Exotic spiders invading the UK
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- WorldPeaceTV
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Researchers believe arachnids arriving in imports of food and plants are now able to survive and spread thanks to the UK's increasingly mild climate.
The new inhabitants include a species of false widow spider and some believe the deadly black widow could be next to invade.
Conservation group Buglife wants import rules to be strengthened to stem the tide of alien species invasion.
Matt Shardlow, director of Buglife, told BBC News: "Other countries in the world take great care about what biological material they allow in, because it can contain pests that can damage our goods, our livelihoods, our health and our biodiversity.
Our increasingly warm climate is starting to suit many more spiders
Stuart Hine, Natural History Museum
"Currently in the UK, we have a laissez-faire attitude - there is an open licence for people to bring in dangerous pests."
But a spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said that a new strategy was in place to "tackle the threat to the UK's native biodiversity from unwanted pest species which have 'hitchhiked' into the UK on plants".
Aggressive arachnid
John Partridge from the British Arachnological Society said his organisation had had an increase in the number of enquiries about "strange spiders".
He added: "We are certainly getting more spiders coming into the UK - and it seems that more are spreading around the country once they are in." --------------more of this creepy crawler story and more videos at the link!------------------------------------------------
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This story makes your skin crawl! But you know what? Spiders are important. One example: I owned a home on a river in the Rockie Mountains and we would get a massive amount of mosquitoes in certain months. One time I noticed a very beautiful large web being made at the front door and decided to leave it and watch the spider do his thing. The next day there were probably several hundred mosquitoes in his web and I said, Wonderful, I don't have to use chemicals to rid the mosquitoes! It seriously cut down the mosquitoes entering my house! Now, I always remember this and praise the creepy spider and let him do his thing. He's there to protect and eat many spiders! The circle of life...
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- News and Politics, WTF, Green, Current TV, 7 more
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- recommended by:
- Vierotchka
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johnnyblackjon
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Theres fast ones at my house like you scare em and they book it fast and there huge.
but yeah i only kill em when there by my bed also
i think they lay eggs in my head and shit that my fear!!!! - 3 years ago
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johnnyblackjon
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ClareW
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This is really scary, I have enough hybrid mega spiders in my lounge. I'm never turning my heating on again.
- 3 years ago
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ClareW
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D_Lace
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I agree with a post above, I don't kill them unless they are in or right by my bed. I have this fear that one will just crawl up my nose or into my mouth, or my ears. If I see one in the bathroom or basement though, I just let it crawl on a tissue and throw it somewhere else.
- 3 years ago
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D_Lace
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adambyron
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That'll teach 'em.
- 3 years ago
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adambyron
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Hendrix_Is_God
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Wouldn't want this spider popping up in your house.
- 3 years ago
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Hendrix_Is_God
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Hendrix_Is_God
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Spiders are cool, I have one that lives outside my room in a lil cranny in my window, I call him pete. I always see him wrapping some shit bag mosquito up :D
- 3 years ago
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Hendrix_Is_God
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Smothmoth
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I ****ing hate Spiders! I have the worst arachnophobia.
- 3 years ago
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Smothmoth
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BFAM_RVS
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If I do ever get bitten by a crazy spider, I hope I have the superpowers after the sickness is over...
- 3 years ago
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BFAM_RVS
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adilene123
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this is interesting because if its because of the climate i wonder what other animals will appear.
- 3 years ago
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adilene123
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BrianaYo
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aawww that sucks
i cant belive that - 3 years ago
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BrianaYo
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KatieYo
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OH NOOOO!
:Othats really freaking scary
loli hate spiders
- 3 years ago
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KatieYo
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sgwhites
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Spiders aren't so bad as long as I know they aren't poisonous--if they're iffy I get freaked out.
Thankfully, I don't have to kill them though. My cats are very good about doing that for me!
- 3 years ago
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sgwhites
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ebarraza
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i think its weird how these spiders are able to survive in a new habitat.i dont think its a big deal because rthe article said the new spiders arent poisonuse.
- 3 years ago
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ebarraza
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Krystal_Pasco
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Good thing i don't live in the UK,
Yea USA we win again! - 3 years ago
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Krystal_Pasco
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Saladin
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Krystal_Pasco:
What are you talking about?
The spiders that are settling over there come from HERE.
- 3 years ago
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Saladin
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islek
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Ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew
- 3 years ago
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islek
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Saladin
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Black widows are exotic? Why? Cause they're red?
They're creepy and a bite will make you really ill, but they're certainly not exotic.Tons of 'em in every nook and cranny here in California.
The Brazilian bird-eating spider, now THAT'S exotic.
And also terrifying.
- 3 years ago
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Saladin
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ResistRebelRevolt
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spiders are just like frogs and snakes, its the real colorful ones you want to catch. Those are the nice ones! kidding....stay away, stay very far away.
- 3 years ago
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ResistRebelRevolt
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flyingkick
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I wish I could be more accepting of spiders, but I've got a touch of arachnophobia, so the rule in my house is:
if I see you, I squish you. - 3 years ago
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flyingkick
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Gephoria
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just as climate change makes fish react differently, and humans thinking differently, the migration of spiders and other species of wildlife does not suprise anyone.
If the environment changes, either adapt or move out of it. - 3 years ago
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Gephoria
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bonemachine
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Spiders are awesome! I just hate the occasional spider bite though.
- 3 years ago
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bonemachine
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onechance
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I have a bug vacuum that DOESN'T KILL bugs. It's cool, made for kids, but it works perfectly. You just suck them in, and dump them outside. You can look at the through the magnifier first too if you want.
I think if more people watched these amazing creatures more closely, they'd never kill one again.
Besides, who made it your right?
Check it out!!!
- 3 years ago
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onechance
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outtheinside
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onechance:
um.. darwin made it my right. me or .. it..
- 3 years ago
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outtheinside
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ctrl_alt_del
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omg I hate spiders and ALL bugs in general. I cant have them in my house! I usually freak out and spray Raid, or posion spray all over my house x_x
- 3 years ago
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ctrl_alt_del
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jperson
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It's that time again!
- 3 years ago
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jperson
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pennyharford
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I don't kill my spiders either, you will never see a bug in my house....natural predators are the best!
- 3 years ago
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pennyharford
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Demmie
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I'm not a fan of the creepy crawlies,have a bit of arachniphobia. However I do understand their place in the ecosystem. I also have mosquitoes invading my home each year,so I let the spiders do their thing and leave them alone. I tell them as long as they stay in their space and don't invade mine (like my bed) they are fine,but..if invade my space,they are bug goo.
- 3 years ago
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Demmie
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dimogen
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I used to work in a garden centre and once a large yellow spider crawled out of one of the hessian bags labelled Brazil. I think it contained pebbles. I just put a flower pot over it and got my boss to deal with it. I have a pet tarantula called Con Carne, so they dont freak me.
- 3 years ago
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dimogen
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dirtyemowords
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LOL sneaky little ninjas...
It's cool, but if we get the black widows, I'm off to France...yes, even France is better than sitting with spiders. Just.
- 3 years ago
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dirtyemowords
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sowalabear
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sneaky little ninjas they are.
- 3 years ago
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sowalabear
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Vierotchka
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I never kill spiders - I welcome them in my home. I only get rid of the cobwebs once they have been abandoned and gathered dust. They help control insects inside my place as I tend to live with the windows wide open almost year-round. In my neck of the woods, it is said that it is unlucky to kill a spider. They are fascinating and intelligent creatures, related to crabs, shrimps, scorpions, etc.
- 3 years ago
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Vierotchka
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WorldPeaceTV
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Vierotchka:
I've actually convinced my wife of this, but she is still very scared of them. Recently, I went down the stairs and above the door was a spider larger than my hand...not a daddy longlegs, but one like the picture I found. It had to be 5 to 6 inches and I actually froze at the sight for a few seconds and just walked outside without snapping a pic! Never say one that big!
- 3 years ago
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WorldPeaceTV
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Vierotchka
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Vierotchka:
That looks a bit like a "camel spider". The ones in Iraq are HUGE! Camel spiders have ten legs, not eight, so it wasn't a camel spider. Here's a picture of a camel spider.
- 3 years ago
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Vierotchka
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ChristmasAsen
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Vierotchka:
I wouldn't be able to sleep with that in my house, the paranoia would drive me insane.
- 3 years ago
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ChristmasAsen
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themanwithadog
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Vierotchka:
If my wife sees a common house spider over one inch long she screams for me to kill the monster I open the window and let it out. The same with bumble bees these are magic and she is upset if I let them buzz around in my clasped hands before setting them free.
Speaking of a bit of dust I remember some one I saw several time in Londons West End an enigmatic character called Quentin Crisp who said about the condition of his flat that dust dosen`t get any worse after four years.
- 3 years ago
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themanwithadog
