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 Post subject: Spiders! and other bugs in mines
PostPosted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 8:18 pm 
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Joined: Thu Sep 21, 2006 1:05 am
Posts: 20
Do you come across a lot of spider webs down there and other bugs?


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 8:28 pm 
Spiders and cave crickets are common in most mines, although I've never really noticed many webs. As a rule, we try to be as respectful as possible to any wildlife we encounter while underground. Our goal is to document the mine, then leave as quickly as possible to avoid any damage to sensitive underground ecosystems.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 8:34 pm 
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Joined: Fri Jul 15, 2005 2:34 pm
Posts: 6872
Location: Within 60 Miles of the Northern Anthracite Field
we rarely see anything other than a bat. this is because there is nothing for them to eat. people ask us all the time if we see rats in the mines cause that was a big thing when they were operating. but thats because they ate miners lunches and leftovers. they were their friends. now theres nothing for them to eat so theres nothing in the mine in terms of living creatures. with the exception being, twice saw a mouse one was white, once saw a fox, but that was near the opening and see some bugs but thats near the opening. we see spiders in mines that "wash open" that start out as small holes but "become larger" from rain water or something :wink: usually they are just in the hole. once in like i said we rarely see any signs of life, other than mine researchers of course!

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Oct 03, 2006 1:07 pm 
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Joined: Mon Jun 20, 2005 11:28 pm
Posts: 1758
Location: Winnemucca, NV
Outside of cave crickets and bats, you will sometimes find mushrooms naturally growing in abandoned mines. In Hibernia Mine, I spotted mushrooms growing quite a distance in from the mouth of the adit. I can only remember spotting a rat once in a mine. Come to think of it, as for other creatures, I think Miner Greg's cat was in a mine...

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Oct 03, 2006 3:48 pm 
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Joined: Tue Jul 05, 2005 2:44 pm
Posts: 385
Location: Hamburg, NJ
I did come across a huge spider in the ellensville tunnel. it was sitting in an old chimney pipe,with a pile of dried cave crickets at the base of its feet. Harry Potter would have cringed at its sight!

That and another encounter with a very rare and unknown species of life called Miner Bond. No pun intended Bond :wink:

Heres some strange life inside a "A Mine near Rockaway"

Image

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Oct 04, 2006 11:31 pm 
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Joined: Mon Jun 20, 2005 11:33 pm
Posts: 3080
Location: Above the Sterling Hill Mine
I have seen spiders and mosquitos inside mines which came in from water runoff. You might have a small opening (like a filled in shaft, a non-filled in shaft, or some other opening) which water runs into the mine through. This can wash in leaves and other things from the surface. The mosquitos or spiders don't live for long as there is no food for them.

We do see lots of bats. Usually the bats don't go too far from the openings and seeing bats WAY inside of a mine tells you that there are other openings which the bats came in from.

Miner Greg


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