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Frazzled wrote:

Cheese Elemental wrote:Is it true that the bigger the scorpion, the less venomous it is? Or is that just an urban myth?

No

Not so much the size, more the ratio of claw vs tail size. If you look at some of the most venomous types, they are very skinny in the claw dept but have fat tails in relation to their bodies, the ones with bigger claws use those for the attack instead.

Frazzled wrote:Did I mention I hate scorpions ever since I woke up in my bed and one was laying next to my face?

Awww... it wuvs you!!

The ones that seem the scariest to people are the big black emperor scorpions. Its those teeny tiny clearish yellow ones that will whack you though.

Gwar i have some smaller but similar spiders living in my attic, thats why i dont go up there anyomore even though there a computer with all my music on it.
This thread has scared the gak outa me like five times. The camel spiders were the worst.

To the OP: Did you know that to a muslim a spider is a good spirit and wrecking their webs is bad luck?
To others: Arachnids and other bugs is a prime cause for allergies.
And yes I love spiders... little ones. Not the large critters, any of them that comes near my house gets fed to the cat...(Here kitty... look at that thing moving...(death ensues)... now there's a good kitty...)
The problem with most animal poisons is that until they get administered to you (i.e. you get bitten) you don't know how it will affect you.
Better play safe folks.
A little OT: is it true that in australia the spiders eat the snakes?

konst80hummel wrote:To the OP: Did you know that to a muslim a spider is a good spirit and wrecking their webs is bad luck?

I would consider anyone doing it a total dick.

A little OT: is it true that in australia the spiders eat the snakes?

In Australia, they have health bars. And Eat Birds!

You gotta be careful with small children too, or the spiders will snap 'em up in a flash. Little Timmy disturbed a web once, and we haven't seen him since.

people hate spiders cause their different. But after you get past the eight legs and 6 eyes you have to admire thier little furry bodies,the quiet grace of how they catch prey and the many unique colours.

Just a note on the camel spider pics posted earlier

They are not venemous atall, infact, thier bite tends to hurt alot and sometimes leave a lump, but thats really it as for the bite its self.
Its the bacteria they leave which causes infections when not treated that makes them so bad, the wound posted was of a person who had to have skin removed due to an infection.
Usually its a case of wash it, anti-septic and scrub it, then bandage it if needed.

JD21290 wrote:Just a note on the camel spider pics posted earlier

They are not venemous atall, infact, thier bite tends to hurt alot and sometimes leave a lump, but thats really it as for the bite its self.
Its the bacteria they leave which causes infections when not treated that makes them so bad, the wound posted was of a person who had to have skin removed due to an infection.
Usually its a case of wash it, anti-septic and scrub it, then bandage it if needed.

Not to mention excise the necrotic flesh, which leaves a nasy hole and totaly F***s up your muscles

I just don't like spiders because I don't want to be bitten. I usually leave them alone, but I especially hate the furry ones.

There's a garden spider near my garage and I'm thinking about using a .357 to remove it because its so big.

Too many legs, maybe.
And the way they move them. The blood pumping action for ambulation is creepy. Seeing them catching and eating frogs and birds didn't help either.

Actually, I have no idea. I have always been creeped out by them. Even the little ones.

That said, I do not kill them. Intentionally. And I do not mess with webs, or anything's home, really.
Our cats do, on occation, but that's cats for you.

But it is not really hate, either. Probably just a mild arachnophobia. I rather respect the things.

All I know is if they where dog sized we'd be fethed.

Frazzled wrote:Sorry,
no its not true. I think the pad mofo Mexican scorpions are the biggest. Must dare to search the intranets...

EDIT: Jeez Mexico had 1,000 deaths from scorpion stings one year...AH AHA AHHHH!!!!!!!!!
Did I mention I hate scorpions ever since I woke up in my bed and one was laying next to my face?

Thats not as bad as having a bark scorpion walk towards you in attack mode... while on the crapper. You just aren't prepared to defend yourself while taking a gak

I remember hearing something years ago on a program about the making of the film Alien and the facehugger creature's design, that the aspect of the spider was used due to so many having a fear of them and that this fear of spiders was postulated by some to be the result of what we are seeing as we are being taken from the womb during birth. Can't remember the actual details but was pretty far fetched stuff to me, I personally think it's what we pick up from others around us, we aren't born with a fear of spiders.

Not horribly afraid of spiders, though I do clean out their webs - I'm rather tall, and walking into a spiderweb with your face is rather icky.

Wasps, on the other hand, I kill on sight. Nasty buggers.

We are genetically predisposed to fear certain things, as if you aren't afraid of it (In ancestor times) the spider bites you or you fall off a cliff or you set yourself on fire, so you don't reproduce to pass on your non-fear.

SPIDERS RUN AWAY AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! KILL IT!

I like spiders, ladybirds, bee's and the various other friendly animals you find in a garden

however i dont like flea's (my next door neighbour is refusing to get her cat deflea'd so now her house is in fested and i could swear ive got bites too) or snails/slugs or earwigs or flies or wasps

konst80hummel wrote:
A little OT: is it true that in australia the spiders eat the snakes?

Not true at all.

'Tis the crocs they go after.

Funnel webs and Taipans were the reason they stopped using the old (now obsolete elsewhere) LD-50 test here.
Funnel web venom only has the desired effect on primates and insects (won't kill anything else. It's a protein thing).

Best part is that apparently the eastern Taipain is immune to other snake/spider venoms (they have tested the king cobra, several species of rattlesnake and a boomslang as well). There is a protein they produce which acts to break down the other toxins. If you are bitten by an aggressive large brown snake (and don't catch/kill it) and get to hospital, they give you a shot of taipan anti venine as it may not be the right one, but it will stop you getting worse.

I once had one of this bastiches land on my pillow while I was falling asleep...



Japanese mukade. Just glad I woke up.

Effing terrified me, and the things just DO NOT die.

While we’re on the subject, here’s some fun facts/myths about mukade:
(from http://memoirs-of-a-gaijin.blogspot.com/2006_05_01_archive.html)

1. They grow up to 30cm long. This was upped from the original quotation of 20cm by a better offer.
2. They have red heads and hooked teeth. Like Janet Street Porter.
3. They have poison glands in their mouth and if bitten you can expect your reaction to vary between death to being in pain for two days and swollen for three.
4. They are heavily armoured and shed the armour as they grow. If you think you’ve found a dead mukade you’ve probably just found evidence of an even bigger and very much alive one.
5. They have a shittier attitude than Elton John and will attack anything that crosses their path. They have been known to attack sleeping English chain school cannon fodder and JET ALTs (Assistant Language Teachers)
6. They are carnivores and eat small animals. Such as chain school cannon fodder and JET ALTs
7. They love nothing more than to drop from the ceiling onto unsuspecting victims. Many a chain school instructor has been awoken by this leggy variety of hard rain. According to Mod they kiss a photo of their murdered relatives before they take the plunge.
8. They can find gold and (”long ago”) were taken into the hills by hopeful buerks in lengths of bamboo and used to find gold nuggets. Presumably they were tied onto a string leash like a pet sausage dog to prevent their escape and were trained to point like a setter when they encountered a nugget.
9. They like moist dark places and can often be found in washing machines, shoes and toilets. To be totally safe you should never wash your clothes, wear shoes or poop.
10. Ishiyama wins the prize for being the mukade capital of this vicinity, while Seta is apparently mukade free. High five, Seta.
11. They were created in a lab by scientist during WWII, but escaped in typical b-movie fashion and began decimating the countryside. This myth would serve to negate the “long ago” gold-finding myth, so you’ll have to pick your favourite.
12. They are, like mosquitos, attracted to carbon dioxide - which makes them great at finding tasty eigo no sensei morsels to snack on. God bless you, evolution.
13. They are invincible and revivify if given enough time. This myth no doubt originated from failed mukade bludgeonings of times past/yore/”long ago”.
14. Drowning and burning are the best ways to kill mukade. Not at the same time obviously.
15. Putting mukade in a bottle of alcohol produces an effective antiserum for mukade bites.
16. Putting mukade in a bottle of cooking oil produces an effective antiserum for mukade bites.
17. They live in couples. (This is the most horrifying thing on the list.)
18. They seek revenge for the death of their spouse.
19. They live under tatami.
20. They live for seven years.
21. If cut in half, each half will survive. Yes, just like The Thing.

Fifty you have just scared the gak outa me. I checked my ceiling like five times while reading that.

i hate spiders... more so because they are the basis for the catholic faith

frgsinwntr wrote:i hate spiders... more so because they are the basis for the catholic faith

Shut the hell up about religion. There's no room it on Dakka, as several recent threads have proved.

Lord-Loss wrote:Fifty you have just scared the gak outa me. I checked my ceiling like five times while reading that.

Don't worry, they are only in Japan, not here in the UK.

(Except for the ones I fed through your letter box earlier this evening.)

Lord-Loss wrote:Fifty you have just scared the gak outa me. I checked my ceiling like five times while reading that.

Bullet Ants.

They scream before they drop on you.

I am leaving that page open to watch the bot fly video tomorrow. It is time for bed now...

Gwar! wrote:

It's a common house spider (Tegenaria domestica). I one had a job stacking palettes and I often came across black widow spiders, freezing their little spider arses of, too cold to move. Nobody would believe me until some woman found one in her bananas in Tescos.

I had a 'Devils Coachman' in one of my plantpots the other day, they're pretty big (1") and mean spirited with it, they'll attack and bite anything you dangle in front of them and raise their tail like a scorpion (though they have no stinger).

Florida is home to the Brown recluse and the black widow. I have also been attacked by a very aggressive Chilean recluse that was on some freight while unloading a trailer. Spiders scare the living crap out of me but I will kill those buggers.

heres a video showing the after effects of a brown recluse bite (warning: very graphic and please dont eat before watching this)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyOqKs4945Y

Giant spiders, giant killer wasps, giant killer long thingy, killer bullet ants, solider ants, scary ass bee's that will kill you basically on sight and Bot flies.

*Shrugs* I didnt need the sleep anyway.