Bat-Eating Spiders Are Everywhere

The article says this happens on every continent except Antarctica? I find it very hard to believe it happens in the UK. our spiders webs are just not that strong.

reply to post by PhoenixOD


That's what it said, but I think it's referring to the subtropic and tropical regions.

After further digging, I think my bats are safe from this eight-legged menace.

reply to post by smyleegrl


I dont doubt that if a really tiny bat died and landed in a common house spider web in a basement the spiders there would have a nibble

this whole story is nothing but a media hype. there is no evidence that spiders are running around eating bats. for one, the bats do not live in every single place.

Originally posted by Hopechest
Unless snakes scale up the side of cave walls, how exactly do they hunt them?

See for yourself:

I am yet to click on the pictures. I don't know if I can do it to myself. The other day my toddler just squashed a hunstman spider with her hand and I almost threw up. But I have to train her to kill them, because me and my fiancé are terrified!

But, bats are yuck. I don't know about elsewhere but here they are all diseased. I don't like spiders, but I'd hate to have bats around my house! Australia bat lyssavirus

- ok, I just looked at the photos They weren't too bad, except for the Adult female Avicularia urticans (the furry one) Furry spiders freak me out.

reply to post by bkaust


Huntsman spiders are pretty fast

Thank God I live in Canada! I only have to worry about 4 feet of snow around here! *whew* and *shudder*.

My good friend,

Originally posted by Mianeye
reply to post by Sublimecraft

 

Snakes are not safe either.

Or kats

So random, so funny

In the UK we have the wonderful David Attenborough on the BBC with awesome wildlife doc's. There was an episode were they filmed snakes entering a dark cave and hanging [literally] of the edges and catching Bats. It may be on Youtube?

Be safe be well

Spiro

reply to post by PhoenixOD


Pheonix, you are CRUEL! It is my fault though, for pressing play. But hunstmans are my biggest fear in this whole word, and yep, they are FAST. You have to do the run to the toilet when they are on the ceiling, because i've had so many drop onto my head. I had one fall on my head when I was in high school, and as I reached up to see what it was, it bit me. Obviously not venomous but bloody painful! I also had a family of furry spiders (not sure what type) nest in our Jeep when it was only about 3 months old, didn't drive it for a good fortnight, until after many thorough searches, they were gone. Ughghghg.

reply to post by PhoenixOD


The UK is not a continent... :shk:

Originally posted by Wide-Eyes
reply to post by PhoenixOD

 

The UK is not a continent... :shk:

Of course it not...*slaps head* lol

Luckily, the data from the original report that the article is taken from lists the 52 known incidents, and THANK DOG the UK one is simply a pipistrelle bat caught in a spider web, that died after being freed. My countrymen can breathe easy again.

No mention of there being a SPIDER the size of YOUR FACE being involved at all, so hopefully it was just a big web from a normal-sized (i.e. not something native to the CONTINENT OF DEATH (Australia) that would carry a baby off) spider that the bat was unlucky enough to fly into.

The largest known spider in the UK is the stupidly rare raft spider (pic), which, despite how it looks in this image, is only about 70mm long including legs, and only lives in marshes. And, even though I itch at the thought of them, is quite pretty.



Of course, when I walk into my back garden through what I call "Unavoidable Spider Alley Of Death And Girlish Screaming" and walk through approximately three million webs, the Diadem spiders I pick up as passengers are, I am sure, the size of small dogs. I'm pretty certain on that, otherwise I wouldn't flail quite as much.

reply to post by dogsounds


I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. I can picture you in the spider tunnel of death flailing away....thanks so very much!

reply to post by smyleegrl


LOL

We never used to have a spider farm, until we were dumb enough to put a fence up in the garden. Never thought for a minute that having a tall fence RIGHT OPPOSITE a wall that already includes a big moth-attracting security light would in any way encourage EVERY SPIDER IN ALL OF CREATION to see it as a good web spot.

The only way I could possibly encourage more spiders to set up home is to stick wing mirrors all over the wall.

Vinegar plus coconut oil (not sure on the exact amount of each) but put those in a spray bottle and spray anywhere you do not want spiders. It lasts about 2-3 months. I read about it and I now have several gallons on vinegar and several jars of coconut oil for this upcoming weekend.

I do not mind spiders but my fiancee hates them, she scream the other day saying she saw a tarantula in the house. I thought that was odd for where we live but I ran into the room with a jar to capture this beast...jumping spider...yeah so now I am to spray the whole house down this weekend now that the weather is getting warmer for these buggers.

Golden orb-web spiders are so awesome to look at but wow can they get insanely huge. And walking into one of their webs...game over lol, those things can make web that is as strong as steel. I've seen a few that span 10ft across and heard from others who have seen much larger webs. Talk about ruining the day if you walked into one of those

Originally posted by PurpleDog UK
reply to post by smyleegrl

 

The Bats are just flying creatures caught by large predators.....

In every country / continent.....? I think not,......... There are no bat eating spiders in the UK or Ireland but there are lots of bats.....

Relax and worry about the Solar storm, impending new financial crisis or even antibiotic resistant bacteria.....

Cheers

PDUK

Ireland and the UK are islands, not continents !!!

Originally posted by Sublimecraft
reply to post by smyleegrl

 

Pfft....lightweights.

Wait until they run out of bats, then they will start on birds............

Golden Orb Weaver

Or snakes.........

www.cairns.com.au...

God Bless Australia

Oh man, those things look pretty hardcore. Ive ran into similar ones here in Texas. Walked out on the porch for a smoke one night without looking around first. I turn my head and see something very similar to this off the golden orb spider wiki page.



It was somewhat bigger than my entire hand, and also alot more yellow on its body. In addition to those, we also get to deal with Black Widows, Brown Recluses, and good old Tarantulas. (Our spiders still definantly get stomped by the Australian ones still)


I would be a extremely happy if the Tarantulas kicked out those damn Recluses and to less extent, the Black Widows. Even if there were 100x more Tarantulas then, I still would be pretty happy. These golden orb guys freak me out when they catch me off guard, but Ive never even killed one yet (unless I ran one over on the road or something). I only smash the recluses, and sometimes the widows. When I see a good old wolf spider running around in my room, I'll just pick it up and set it outside. Still have yet to find a Tarantula inside, but I would just pick him up and set him outside to.....but it is getting pretty warm here now. 90ish degrees today, so I'll definantly have company sometime soon again

reply to post by smyleegrl


I knew spiders were from Hell and sent to destroy us.

Now I'm convinced!

reply to post by PhoenixOD


Please tell me those things are only in Australia.

No offense to Australia, but I have no desire to see your beautiful, land of icky creatures.