Say hello to a little friend from Honduras
Carol Gilbert writes for Associated Content that salmonella and melamine have nothing on the latest grocery store horror - the Brazilian wandering spider (also known as the banana spider) is lurking in the produce aisle. Whatever you do, watch where you put your hands. A trip to the ER due to a spider bite can be more costly than your standard payday loan.
A produce worker in a Whole Foods supermarket in Tulsa, Oklahoma spotted the arachnid, then snared it in a jar. The eight-legged creature was sent to the University of Tulsa’s Animal Facilities Department, where it was positively identified and destroyed. According to Gilbert, department director Terry Childs named the spider “Carla,” after his wife.
Among the most dangerous spiders in the world
The venomous bite of the Brazilian wandering spider can kill a human being in 25 minutes. An antidote to the bite exists, but it is difficult to come by in the United States because the spiders are extremely scarce outside of South America. Although there’s an antidote to Brazilian Wandering Spider bites, it is not readily available in the U.S. due to the relative scarcity of these spiders in this country.
The bananas the spider chose to travel with came from Honduras, so clearly it was migrating north. But be aware that they are not particular to bananas. Grapes or any other produce that is packaged in plastic bags with air holes are great places for spiders and other tropical insects to hide. ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "Brazilian Wandering Spider Loves Honduran Bananas"
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