(Google Image Search: Gozilla with Banana)
Posted on 11/05/2013 8:45:45 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
A family had to move into a hotel and fumigate their home after deadly South American spiders began hatching out of a bunch of Sainsbury’s bananas.
Terrified Consi Taylor, 29, said she saw something that looked like mould on a Colombian Fairtrade banana she was eating.
However, on closer inspection she said she saw some ‘funny looking spots’ and realised something was wrong.
‘I had a closer look and was horrified to see they were spiders. They were hatching out on the table, scurrying around on my carpet. I was so scared I started crying,’ she told The Sun.
Sainsbury’s initially gave Consi and her husband Richard, 37, a £10 voucher to make up for their troubles but that wasn’t the end of the story.
The couple and their two young children were forced to flee their home after sending a picture of the infestation to a pest control firm – who promptly told the Taylors they might be venomous Brazilian Wandering spiders.
The family escaped their London home for three days with Benjamin, three, and four-month-old Annabel, after the firm’s email warned: ‘The Brazilian Wandering Spider is venomous and should be considered dangerous. We have to take huge care and diligence.’
Following the lengthy fumigation, the family had to dry-clean all their clothes and racked up a total bill of £1,000 which covered hotel costs and pest control measures – which Sainsbury’s paid for them.
The spiders, also known as Phoneutria, are indigenous to South America and parts of Central America such as Costa Rica.
They are extremely toxic and can cause convulsions and in mammals if they bite them.
‘I hope I didn’t eat one but I can’t be sure. I now have a phobia of buying bananas. We don’t know whether they’ve all gone,’ Consi added.
They send the Brazilians money, and the Brazilians send them deadly spiders. So THAT is how this “fairtrade” stuff works!
“I wonder how a Brazilian Wandering Spider ends up in a Columbian Fair Trade banana.”
I guess that’s why they’re called “wandering”.
I say this headline before, I’m just so, so glad this story happened in England. And I’ll keep buying my bananas from the eeeevil capitalist exploiters: Chiquita!
Did they throw the bananas out????
I’m glad that people here are treating this story with skepticism. I sent it to an arachnologist friend after seeing it on Twitter. He says they may well have been a harmless species. Identifying from photographs is unreliable, and pest control companies are notorious for mis-identifying, either because they really are ignorant or else want to make more money off the customer. Some are ethical, but others leave a lot to be desired. Notice the word “might.”
The vast majority of spiders are harmless to humans, and many are beneficial. Most things that people(and doctors) assume are spider bites aren’t and it usually turns out that the individual didnt see what bit them.
The Spider Myths Site
http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/spider myth/
I’m glad that people here are treating this story with skepticism. I sent it to an arachnologist friend after seeing it on Twitter. He says they may well have been a harmless species. Identifying from photographs is unreliable, and pest control companies are notorious for mis-identifying, either because they really are ignorant or else want to make more money off the customer. Some are ethical, but others leave a lot to be desired. Notice the word “might.”
The vast majority of spiders are harmless to humans, and many are beneficial. Most things that people(and doctors) assume are spider bites aren’t and it usually turns out that the individual didnt see what bit them.
The Spider Myths Site
http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/spider myth/
Sorry, that link doesn’t seem to work, and to add insult. To injury, I accidentally posted it twice.
http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/spidermyth/
That one works.
!
(Google Image Search: Gozilla with Banana)
Yes. See! That proves it.
thanks crazycatlady :).
Well, the democrats have infested Virginia from a northern carpetbag.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.