World's deadliest spider discovered in British supermarket
By mandykaren
@mandykaren (2040)
September 9, 2008 11:38am CST
yes here in Britain the worlds deadliest spider, called A Brazilian Wandering Spider, was found under a box of bananas at kent tescos supermarket.. Was discovered by a terrified worker.. Now this is quite scary, and proves just how unsafe importing fruits can be.
it's scientific name is Phoneutria nigriventer - the first element is Greek for 'murderess' - but it is also known as the banana spider because of its habit of stowing away in shipments of the fruit.
The RSPCA was called, and as the guy was trying to flick it in a box with pencil the thing was so aggressive it was trying to go for him, jumping around and trying to attack.
RSPCA, said: 'It is highly toxic. The main body is more than an inch long and with its legs it is three to four inches long.
The supermarket was closed down for several hours in case it had companions
Seems like it can be life threatening to work in a supermarket.. imagine how you would feel after seeing something like that, 1 bite and you dead within an hour.
Could you carry on working there? wouldn't you be scared every time opening any crates of fruit?
What if a baby one did escape, and it was unnoticed.. Think this puts me of bananas now haha
5 responses
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
12 Sep 08
Hadn't heard about that but my neice is in Iraq and she writes letters home and was where she could include images in the letters and wrote and showed close up pictures of a HUGE, and I do mean HUGE - small dog size, spiders - attached to peoples legs! They are not allowed to shoot the spider as Iraq will get mad. They can't scare them off as the dang thing is so big, it doesn't scare. So they distract it with food. Isn't that nice that we have to accomodate Iraq and give our food to feed their dangerous population?
2 people like this
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
12 Sep 08
YES! That was it - Camel Spider and the shade. Should have pulled her letter out that told about it and had a picture of the spooky thing! Yeah, they'd keep the thing in shade and distract it with food to get it to move.
1 person likes this
@mandykaren (2040)
•
12 Sep 08
they are weird looking things, found in the dessert hence the name lol.
But don't bite humans only if felt threatened so they not aggressive..Can run i think 10 mph so that's kinda frightening and jump really high
Anyway would freak me out if had one chasing me in my shadows making loud screaming noises haha..
1 person likes this
@mandykaren (2040)
•
12 Sep 08
i think thre is a few stowaways that come here, via fruit mostly.. But i dont suppose they would survive here long due to the weather condtions..
what you talk of sound very interesting, i got searching hehe,, as i leanring something here 
would that be the camel spider? http://www.awfulgames.com/fun/camelspider/
apparently they not dangerous to humans, but can be scarey and could hurt you by accident,. meaning they hate the sun so if u disturb what is shading them, they will run to your shadow, and they fast, can seem like chasing you but just hiding in your shadow.. Still creeps me out 
thanks for the very interesting response
would that be the camel spider? http://www.awfulgames.com/fun/camelspider/
apparently they not dangerous to humans, but can be scarey and could hurt you by accident,. meaning they hate the sun so if u disturb what is shading them, they will run to your shadow, and they fast, can seem like chasing you but just hiding in your shadow.. Still creeps me out
thanks for the very interesting response 2 people like this
@cupid74 (11388)
• Pakistan
11 Sep 08
Hi dear
the pic is really scary and it shows that its deadly and sure its big insect
well, things happened and u cant stop living with the fear of those things.and i am sure if proper dress is worn while unpacking things then things can be avoided, u know things happened, accident took place, but life goes on
Take care
2 people like this
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
12 Sep 08
hi mandykaren that would be horribly scary and I would not want
to work around produce. any spider scares me and a deadly one,oh my I dont want to think about it. But as for the bananas themselve they would be okay as you just unpeel and eat. fruit is still really healthy for us unlike the wandering spider. I always wash any raw fruit anyway and bananas are not easily contaminated at all.
1 person likes this
@mandykaren (2040)
•
12 Sep 08
yes you right, don't know whats been in with the fruit for hours, while imported.. We had to have the worse spider travel with it here, imagine if there was baby ones too, undetected..
Normal household spiders creep me out let alone that deadly evil wondering spider and it was THAT aggressive they had to put it to sleep, not even let photographers near it.. It is like something out of the movies..
happy mylotting hatley, take care 
@bmorehouse1 (1028)
• United States
9 Sep 08
This just sends shivers down my spine! Ugh! If I worked there I would be terribly nervous, looking for spiders everytime a crate of bananas came in! I'm sure that is not the first spider that has been a "stow away", but nevertheless it is quite frightening!
2 people like this
@mandykaren (2040)
•
9 Sep 08
i totally agree, one of women was mother of couple of children, she was that close to being bitten. i am scared of spiders as it is.. but that thing looks like a demon. I don't know how the staff dealing with it, but i wouldn't be surprised if the women there especially, never want to handle the crates of fruit again, i know i would shake just being in room. Danger risks just working in a supermarket
thanks for response and take care
1 person likes this
@banadux (630)
• United States
11 Sep 08
That's seriously scary. I kill all spiders as soon as I see them with the exclusion of daddy long legs. I don't know why you'd be trying to play with it, but I guess that's fun for some people. It was lucky that no one got hurt in this situation.
2 people like this
