Talkback: Spiders

Posts

• Gardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147

  February 2009

  I have to admit i am not the greatest fan of spiders, ive actually never come into contact with a spider over the size of a couple of centimeters. I didnt realise they bite, even more of a reason for me to keep a distance. I was quite shocked I have to admit when I read your blog!

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• Gardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147

  February 2009

  Huh, I'm glad to say I haven't come across any in my compost bins, although I regularly have them chasing me across the living room floor. Scary

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• Gardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147

  February 2009

  Hee hee, I quite like the house spiders, although I have to admit to subtly lifting my feet onto the sofa if I see one scurrying across the floor! But then one of my cats will usually spot him and I then regain my courage and try to encourage the spider into a safe place (I'm sure my cats belong to a subspecies - maybe "Felis catus insectivorous"?!)

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• Gardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147

  February 2009

  Reply to Jamie and others. Please do not worry about spiders biting you. First, all spiders bite. Second, all spiders are venomous — that is how they kill their invertebrate prey. But third and MOST IMPORTANTLY, only a handful of UK spider species have fangs large enough and long enough to bite through thick and tough human skin. Spiders will only try to bite if picked up between finger and thumb. But even then most just cannot get their jaws open wide enough. Its a bit like you trying to bite a chunk out of the floor. If you feel unhappy about letting a spider walk across your hands, use an upturned glass and a piece of card slipped under it. Let it go in the compost bin.

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• Gardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147

  February 2009

  Having lived in Australia for several years most of it in rural and outback parts I have become, necessarily, used to the joys of a wide variety of spiders. The huge stripey legged, banded huntsman (Isopeda insignis) was a regular and welcome visitor keeping the swathes of mossies to a minimum. The smaller red back spider (Latrodectus hasseltii) was not such a welcome sight and had almost all swerving to avoid it or leaping for a weapon to dispatch it.
  
  So, now home, I am delighted with the smaller less poisonous varieties although friends are sometimes confused as to why I don't sweep them away from ceilings and corners in the house. I suppose I am still in 'mossie mode' where a local arachnid will keep the population of nasty little biters DOWN!

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• Gardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147

  February 2009

  Thank you for such an interesting blog! Now I know the name of the spiders in my shed. What is the name of the lovely 'tabby' ones that make their webs in shrubs?

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• Gardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147

  February 2009

  In reply to Jamie, all uk spiders bite but it is just that our skin is too thick for the majority to penetrate

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• Gardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147

  February 2009

  27 Feb saw a huge wild bee this morn, First one this year in mansfield, notts.

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• Gardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147

  February 2009

  Yes all spiders are venomous and bite but the ones in the UK have fangs which open side to side, much like a crabs claw, and can not open far enough to grip and puncture human skin. Unlike the Tarantulas with large powerful downward stabbing fangs.
  Saying all this my brother when small was bitten on the shoulder by a jumping spider, but didn't turn into ''SPIDERMAN'', shame!

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• Gardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147

  February 2009

  I quiet like spiders too,anyway if a ladybird can bite and really hurt I don't see why any one would think a spider couldn't bite, although I have never been bitten by one, had a funny thing happen when a spider was sitting on my table and I took a glass into the room to deposit him out side in, I as a joke said to him to jump in the glass and he did, still laughing about it.

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