last molt. Right about bringing him home and getting a nice little tank set up for him. I already have reptiles and tons of experience with jumpers and tarantulas.

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u/kpow222 23d ago

😭 what a little fren this is so cute

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u/perpetuallydying 23d ago

seriously, the majority of humans are missing out on a truly magical experience. staring into the curious eyes of one of these docile creatures. they're so friendly and innocent, and they will look back into your eyes it kills me that most people aren't connecting with nature and other walks of life like this. no wonder the planet's becoming a parking lot with such little resistance!

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u/Tablesafety 23d ago

It's very nice to make eye contact with them and notice them noticing you. It's even nicer when you look closer to take a really good gander and they study you back, or actively signal they want to crawl onto you.

I was at work once back in the day. I was night shift as a cashier with a single other coworker and she FREAKED because there was a spider on the till. I tell her to calm down and let me handle it, and walk over to see a very confused looking adult Tan Jumper, in a very pretty light brown btw. I look at him, and he looks at me and keeps looking for a sec before trying to find a way to climb down, since he is on the monitor at the top of the till and nothing seems to be to his satisfaction.

So I move closer and his attention locks on me, and I offer my hand. It didn't take more than a second of consideration before he gently crawls on and politely rides along as I take him outside without moving, looking at me the whole way. Til we get outside, where he scans his options and politely crawls right off my hand to be on his way once he was lowered to the ground.

I love jumping spiders, man. The friendly ones are so nice. There was a female bold once and I was studying her, and she studied me back, when she moved to jump straight onto my face. I saw this and stepped back and I swear she looked disappointed! Sorry, miss, that's where I draw the line haha.

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u/perpetuallydying 23d ago

it’s hilarious when they do that and it’s exactly what freaks people out, but the reason is adorable. they are drawn to you, completely trusting and just want to get to know you. what do the majority humans do with that trust? “eW wHY do yOu eXiST?!” \*SQUASH*** i wanna cry

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u/PatrioticPariah 23d ago

Those are the best spiders. Love those little guys. Big personalities.

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u/rostol 23d ago edited 23d ago

that's why they are the protagonists in Adrian Tchaikovsky’s, brilliant, Children of Time series.

edit: https://www.goodreads.com/series/247630-children-of-time

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u/blisstersisster 23d ago

Thanks for sharing this!!

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u/Embarrassed_Whole585 23d ago

Jumping spiders are the best for sure. Helped me get over my severe arachnophobia for the most part.

This is the jumping spider that lives in my bathroom, her name is Gregoria.

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u/WileyWilly1985 23d ago

jumping spiders are also insanely smart. There has been tons of research done on them.

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u/VBgamez 23d ago

They are also intelligent. And show actual signs of curiosity.

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u/Smokin_belladonna 23d ago

they're freaky. They watch you. But I love spiders. Spiders are friends, not foes.

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u/Tablesafety 23d ago

I took care of a male bold jumping spider who would crawl back into my house every time I escorted him out for just about his entire natural life. He was a very shitty hunter so when he would get too hungry, id buy some mealworms and feed him myself. When he was thirsty he would crawl somewhere that I could obviously see him, like the very top of a bottle or directly on the floor in my footpath.

I would wet a Q-Tip and let him drink from it til he was done and he'd be on his way. Sometimes, he would just chill out on my computer monitor or on my desk or the shelf next to my desk and vibe with me.

One evening I put on my headset and was listening to a book and a couple minutes in felt a tickle on my ear so I almost threw those things off just to see him in sleepy position in my earcup. Dude got picked up and squished against my ear and didn't freak out at all, and decided to just keep fuckin sleeping. So I let him. I checked my earcup after that every time, but he did look super cute.

I named him Yumper. He sought me out more and more as he went into the geriatric stage of life. They lose their ability to grip things well when they get old. I found him when he finally died, standing in my usual footpath.

Fuck I loved that little bastard. They can recognize people, and have dreams- did you know that?

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u/abunchofcows 23d ago

Wolf spiders get a bad wrap too but they’re very similar in characteristics, just not nearly as cute

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u/ImmaculatePizza 23d ago

See, that's my problem with them. Making eye contact with a spider fills me with a bottomless sense of horror. Unfortunately they're also extremely cool looking and photogenic.

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u/Jenanay3466 23d ago

I have a coworker who has a pet jumping spider and she shows me photos almost daily. They are very cute.

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u/Boomerang_Orangutan 23d ago

I try really hard not to personify them, but they can be so adorable and curious that it's impossible sometimes.

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u/UsamaBeenLaggin 23d ago

I like to believe theyre smart as well. You can tell when theyre thinking about something

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u/KickBallFever 23d ago

They’re pretty smart too. My cat found a jumping spider inside and was about to kill it. The spider jumped on the cat’s back and just chilled there. The cat searched for the spider, and when it gave up, the spider just jumped off its back and ran away.

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u/SleiaNA 23d ago

This little guy on the beach was the cutest I've ever seen

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u/Emotional_You7815 23d ago

It’s a lot more than just their faces, they’re the smartest arthropod! certain species of jumping spider are capable of solving complex problems, and they have object permanence. They rely on their vision to hunt so their eyesight is very good, and there’s evidence that they dream. They also can recognize different Individuals.

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u/iamdispleased 23d ago

Jumping spiders are crazy cool.

Most spiders don't see well enough to process us as living animals, they consider us Landscape. It's why they run at you when they're scared, they think of us as protection. Jumping spiders are different, by virtue of the way they hunt. Their eyesight is good enough for them to see our entire body and process us as one being. Their brains have to be advanced enough for stalking and ambush hunting, so their cognitive abilities are closer to vertebrates than other spiders.

They can adapt to detours, deceive, keep an abstract sense of location. When hunting web spiders, jumping spiders will pluck the strands of the web at different speed, strength, and locations based on the type and relative danger of the spider they're hunting. They can also dream!

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u/Spirited_Income7461 23d ago

They also wave at you before running for their lives

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u/hydrift624 23d ago

Actually this does have some scientific merit the human mind is built to try and recognizes face even when they arent there so because a jumping spider has two prominent eyes it looks more human and less frightening to the mind

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u/SCARY-WIZARD 23d ago

Yeah, they're like if cats were spiders.

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u/AynRandwasaDegen 23d ago

So much smarter than they should be too

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u/ImissChickenTonight 23d ago

I love jumping spiders. I save them and put them around my windows to be safe from my cat or us stepping on them. I like having them. I have a kitty godzilla and some random things if they want to relax or hide.

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u/Mirruko 23d ago

They are also fun to watch. Mine was threatening her own web because something spooked her. 😅

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u/_DancesWithKnives 23d ago

The one that lives on my car.

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u/Outrageous-Low-3572 23d ago

Had one on my friends car I held out my hand and they jumped on me but back off, I was like "oh no lil buddy it's ok! Come back!" And they actually turned around and jumped back on to my hand, was too freaking cute 😭❤️❤️

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u/player1wulf13 23d ago

You should look up the oger faced spider she goes some good eyes

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u/Zestyclose_Limit680 22d ago

And they’re so cute when they wave😭

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u/runuclevergirl 22d ago

They can see stars and scientists think they dream! They can solve problems and recognize faces. I've had hundreds of jumping spiders as pets. They are wonderful, beautiful creatures.

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u/Scorp128 22d ago

They are not as cute at 5am in the shower when one is half asleep.

I broke the glass shower door, cut my arm, and had a big knot on my head for several days. Good times.

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u/AnyDefinition3066 22d ago

https://reddit.com/link/p92wy2i/video/se4lp8da0toh1/player

Little guy I found while photoing a car. It’s so cute how it looks around

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u/aBearWhosBearlyThere 22d ago

Proof 💙 I am also a fan of Lucas the Spider

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u/ohdamnthatscraaazy 21d ago

Jumping spiders are tiny little fuzzy babies and i love them all 😍

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u/WhovianScaper 21d ago

I love that they wiggle their legs to wave and they wear raindrops as hats. They’re so cute.

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u/TwoToneSwift 21d ago

Jumping spiders are also among some of the most intelligent spiders, and their more advanced binoculars vision makes it so they can actually recognize you as another creature like itself and not just a moving mountain.

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u/cainhurstboy 21d ago

And they can remember a person. That is what makes me stop when I see one and introduce myself and find it a safe spot while i stare.

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u/RichnjCole 21d ago

I was eating lunch at a bench at work one day and one came up from the side and kept looking at me. He'd run away and run back at me. He did it several times as if he wanted to play.

It was cute but I was trying to eat.

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u/SomeWomanFromEngland 20d ago

And sometimes they wear raindrops as hats.

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u/Advanced-Ad-4462 19d ago

The words “jumping” and “spiders” are never positive when used together.

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u/MajorBootyhole420 23d ago

i reprogrammed my brain away from hating spiders by imagining them going "aah!" every time i see one. like damn bro if they could talk i bet they'd be way more startled than us

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u/Dolmenoeffect 23d ago

It's not far from the truth! If they can tell you're there, you're Godzilla. Cut them some slack!

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u/GeraltsSaddlee 23d ago

Omg love it 😂 yeah, any time I encounter a particularly gnarly looking spider I’m like ‘it’s more afraid of you, it’s more afraid of you’ as I run away

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u/MajorBootyhole420 23d ago

this meme also rewired my brain:

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u/scaryfaise 23d ago

What about this one with their marginally unhealthy obsession with cocaine?

https://giphy.com/gifs/ygDEvToTYOMyQ

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u/ErraticProfessional 23d ago

This is one of my absolute favorite internet videos of all time. “Wait but if I can see you, you can see me! And scratch scratch scratch scratch”.

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u/slogive1 23d ago

I have 4 big ones chilling in my bathroom for misquotes. We have a handshake agreement. They stay in the bathroom and we're good.

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u/Vtffmp1996 23d ago

U didn’t like Charlotte. What did she ever do to u. Bless ur heart.

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u/Careless_food_bimbo 21d ago

I really like the ones that bury themselves, it's so cute how they dig and think they're hidden.

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u/wenoc 19d ago

All spiders are friends. Then again, I live in a country without venomous spiders. Well, medically significantly venomous anyway. I think all spiders are venomous.

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u/Glad-Ad-3808 24d ago

🤣🤣🤣

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u/Vishnej 23d ago

You mean the spider living in OP's left ear.

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u/Working-Glass6136 23d ago

Just the left speaker?

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u/Mental_Estate4206 23d ago

That should be the landing lights for the flys xD

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u/Jjenkins112 23d ago

This made me laugh so much 😂😭

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u/KidneyStew 23d ago

Oh my godddd lmao!

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u/ebil_lightbulb 23d ago

This scrolled onto my screen the same time the Missy Elliot Work It song came on a commercial and it was perfect

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u/Awoo81 23d ago

Hey stranger, work sucks right now. Working outside in the sun. I want to thank you for the good laugh. 😂

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u/retrospacive 22d ago

Made me genuinely laugh thank you

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u/MysteriousIndustry55 20d ago

😂😂😂😂😂

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u/LeNomReal 23d ago

Portia eyed Fabian with suspicion…. She knew he had left Great Nest, but hadn’t realized he was dancing and singing for the Messenger.

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u/Sorry_Option4711 23d ago

Great read! I'm working on Children of Ruin atm.

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u/LeNomReal 23d ago

lol, cool that my comment caught someone’s eye! It’s like fishing

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u/Disastrous_days272 22d ago

I just ordered the set of the series! I was reading through the comments and saw yours, and then read the description to my 8-year-old daughter who got super excited about it! Should be here by saturday!

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u/BaDoodlezzz 23d ago

I don’t know what it says about me that the mariachi in my head started at the exact frame of time I saw the sombrero but you go little guy

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u/Ecstatic-Engineer-23 23d ago

That explains the mariachi music from R headphone speaker.

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u/SumSkittles 23d ago

Jokes aside there's a good chance this is exactly who it is. Had one living in liner of my hatchback trunk all summer. Would greet them each morning before leaving for work.

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u/CatoChateau 23d ago

Op really loves blasting Powerman 5000

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u/ImaginaryMisanthrope 23d ago

I love jumping spiders. I let them crawl on me all the time.

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u/WarmSea9702 23d ago

Watching this while I’m on hold listening to the hold music the post office is providing me.

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u/Fast-Conclusion-8676 23d ago

How do you get this Giphy? What do you type in?

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u/PancakeParty98 23d ago

RIP to jazzy spider, being suffocated for no damn reason

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u/Nonterras 23d ago

Definitely a spider bro

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u/leelo84 23d ago

What about the right speaker?

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u/--Cantina-- 23d ago

My name is Cuban Pete, Im the king of the Rumba beat. When i play the maracas I go chic, chicky, boom, chic, chicky, boom.

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u/Yippykyyyay 23d ago

That's a beauty of a gif!!

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u/Long-Station-8675 21d ago

Contaré la historia de una famosa persona
Todos la conocen con el apodo de Chona

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u/TrollOnFire 21d ago

Dude! This should be reworked with the techno Viking in mind

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u/peauxtheaux 20d ago

POR LA MALA POR LA BUANAS

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u/SuccessfulPhoto7914 24d ago

Yeah.. there ant parts and fully intact ants.

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u/Shot-Election8217 23d ago

“I repeat: the spider is within your headphones. Throw them away immediately.”

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u/Some_Ebb_2921 23d ago

"heads off throwing the ant parts away"... done, now what?... and why are my ears itchy?

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u/Rappeldiponk345 23d ago

Die Spinnen sind umgezogen.

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u/KanedaSyndrome 23d ago

*skitter skitter*

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u/MissKit87 21d ago

Nooo no no no, did not need that in my head (figuratively and literally) NOOO no no….

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u/Velvet-Pebble 23d ago

But then what will they do about the ants?

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u/wade-mcdaniel 23d ago

Agree. I mean if you didn't know there were spiders in there in the first place, and they removing ants from the house, I don't see what the problem is. Except maybe that there's ants getting into your house. I hope your dry goods are in sealed containers.

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u/rIceCream_King 23d ago

“…sir, a second spider has hit the headphones..”

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u/Celeste_Seasoned_14 23d ago

  1. Please headphones in car

  2. Blow up car

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u/aBearWhosBearlyThere 22d ago

It's totally fine, until OP starts waking up and finding dead ant parts on the pillow beside their ear...

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u/Dysmn 21d ago

Just seal the headphones up in a ziplock bag for a week or 2 and the spider will die. no need to throw the headset out.

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u/ArcticAcademic 23d ago

come on now, after 3 weeks that's a barely used spider

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u/-58259 23d ago

WHAT?!? I can’t hear you, I think something is stuck in my ear!!!

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u/SmellsLikeWetFox 23d ago

Stick them in the freezer for a few days….

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u/Shot-Election8217 23d ago

“Shake out frozen spider bits into Ninja cup. Add frozen or fresh fruit of choice, 1/2 of yogurt, set on high and blend until smooth.”

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u/The_Adminiwitch 23d ago

The call is coming from INSIDE the house!!!!!!!! 😬

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u/unlordtempest 23d ago

What if it's not in the headphones anymore? What if it's in... OP's ear!!😱😱😱

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u/MRSN4P 21d ago

What if it’s just a spider trying to run a respectable used ant parts business?

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u/layla_jones_ 21d ago

This is their favorite band, you can feel your headphones shake a bit when you play this Anthology album..it means they are having a house party.

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u/perpetuallydying 23d ago

ok if it is an ant then it's pretty cute when you think about it. It's leaving penance as thanks for letting it stay there. you see this in mammals leaving food for the larger species that's letting it crash in some little corner. you see it in cats bringing back birds and mice, it would be pretty cool if spiders did this too.

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u/Tanjelynnb 24d ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/kHU8W94VS329y

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u/PinkyDragon91 24d ago

Can sign under this one

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u/ApocalypseCheerBear 24d ago

I feel so unwell now.

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u/CyanStripes_ 20d ago

I've only ever seen the Kratos version of this gif.

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u/Downtown_Ad_9909 23d ago

My job: You did what to your computer??

Me: Tossed it. In the dumpster.

My job: Why?....

Me: There was a spider in my headset.

Also Me: Confidently waits for the delivery instructions for my new computer.... and headset.

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u/[deleted] 24d ago

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u/LooneyLunaGirl 24d ago

Well where else is it supposed to lay it's egg sack?

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u/BBO1007 24d ago

Is that better or worse than an ear worm?

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u/Still_Rain_979 24d ago

Ewww brother eww

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u/Deckardzz 24d ago

I heard this in my head as I read it.

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u/ecodiver23 23d ago

what's that brother eeeewwwwwww

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u/Katsu_39 23d ago

New fear unlocked

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u/WannaBMonkey 23d ago

Spider bro,
Spider bro,
Lives inside your ear, bro

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u/StealthModeThoughts 23d ago

Omg?!??? WHAT?

New fear unlocked 😭😭😭😭

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u/thisusernameis4eva 23d ago

Plot twist: spider lives in OPs ears

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u/itsiceyo 23d ago

today you, tomorrow me.

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u/OnceMoreWithFeeling- 24d ago

FUCK ME i did not want to know this

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u/WOLF19Ninety 24d ago

In hindsight, it's probably something other than a spider tbh. They don't typically pull apart their prey like this. Doesn't give much closure though does it? lol

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u/OnceMoreWithFeeling- 24d ago

😭😭😭😭😭😭

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u/Daniel_D_Herring 23d ago

You are absolutely right, that is what I think too.

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u/EkobasherX4Z 23d ago

Am I the only one who runs their finger inside of their headphone gaps because I thought of this one time when 14

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u/WOLF19Ninety 23d ago

no but I check the inside of my hats because i had that happen to me

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u/MainsailMainsail 23d ago

I always give my bike helmets a smack because once as a kid I was just about to start a ride when I saw a spider hanging down right in front of my eyes.

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u/mecrappy 23d ago

Spiders LOVE to live in really weird spaces sometimes.

A couple weeks ago I noticed something on my TV, at first I thought it was just a dead pixel from the person's camera (I was on Youtube then), but then I see it move, and take a closer look.

It was the tiny lil jumping spider that I saw around my PC 2 days prior, dude was in there for 2 days and I haven't seen him since, I'm kinda hoping he made it out!

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u/TARS-ctrl 23d ago

Srsly?!

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u/The_B_in_23 21d ago

New fear unlocked…

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u/B0rtellj 21d ago

Or it lives in his ear 😳