to be pissed off with my neighbour

[batshitlady]

Lovely people, just moved in to house next door. They're back here from Australia where they were for 2 years.

Yesterday, she, unpacking, found a red back spider in her suitcase and let it go in the garden, saying she felt it deserved to live as it's survived the journey... I can't fucking believe it, they're poisonous no? I'm bloody worried now it shins up the drain pipe and bites my DD.

[BYOSnowman]

Before answering I need to know the rough location of where you can live and the travelling speed and distance of a red back

Would they really survive all that? Was she pulling your leg?

[HeartShapedBox]

I know nothing about spiders, but if it's indeed poisonous then she's an idiot

Maybe it'll die of cold pretty quickly?

[JeffsanArsehole]

Wtf!

That's insane! There are people to call who will happily take it to the zoo - there was an article online about the hundreds of animals taken to zoos from suitcases and crates.

If are really gave a fuck she'd have saved it's like.

[JeffsanArsehole]

She, life. Fucking auto correct cunt badger.

[batshitlady]

I'm in London. No I don't see why she'd be pulling my leg. We don't know each other well enough.

I'm jittery as hell now down to this stupid woman!

[lizzydrippingsghost]

please tell me me you dont live in the west midlands

[BolshierAryaStark]

Yep she's a fuckwit.
They are venomous, apparently they like warm habitats-prefferably indoors...

[lizzydrippingsghost]

(breaths a big sigh of relief)

[wednesdaysocks]

London? I'm going to have to emigrate now (not to Australia obviously- too many large spiders for my liking)!

As an aside, isn't the Red Back a member of the same family as the Black Widow?

[BYOSnowman]

I think I may need you to be more specific...

Given she has been in Australia for two years where they are red hot on alien species being brought in I am really surprised at her.

Hopefully a pigeon pecked him up and is now telling his friends about the odd spider he just ate that had a bit of a kick

[batshitlady]

Fuck knows! I don't suppose it will last long in the English autumn, but what a twat she is!

Imagine a person with a heart condition or a small child gets bitten? It's a pity as I liked them at first, but she's a total dick!

[batshitlady]

They didn't bring the fucker over as a pet FGS BYO , it crawled into a box/suitcase or something, I don't know!

[waitingforcalpoltowork]

ok to protect your home you need to get medieval flea treatments usually kill spiders too and last awhile so flea treat your soft furnishings and carpet hopefully if it gets in it will drop dead quickly

dethlac the doorways drains vent etc apart from that hope it dropped dead before it found shelter

[batshitlady]

Sorry, just exasperated and a bit scared here. I'm worried it's going to try and get indoors. I just googled them and they like indoor habitats apparently.

[BYOSnowman]

Yes I know that! But she should be very aware of how bad it is to introduce a nonnative species into the country as I understand they make a big deal of it in Australia.

[NotAWhaleOmeletteInSight]

Hopefully it isn't pregnant...

[MumOnTheRunAgain]

Well it makes sense it will run into the nearest house/building....prob not the one it was just evicted from though!

[batshitlady]

Good advice, trouble is I can't go out now.. Have some old dog flea killer, and have already gone wild with that.

[BYOSnowman]

I can understand your stress. I am arachnophobic and feel sick at the thought this spider is in the same city as me!

It's unlikely to survive here though. A quick look on Google shows red backs surviving in northern Europe are confined to greenhouses.

My sil worked in oz for a summer cleaning out luxury tents near Ayers Rock - her first job was to clear out the red backs. She said they are not aggressive and I hope she is right

[echt]

Redbacks can do OK in centrally-heated houses. If it's a bloke spider, it's harmless.

What a dozy mare. It'll probably die in the garden over winter. They like to live under logs and in leaf-litter when outside.

[MovingOnUpMovingOnOut]

You'll be fine. Just don't leave your airing cupboard door open...

[wizzywig]

Call social services on her

[CainInThePunting]

Hopefully the cold climate will kill it off.

Otherwise, if the spider was pregnant she could be solely responsible for introducing red back spiders to the UK.
This is precisely one of the things that HM customs want to stop from happening.

She is a Loon.

[batshitlady]

I bloody well intend to wizzy.

[TracyBarlow]

On the plus side, the London property market is really hot right now so I'd just stick a for sale sign in the garden and you could be out of there by the weekend.