Any arachnophiles in the house?

[garycat]

I found this living in my garage (just SW of Bristol). The camera flash has muted the colours a little but the body is black and the triangles on the back are red. It is about 2cm long

It looks similar to a black widow but I didn't think they are in the UK

[Gun]

That's a False Widow isn't it, slightly venomous but not dangerous?

It'd still be getting my shoe round it's head though!

[Raify]

There's a quite useful website for identifying spiders here: http://bugguide.net/node/view/1954

Although it's a little USA-centric.

[Sleekitman]

A couple of Christmas's ago I got this pressie.

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... christmas pressie&mid=142768

I think your's is a false widow spider but don't go poking at it.You never know.

[NDA]

Looks like a false widow - you could be allergic to the bite, in which case it would be highly dangerous.

I would be tempted to get rid of it....



Edit

I didn't realise they were native to the UK, in which case I wouldn't get rid of it, just avoid it!

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/about-us/news/2007/may/news_1...

Edited by NDA on Tuesday 2nd February 11:02

[theshrew]

I cant see your pic from work. Give it a size 10 splat.

Serious though it could be anything dont go poking at it. Lots of our goods are imported these days gives a free ride to little critters you wouldnt normally find in the UK. I no someone who is a Manager of Sainsburys he said they sometimes find big Spiders in with the fruit etc.

[Dan_1981]

Not be long now until that picture of the clock appears, or failing that the one of the nest in the corner of the room - with hundreds of the little critters running accross the wall....

:shudder:

Edited by Dan_1981 on Tuesday 2nd February 11:21

[Gun]

theshrew said:

I cant see your pic from work. Give it a size 10 splat.

Serious though it could be anything dont go poking at it. Lots of our goods are imported these days gives a free ride to little critters you wouldnt normally find in the UK. I no someone who is a Manager of Sainsburys he said they sometimes find big Spiders in with the fruit etc.

Yep, my mate used to work in the fruit and veg department at Tesco, he was stacking some bananas on the shelf when a big spider ran out from the box and under one of the shelving units, they have to shut the shop while they looked round for it but couldn't find it.

[Raify]

theshrew said:

I no someone who is a Manager of Sainsburys he said they sometimes find big Spiders in with the fruit etc.

This is inevitable, given the draconian reductions in pesticides allowed. After all, spiders are natural bug predators. The worst are bananas + pines (higher transport temps) + grapes ex USA (black widow threat).

[Mr Will]

Dan_1981 said:

Not be long now until that picture of the close appears, or failing that the one of the nest in the corner of the room - with hundreds of the little critters running accross the wall....

:shudder:

How about this one:



Back on topic, but the one in the OP would be getting splatted, just to be sure!

[Matt Evans]

It looks like a false widow. Although they tend to have paler abdomen markings than that. They're not usually that bright. If it is a false widow, then it's unlikely to bite you unless you provoke it. Don't go killing it, just leave it alone. Or if you have a plastic container and the time (read balls) to do it, scoop it up and take it somewhere away from houses.

[petrolsniffer]

[Shinobi]

We have a few false widows outside where i used to live, never saw them inside only outside near wood. Got some spiders in the new house that live in funnel webs there a bit freaky (tocuh wood they stay in the workshop so far)

[RB Will]

is this you?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRV4d9LCawU

Love the girls comment at the end.

[nonuts]

RB Will said:

is this you?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRV4d9LCawU

Love the girls comment at the end.

No fking way would you get me trying to catch that thing

yes I realise that the big ones are not normally dangerous!

[Gun]

nonuts said:

RB Will said:

is this you?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRV4d9LCawU

Love the girls comment at the end.

No fking way would you get me trying to catch that thing

yes I realise that the big ones are not normally dangerous!

There's only one way I'd be dealing with that and it involves a 12 bore! That thing was fking huge.

[ApexJimi]

RB Will said:

is this you?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRV4d9LCawU

Love the girls comment at the end.

Jaysus, sat here at work watching that.

I yelped like a girl and jumped out my chair

[TVR653X]

nonuts said:

RB Will said:

is this you?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRV4d9LCawU

Love the girls comment at the end.

No fking way would you get me trying to catch that thing

yes I realise that the big ones are not normally dangerous!

NOT true. The most venomous spider in the world (the Northern Tree Dwelling Funnel Web), is a BIG spider. As is the Sydney Funnel Web, and the Brazilian Wandering. The Black Widow is 4th or 5th down the list.

A little video of the N.T.D. Funnel Web showing its weaponry:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AETJlLsm7Rc

P.S it's a false widow spider, there's a couple of different types if I remember correctly. They can give a painful bite but aren't really that dangerous. If it's not doing you any harm, why harm it?

Edited by TVR653X on Tuesday 2nd February 12:39

[Matt Evans]

RB Will said:

is this you?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRV4d9LCawU

Love the girls comment at the end.

It wasn't really trying to attack him though. Just trying to defend itself and not end up in a tupperware bowl!

[soad]

TVR653X said:

NOT true. The most venomous spider in the world (the Northern Tree Dwelling Funnel Web), is a BIG spider. As is the Sydney Funnel Web, and the Brazilian Wandering. The Black Widow is 4th or 5th down the list.

A little video of the N.T.D. Funnel Web showing its weaponry:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AETJlLsm7Rc

That looks fking deadly. So damn aggressive too, wouldn't go near it.