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Essex woman finds eggs of world's most venomous spider in her shopping
The Guardian ^ | September 9, 2014 | Mark Tran

Posted on 09/09/2014 4:49:19 PM PDT by beaversmom

Brazilian wandering spider venom causes loss of muscle control and breathing problems, paralysis and asphyxiation. Photograph: Apex Photo Agency/Rex

The Brazilian wandering spider – perhaps the world's most aggressive and venomous spider – is a rare visitor to these shores, but has recently been turning up in shipments of bananas, most recently in Colchester.

Such is their fearsome reputation that a woman who found its eggs in bananas she bought from Tesco on Monday had to incinerate her vacuum cleaner after using it to clean them up.

Abby Woodgate, 30, was told by pest control experts that she would have to burn anything that had come into contact with the spider eggs, as the arachnids are highly venomous. At deadly concentrations, their venom causes loss of muscle control and breathing problems, resulting in paralysis and eventual asphyxiation.

The Brazilian wandering spider has a tendency to hide in banana bunches or plantations and is occasionally found as a stowaway within shipments of bananas, hence its other name – banana spider.

Although its venom is highly toxic, it is being studied for use in erectile dysfunction treatments. The spider's bite can cause an erection that sometimes lasts for up to four hours.

Woodgate first thought the bananas had mould on them after noticing a white lump when they were delivered to her home. When she poked it with a toothpick, a cocoon opened, revealing dozens of tropical eggs.

She immediately threw the fruit in the bin, but a few eggs dropped on her kitchen floor, which she vacuumed. She called Tesco's Highwoods store, which had delivered the shopping to her home and it said it would collect them. She then received a call to say pest control experts would call round instead.

(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: arachnid; arachnids; spider; spiders; uk; wanderingspider
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To: CivilWarBrewing

I can hear the commercial now:

“Go the the ER if you have an erection lasting four hours after finding a Brazilian wandering spider on your banana”


21 posted on 09/09/2014 5:16:14 PM PDT by Protect the Bill of Rights
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To: Conspiracy Guy

Good choice. Enjoyed listening to it. :)


22 posted on 09/09/2014 5:16:58 PM PDT by beaversmom
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To: beaversmom
burn anything that had come into contact with the spider eggs

Anything?


23 posted on 09/09/2014 5:17:39 PM PDT by Gamecock (Not responsible for errors resulting from posting via my "smart" phone.)
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To: Gamecock
Really! Calling Guy Montag to report to Tesco!


24 posted on 09/09/2014 5:21:20 PM PDT by beaversmom
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To: beaversmom

25 posted on 09/09/2014 5:23:48 PM PDT by Brother Cracker (You are more likely to find krugerrands in a Cracker Jack box then 22 ammo at Wal-Mart)
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To: dfwgator
I always liked this version

The Philanderer
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=The+Philanderer

Lol...thank goodness that beast is gone!

26 posted on 09/09/2014 5:24:45 PM PDT by beaversmom
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To: beaversmom

No, it’s a dog in a spider costume.


27 posted on 09/09/2014 5:28:57 PM PDT by SkyDancer (I Was Told Nobody Is Perfect But Yet, Here I Am)
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To: beaversmom; Gamecock

28 posted on 09/09/2014 5:30:21 PM PDT by Stand Watch Listen (When the going gets tough...the Low Information President (LIP) goes golfing)
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To: beaversmom

Thanks for posting it. I don’t know why, but I’ll read something or someone says something and a song pops in my head. This was a “Wandering Spider” and then there was the ED issue about the Venom, viola, Dion the Wanderer. I am an idiot savant or maybe just an idiot. Earlier today the thought crossed my mind that “She’s leaving Home” from the Beatles on Sgt Pepper may have been an idea stolen by Paul and John from the writers of the Sara Evans song “Suds in the bucket”. The “man from the motor trade” and the guy driving “the white pickup truck”. Plus short notes left by the daughters in each song. And the mother in each song wondering why their daughters left them. Of course I know the Beatles song is first. I need rehab or something. : )


29 posted on 09/09/2014 5:53:30 PM PDT by Conspiracy Guy (Stop wishing for a perfect world. You may get it. Who will you talk to then?)
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To: Conspiracy Guy

Lol...you’re okay. You should see the tangents I go off on in therapy! :)

Someone posted on FR, not too many months ago, She’s Leaving Home, I thought...or maybe it was another Beatles song. It’s a good tune anyway. Was big on the Beatles in my teens after John Lennon died and all the Beatles’ music was on the radio.

Anyway, when you said The Wanderer, Del Shannon’s My Little Runaway came into my head. At first I thought that was the song you were talking about. This one was before my time to enjoy it during its first run, but loved as a teen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOh8NS_2nu4


30 posted on 09/09/2014 6:00:37 PM PDT by beaversmom
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To: beaversmom

My Little Runaway is a great song. I was born in 54 and couldn’t sleep without a radio playing even as an infant. My mental playlist is limitless!


31 posted on 09/09/2014 6:07:41 PM PDT by Conspiracy Guy (Stop wishing for a perfect world. You may get it. Who will you talk to then?)
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To: Conspiracy Guy

I was wrong. It wasn’t She’s Leaving Home...it was Things We Said Today:

[Vanity] Things We Said Today (Beatles)
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3157262/posts


32 posted on 09/09/2014 6:08:31 PM PDT by beaversmom
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To: Conspiracy Guy
My mental playlist is limitless!

Neat...it's all embedded in there. :) Couldn't live without music.

33 posted on 09/09/2014 6:10:27 PM PDT by beaversmom
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To: Conspiracy Guy
I was born in 54 and couldn’t sleep without a radio playing even as an infant.Maybe that's why you associate so many things with music/songs?
34 posted on 09/09/2014 6:12:09 PM PDT by beaversmom
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To: Dr.Deth
Beautiful bunch of ripe banana, hide de deadly black tarantula.

Watch out for that tallyman when he tally's me banana...

35 posted on 09/09/2014 6:31:31 PM PDT by bubbacluck (America 180)
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To: beaversmom

M4L


36 posted on 09/09/2014 6:39:16 PM PDT by Scrambler Bob (/s /s /s /s /s, my replies are "liberally" sprinkled with them behind every word and letter.!)
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To: beaversmom

“Things we said today”, is one of many great Beatles songs. “She’s leaving home” is one of the few if not the only Beatles songs that John, Paul, George and Ringo did not play an instrument on. I love the harp and all the other strings in the song.


37 posted on 09/09/2014 6:44:20 PM PDT by Conspiracy Guy (Stop wishing for a perfect world. You may get it. Who will you talk to then?)
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To: beaversmom

I write lyrics because I am a poet. But lyrics are more simple than poetry. But I can’t write music. I am currently looking for someone who can write music to work with. Maybe sell songs on the side.


38 posted on 09/09/2014 6:46:37 PM PDT by Conspiracy Guy (Stop wishing for a perfect world. You may get it. Who will you talk to then?)
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To: Kennard
What a way to go.

You can survive after a four hour erection. That's the good news. Just burn anything that came in contact with the spider. That's the bad news, especially depending on where you got bit.

39 posted on 09/09/2014 6:50:58 PM PDT by roadcat
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To: beaversmom

It is maddening some times. Trying to tune it out when someone says a key word or phrase in a meeting and a song like Toni Fisher “The big hurt” from 1959 pops into my head. I was only 5 years old. These were am radio days. How do I remember even the lyrics to this song with all the songs that followed in my life. The weird thing was, I understood the meaning of the lyrics. I used to freak my parents out. This is the URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlE6eHEENg4 to that song. Got to go for tonight. Have a great evening.


40 posted on 09/09/2014 6:54:00 PM PDT by Conspiracy Guy (Stop wishing for a perfect world. You may get it. Who will you talk to then?)
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