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Original poster

Global warming is bringing a new threat to our back gardens - poisonous spiders (oh good)

78 replies

Tutter · 03/05/2007 17:04

Global warming is bringing a new threat to our back gardens - poisonous spiders.

The False Widow spider first arrived in banana shipments from the Canary Islands in around 1870 and is now growing in numbers thanks to increased temperatures.

The good news is the spider's bite will not kill, although it can cause swelling and severe pain.

Michael and Pam Willis recently found one in the garden of their home in Verwood, Dorset.

Mrs Willis, 62, said: "It was black and shiny, not like a normal, hairy spider. It's terrifying if numbers are rising. I'm worried about our grandchildren."

Stuart Hine, of London's Natural History Museum, said: "There has been a dramatic increase over the last seven to ten years; no doubt due to global warming. They survive winters to mate."

He added: "There are probably tens of thousands. In a few years they will be in every garden in the south of England and more will be spotted higher up the country."

"black and shiny"

OP posts:
ruty · 03/05/2007 17:16

i'm sure we had one of these on our ceiling yesterday. i caught it in a sawn off evian bottle teetering on a chair. [shudder] And then let it out of the window. Probably will come back at night and bite us. [double shudder]

Eleusis · 03/05/2007 17:17

Surely there's an opportunity for the pesticide company here? Just kill the little buggers.

ruty · 03/05/2007 17:23

but how to without killing our indigenous spiders. The fly population would then soar...

Original poster
Tutter · 03/05/2007 17:40

again,

OP posts:
JodieG1 · 03/05/2007 17:46

I hate spiders, they scare me.

paulaplumpbottom · 03/05/2007 21:45

It could be worse you could be getting snakes

TwoIfBySea · 03/05/2007 22:24

Christ on a bike! No, this is hell, I just told dts that spiders here don't hurt you if they bite. Fckity f*k but I hate the things, truly hate them.

Found out today that on their school visit to the zoo a few weeks ago (supposedly to see the penguins that they were studying in class) dts2 got to touch a spider. The very thought.

Still, handy to know if I need one gotten rid of!

TheDuchessOfNorksBride · 03/05/2007 22:38

TwoIfBySea - they didn't go to Drusilla's did they? The parents who went on our school trip there couldn't wait to tell me that my DD had held the tarantula, the hissing cockroach (?!) AND the snake. Good for her I suppose but also

Astrophe · 03/05/2007 22:39

We had a NASTY spider at our place the other day and when I sprayed it with fly spray my friend who was visiting was shocked. She didn't know you could do that. You can. It died.

I have always wondered why they don't sell spider pray in this country (and only one brand of fly spray!), but I darsay that will change if these buggers are on the move!

Astrophe · 03/05/2007 22:40

I mean spray, spider spray.

expatinscotland · 03/05/2007 22:45

Poisonous spiders are a much greater threat to non-human species.

Wait till you get mosquitos with very unpleasant things like dengue fever and St. Louis encephalitis.

lionheart · 03/05/2007 22:50

Wow. It's really odd you should pick up on this, Tutter. I was bitten by a loofah in the garage about ten days ago. My hand is still slightly swollen, the pins and needles effect has only just subsided and I still have loads of tiny little blisters under the skin all the way across my palm....

butterflywings · 03/05/2007 22:52

A few years ago, I went to use the bathroom and I um, sat down on the loo...
I looked up for some reason and saw this really big, really hairy spider on the ceiling directly above my head!

I jumped up and got my dad to 'dispose' of it.

We later found out that our neighour's kept Mexican Red-Knee Tarantulas and the babies had escaped

They were harmless but it still gave me the heebie-jeebies for ages afterwards

lionheart · 03/05/2007 22:56

O.K. I may have provoked the little bastard but only because I DIDN'T KNOW it was there!

butterflywings · 03/05/2007 23:05

Just been looking at pics of false widow spiders on google and I'm really creeped out now!

lucyellensmum · 03/05/2007 23:10

oh thats just great that is, i can't be doing with spiders, i hate them i really do - i have two in my house that i know of and have given them names to help rationalise my fear, i mean that seems like a rational approach to me, doesnt it you?

GreebosWhiskers · 03/05/2007 23:22

I got bitten on the toe by a spider - the little sod was lurking in my boot. I felt a sting, yanked the boot off & there was this enormous thing sitting on my toe. It jumped off & ran away but I got it with the very boot it ambushed me from All the banging & swearing had dh running up the stairs to see what was going on.

eidsvold · 04/05/2007 04:02

well we have to worry about poisonous snakes on the rise in our gardens here in QLd due to the drought we are having!! deadly poisonous snakes!! THe ones in the top 10 most fatal snakes in the world.

those of you who don't like spiders - don't come to Aus then

ghosty · 04/05/2007 06:25

Bunch of woosies the lot of you!

eidsvold · 04/05/2007 06:29

ghosty you need arfishy's bug fighting utility belt don't k now if you ever saw it - it was fab - consisted of a can of bug spray, a flip flop and a can of fosters .

Imawurzel · 04/05/2007 07:16

Lionheart, Loofahs bite?? Don't they live in the bathroom? And get soaked up with water??

lionheart · 04/05/2007 08:52

I am trying not to alarm the arachnophobes who also lurk around these parts.

But it was all very odd.

twoisplenty · 04/05/2007 08:55

I always said that if spiders learned to fly, then that would be the end of me!

They don't, do they?

ruty · 04/05/2007 09:02

no but they jump. [shudder]
I do try to live in harmony with them [the non biting ones] in general. They do catch flies. we'll see how long that lasts...

filthymindedvixen · 04/05/2007 09:10

I cured myself of arachnophobia (and general fear of creepy crawlies, especially worms and maggots) after the birth of my first ds.

...but I think it's coming back again again oh dear gods biting spiders with a scary name >