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Tarantula's in Stroud Green

TallboyTallboy
edited July 2011 in Local discussion
I've just returned from holiday to a very muggy London. Got home about 11pm, flat very stuffy as I'd closed all the windows. Went to open the living room window. First pulled the blinds up and I saw what looked like a huge hairy Tarantula sized spider on the window ledge. The shock of me whipping the blinds up made the spider drop off the ledge. I still have the window open with the blinds shut, but am concerned that it is still lurking. I've never seen a garden or house spider that size. Could it be a lost pet? Or has the warmer climate led to growth in "shape of a seven year olds hand" spiders in London?
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  • R&JR&J
    edited 5:48AM
    Well I doubt I'll be getting much sleep tonight after reading that
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  • [Deleted User][Deleted User]
    edited 5:48AM
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  • KazKaz
    edited 5:48AM
    What road do you live on and how far can a tarantula move in 6 hours? Just debating whether to close my windows or not before I go to bed...
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  • TallboyTallboy
    edited 5:48AM
    Stapleton Hall Road, near the Stroud Green Junction. Currently devouring my Duty Free to try and forget about the hairy monster.
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  • KazKaz
    edited 5:48AM
    I live on Stapleton Hall Road.... *googling tarantula speed + ability to climb walls, closing windows and reaching for wine*
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  • beckybecky
    edited 5:48AM
    We found two enormous spiders in our house last night. One scuttling across the living room, which we put outside on the other side of the road in the hope s/he would choose another house to explore. The other was in the bath so we sent it down the plughole. I guess they were just house spiders: <http://www.uksafari.com/housespiders.htm>;
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  • WillMWillM
    edited 5:48AM
    Just to quote from the first hit on Google:

    "<i>Tarantulas are sluggish, will not bite unless provoked, and are not poisonous.</i>"

    So it's not that bad.
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  • djmattyoungdjmattyoung
    edited 5:48AM
    massive spider in my house the other day which was bigger than usual, my cat devoured it.
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  • krappyrubsnifkrappyrubsnif
    edited 5:48AM
    Holy shit. I look forwardto reading about the Stroud Green tarantula plague in next week's Hornsey Journal.
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  • nortonnorton
    edited 5:48AM
    Tarantulas also taste nice when deep fried.
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  • ArkadyArkady
    edited 5:48AM
    I would much prefer to have remained ignorant of this. Now I must leave the area. Emigration a serious possibility.
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  • ToddlesocksToddlesocks
    edited 5:48AM
    Just when i was almost worked up to do some gardening!

    *puts it off till next year*

    I live on Stapleton Hall too.
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  • miss anniemiss annie
    edited 5:48AM
    What Arky said! At least you might find solace in the old saying that where there are spiders there are no mice. In your case the spiders may well be capable of eating any potential mice.
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  • MarquisMarquis
    edited 5:48AM
    I actually quite like spiders. Their webs are beautiful and I love how they have 'Big Bad Boris' written all over their face. I had one outside my window for almost two months earlier this year and was looking forward to coming home every day and seeing whether it had been lucky during the day. It was quite big too. One day it was gone. It felt almost like a cat missing.
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  • poxypoxy
    edited 5:48AM
    A friend, who lives on the ladder, was hospitalised from a spider bite at Easter.
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  • MarquisMarquis
    edited 5:48AM
    Shocking! I hope they have recovered well. As for the spider, I would think they only kill for food or defence. Assuming that the spider did probably not intend to eat your friend were they perhaps doing something that gave the spider the impression it was in danger?
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  • ADGSADGS
    edited 5:48AM
    The belief that there are no poisonous spiders native to the UK is quite simply a lie - and one I can only assume is put about by their agents and propagandists. This is why the only sure solution is to twat anything larger than a money spider with the nearest heavy item.
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  • poxypoxy
    edited 5:48AM
    He was tidying his yard. Scooping up stuff off the ground with his bare hands. He disturbed the spider and the bugger bit him. He thought nothing of it til the following day when his hand had swollen to twice the size.
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  • unaestheticunaesthetic
    edited July 2011
    Since this isn't a sexual assault-themed topic, I'll assume it's safe to raise a point of order

    Spiders are <i>venomous</i>, not poisonous. They all have venom in their fangs for paralyzing their prey. Poisonous means that you'd be taken ill or caught dead if you ate one.


    oh, and... Tarantula's <i>what</i> in Stroud Green? ;)
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  • tosscattosscat
    edited 5:48AM
    Yeah, what is it with that thread?
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  • ADGSADGS
    edited 5:48AM
    Venomous *and* poisonous, surely? Ground. spiders in food was a classic mediaeval poisoner's trick.
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  • unaestheticunaesthetic
    edited 5:48AM
    All spiders are venomous, not all are poisonous.
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  • TallboyTallboy
    edited 5:48AM
    I'm not a spider breed expert, so it might not have been a Tarantula. But it was the best term I could think of to conjur an image of the large, hairy, thick-legged spider I saw on the window ledge. I haven't seen it since. But I have since developed a habit of shaking my shoes and clothes out before I put them on.
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  • markymarky
    edited 5:48AM
    Ugh, horrible. Always at this time of year. Last August I was sitting at my computer when I felt a tickle on my left foot and looked down to see one of the biggest spiders I've ever seen outside of a zoo, perched on my foot. I've since found out that it is the male spiders we see scuttling around, looking for a mate. Since then I've wondered if it was that spiders legs I felt tickling me!
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  • PapaPapa
    edited 5:48AM
    I don't think I've ever seen so many spiders as I have this summer - fortunately no massive jungle ones yet
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  • CookieCookie
    edited 5:48AM
    @ Marquis, have to say that I am a spider fan too, but did draw a line at actually handling my brothers 'pet' tarantulas as if they get stressed, they shed their hairs
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  • CookieCookie
    edited 5:48AM
    @ Marquis, sorry about that abrupt end, pressed the wrong bloody key.
    and now it reads like a Viz comment!!! Seriously though, the hairs are an irritant, but the spider rarely bites, if they are used to being handled.The bite is supposedly like a bee sting.
    Had a small spider that had made it's home behind the wing mirror of my car, and built a web across it. One day, as I was driving, I noticed that the poor thing was hanging onto the web for dear life as it had been unable to retreat to safety behind the mirror. I could not bear it so I stopped the car to let it go home.
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  • [Deleted User][Deleted User]
    edited 5:48AM
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  • CookieCookie
    edited 5:48AM
    @ Misscara.Sorry to hear about your bites, you poor thing, but did you actually see the spider biting you? I react in the same way this time of year with gnat bites. These little sods make life absolute hell!!! However, If you are sure that it is a spider,have you seen your GP, as you should not have feet looking like black puddings!
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