“Spiders so large they appear to be wearing the pelts of small mammals.”
~ Dave Barry“No one knows, incidentally, why Australia’s spiders are so extravagantly toxic; capturing small insects and injecting them with enough poison to drop a horse would appear to be the most literal case of overkill. Still, it does mean that everyone gives them lots of space.”
~ Bill Bryson, In a Sunburned Country
An ENORMOUS Grey Huntsman spider has decided to take up residence in our farm’s small bathroom. No matter how many times Ben shoos her out she comes back. If I had been brave I would have put my hand beside her in the picture to show you how much bigger than my hand she is.
But I was not that brave.
We’re loath to squash her, and evidently she is very happy in her new home. I don’t mind so much when she hides between the sliding toilet door and the wall. I am quite happy to leave that door open and give her some privacy, even at the expense of mine. The thing that freaks me out is when she naps on my towel, which of course I then grab for as I get out of the shower.
Girly screams are so not cool, upset the neighbours, and apparently don’t bother spiders at all.
It must be spiders-freaking-out-Nicole season. I’ve also had two recent separate incidents of big huntsman spiders in the ute, showing themselves as we roar along at 80kph. Luckily Ben has been with me and driving both times. Also, the spiders chose to run on me!!! That makes me sound a bit pathetic I know, but spiders running along windscreens or onto people are a common cause for vehicle accidents and roll-overs in our neck of the woods.
A few years ago I was on my own, driving home up the highway to the farm and another large spider ran up my arm and onto my face. I managed not to crash, and pulled into a lookout popular with tourists and backpackers, where I carefully fell out of the car, spider still attached.
“Holy #@*$”, said two thrilled German Backpackers. “That is sooooo freakin’ awesome.” Of course they took photos before helping shoo it off my face.
They then offered me a joint, chocolate and sliced deli meat. Life is just weird sometimes.
Yesterday morning we were up in Brisbane, seeing doctors and doing last minute things. Ben found a huge remote-control tarantula, and was as gleeful as a child.
Be very afraid!
😐
i love spiders and you seem to have some really cool ones in your neck of the woods! my sister and her husband have a contest every year as they drive into town some 20 minutes from their property: counting tarantulas during the mating season in the fall. they have spotted each up to around 80 or so in a good year. cheers!
We have some pretty big ones here in Georgia and they make the most beautiful webs! But I usually put them out if they’re inside…especially one of that size!
YOW! What luck you have. In my neck of the woods, we call our eight legged visitors “money spiders” so it looks like you are going to have good fortune. Bless you! :-))
I love spiders and hate people who kill them ( even though I know it’s through fear that they do ) but HEY !!!! this is England our spiders DO NOT LOOK LIKE THAT LOL They are so beautiful though aren’t they . They just want some space just like we do .
Cherry x
We were just having a discussion about Australia and its spider inhabitants this afternoon. There are so few here in the States and they hardly seem to qualify. I think I should let my friend see your blog post and have her scream for herself. I know that photo will do the trick!
This brings back to mind a recent spider-charges-human incident. It sadly ended in spider-slaughter, though. I was busily vacuuming when I spied the large, hairy, aggressive arachnid. Within a nanosecond, it charged the vacuum cleaner. Before I could pull back, it was too late. I stowed the vacuum on the front porch just in case it made for an escape later, and its sweet revenge.
And, yes, a big one once dangled down its drop line from the sun visor, right in front of my face while I was driving. I felt like Little Miss Muffet, but I instinctively and stealthily batted it away with one hand while I steered the car with the other. For the entire way home, though, I drove in silent fear of its unknown whereabouts.
Thanks for a great little post. The photo is absolutely amazing!
Holy. Shit. Seriously – you know how I am with spiders, and I’ll be hiding my towel and you know – EVERYTHING when I come down. I am almost weeping and hyperventilating. Still, I do like the remote controlled spider Brother Ben bought 🙂 Gordon’s going to wonder what the hell’s going on in PC if that spider so much as wiggles.
You drove me to Google, and I find there have been no Australian deaths from spider bites since 1981!!
Because it’s you, not me and I do not live in a rural area (though, given the amount of wildlife I have visit, well, that’s another discussion 😉 ) I am grinning madly at your expense. Spider attraction. Long as they don’t go trying “that scene” from the Spiderman movie you should be good.
And on Ben’s new toy – watch out Harry and Bert! 😀
My Hubby also loves those renmote control insects and he plays tricks on my employees all the time. The best is when he hid a rubber rat in the dish washing tub…girly screams and then some. The customers always get a big kick out of the staff running around crazy. One girl jumped on a table on her belly and put her feet in the air she was so scared…Men are boys..
I am the ‘shooer’ of spiders in our house (Bob doesn’t like them and I won’t let him squish them), but that one Ben just bought is a bridge TOO far !!! How about asking her to leave and offer a new space for her to go?
Oh i love spiders, lady weavers, i can sit for ages watching the golden orb weavers at work. Yours sound pretty big though. Have you tried lemon oil? A few drops in water and wipe over the walls. Works a treat up here. Sx
Huntsmen are great housemates. They just eat bugs, and generally leave you alone. Mind you, that is the largest I have ever seen! I find the best way to avoid being bitten is not put your finger in their mouth…
OMG. No way would I be able to sleep at night with that running around the house. Do the dogs go near it? I couldn’t squish anything that big but I would do my best to relocate to the next town over. You’re a braver soul than I am.
WHAT????? You want to hear some screaming? If that thing ran across my face you’d be able to hear me on the MOON!! So glad you didn’t crash your car; I can’t say I would have survived that one. Isn’t there some way to relocate your bathroom tenant without squishing it? Forgive if I’m speaking too plainly….but I sure as hell wouldn’t want to be caught with my pants down with a spider like that anywhere near the place. :0) !!