Caryn - I don't know for sure but we had obvious wolf spiders and probable brown recluse in our old house, and never had a problem with the furritz.... they left the big ones alone, and I never actually saw a recluse. They DID chase/hunt the tree roaches that got in though... they'd eat the "juicy" parts and leave the front half (occasionally still kicking) for me to find... once Judah brought one still alive to bed with him as a present to leave on my pillow... yech! I was more worried they'd try to eat one of the centipedes from the woodpile outside... but I never had any problems and I had ferrets in that house for 13 years. Now I have NO bugs in my apartment, so the poor guys are no longer able to hunt! As for where ferrets go when they disappear... I think they go to some other ferret-ruled dimension and attend seminars on sock relocation and related subjects. Makes sense... Hey Bob C - no flames here! I agree whole heartedly with your post and was hoping someone would address that issue of carnivore vs. omnivore vs. herbivore and all. I don't have the credentials... you do. ciao otter drifter, silk, lynx & muggsie Mitakuye Oyasin [Posted in FML issue 1910]