The message
from "Spider" contains these words:

I'm sure you're right, Victoria. No sensible creature is going to eat
itself out of house and home, but a few Dysdera must make a difference.

Can't I persuade you to become a spider fan? We're very cuddly really! :~)

When I was a young teacher in London's Dockland, a high proportion of
the kids in my class had fathers who were dockers.

One of them mentioned that his father often caught huge spiders in the
holds of banana boats (This was late '50s, and long before containers
were the norm.).

I said how much I'd like one, and the message came back that I could
have the next one.

Unfortunately, I lived in a Scout hostel, and the Warden vetoed the
spider, even though I promised to get a secure vivarium, and that it
wouldn't be venomous. (They used to put spiders in the bananas to keep
down pests on the journey over.)

The reason for the veto was that the cleaning ladies wouldn't come near
the place if I had one, which was probably true enough.

So I told Ken that I wasn't allowed to keep a tarantula where I lived in
case it Miss Muffetted the cleaners.

Next day, the message came back: 'Dad says, never mind, if you ever want
a side of beef or something, he can arrange it.'

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

The message
from "BAC" contains these words:

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall cooked and ate some on one of his cook on the
wild side programmes. I think he sort of mashed them into a porridge, can't
remember the recipe.

Oh. is he a real person then? I always thought that he must be a Giles
Wembley Hogg or Alan Partridge clone. (But then, I haven't got a telly,
innit)

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

Jaques d'Alltrades wrote in message
k...
The message
from "Spider" contains these words:

I'm sure you're right, Victoria. No sensible creature is going to eat
itself out of house and home, but a few Dysdera must make a difference.

Can't I persuade you to become a spider fan? We're very cuddly really!
:~)

When I was a young teacher in London's Dockland, a high proportion of
the kids in my class had fathers who were dockers.

One of them mentioned that his father often caught huge spiders in the
holds of banana boats (This was late '50s, and long before containers
were the norm.).

I said how much I'd like one, and the message came back that I could
have the next one.

Unfortunately, I lived in a Scout hostel, and the Warden vetoed the
spider, even though I promised to get a secure vivarium, and that it
wouldn't be venomous. (They used to put spiders in the bananas to keep
down pests on the journey over.)

The reason for the veto was that the cleaning ladies wouldn't come near
the place if I had one, which was probably true enough.

So I told Ken that I wasn't allowed to keep a tarantula where I lived in
case it Miss Muffetted the cleaners.

Next day, the message came back: 'Dad says, never mind, if you ever want
a side of beef or something, he can arrange it.'

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

Hi Rusty,

Banana spiders are definitely venomous. Pity you couldn't keep one, though;
they make great pets. I kept a few myself for 22 years - without incident.
They're brilliant. Of course you do have to be very responsible.
It was kind of your potential benefactor to offer you a side of beef, but
they don't make such good pets. They tend to smell after a while! :~))

Spider

"Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote in message
k...
The message
from "BAC" contains these words:

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall cooked and ate some on one of his cook on
the
wild side programmes. I think he sort of mashed them into a porridge,
can't
remember the recipe.

Oh. is he a real person then? I always thought that he must be a Giles
Wembley Hogg or Alan Partridge clone. (But then, I haven't got a telly,
innit)


Yes, he is a real person.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/chef_biogs...-whittingstall

in case you're interested.

"Spider" wrote in
:

I'm sure you're right, Victoria. No sensible creature is going to eat
itself out of house and home, but a few Dysdera must make a
difference.

Can't I persuade you to become a spider fan? We're very cuddly
really! :~)



Nope - just not a spider person I'm afraid. I don't dislike them, and I
know they are very interesting, but I cannot bring myself to do more than
tolerate them. As we have 5 cats and a dog, spiders are probably safer
staying outside our house anyway.

Victoria
--
gardening on a north-facing hill
in South-East Cornwall
--

Spider wrote:
Jaques d'Alltrades wrote in message
k...

The message
from "Spider" contains these words:


I'm sure you're right, Victoria. No sensible creature is going to eat
itself out of house and home, but a few Dysdera must make a difference.

Can't I persuade you to become a spider fan? We're very cuddly really!

:~)

When I was a young teacher in London's Dockland, a high proportion of
the kids in my class had fathers who were dockers.

One of them mentioned that his father often caught huge spiders in the
holds of banana boats (This was late '50s, and long before containers
were the norm.).

I said how much I'd like one, and the message came back that I could
have the next one.

Unfortunately, I lived in a Scout hostel, and the Warden vetoed the
spider, even though I promised to get a secure vivarium, and that it
wouldn't be venomous. (They used to put spiders in the bananas to keep
down pests on the journey over.)

The reason for the veto was that the cleaning ladies wouldn't come near
the place if I had one, which was probably true enough.

So I told Ken that I wasn't allowed to keep a tarantula where I lived in
case it Miss Muffetted the cleaners.

Next day, the message came back: 'Dad says, never mind, if you ever want
a side of beef or something, he can arrange it.'

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/


Hi Rusty,

Banana spiders are definitely venomous. Pity you couldn't keep one, though;
they make great pets. I kept a few myself for 22 years - without incident.
They're brilliant. Of course you do have to be very responsible.
It was kind of your potential benefactor to offer you a side of beef, but
they don't make such good pets. They tend to smell after a while! :~))

Spider

'Banana spider' is one of those vague terms, meaning any large spider
imported in bananas, not any particular species.

Most 'banana spiders' are Heteropoda species (often called Huntsmen)
which don't have significant venom. They're regularly available in the
pet trade in the UK and are interesting to keep because they're pretty
active.

Less often you might get a Phoneutria species from S. America, which are
potentially very dangerous. You'd need a Dangerous Wild Animal licence
+ insurance to keep one in the UK.

Tarantulas are unlikely to be found in bananas - presumably because they
don't roam, but live in fixed webs which wouldn't work well inside
growing banana bunches!

cheers.
G.A.

Spider wrote:
Jaques d'Alltrades wrote in message
k...

The message
from "Spider" contains these words:


I'm sure you're right, Victoria. No sensible creature is going to eat
itself out of house and home, but a few Dysdera must make a difference.

Can't I persuade you to become a spider fan? We're very cuddly really!

:~)

When I was a young teacher in London's Dockland, a high proportion of
the kids in my class had fathers who were dockers.

One of them mentioned that his father often caught huge spiders in the
holds of banana boats (This was late '50s, and long before containers
were the norm.).

I said how much I'd like one, and the message came back that I could
have the next one.

Unfortunately, I lived in a Scout hostel, and the Warden vetoed the
spider, even though I promised to get a secure vivarium, and that it
wouldn't be venomous. (They used to put spiders in the bananas to keep
down pests on the journey over.)

The reason for the veto was that the cleaning ladies wouldn't come near
the place if I had one, which was probably true enough.

So I told Ken that I wasn't allowed to keep a tarantula where I lived in
case it Miss Muffetted the cleaners.

Next day, the message came back: 'Dad says, never mind, if you ever want
a side of beef or something, he can arrange it.'

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/


Hi Rusty,

Banana spiders are definitely venomous. Pity you couldn't keep one, though;
they make great pets. I kept a few myself for 22 years - without incident.
They're brilliant. Of course you do have to be very responsible.
It was kind of your potential benefactor to offer you a side of beef, but
they don't make such good pets. They tend to smell after a while! :~))

Spider



'Banana spider' is one of those vague terms, meaning any large spider
imported in bananas, not any particular species.

Most 'banana spiders' are Heteropoda species (often called Huntsmen)
which don't have significant venom. They're regularly available in the
pet trade in the UK and are interesting to keep because they're pretty
active.

Less often you might get a Phoneutria species from S. America, which are
potentially very dangerous. You'd need a Dangerous Wild Animal licence
+ insurance to keep one in the UK.

Tarantulas are unlikely to be found in bananas - presumably because they
don't roam, but live in fixed webs which wouldn't work well inside
growing banana bunches!

cheers.
G.A.

BAC wrote:

"Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote in message
k...

The message
from "BAC" contains these words:


Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall cooked and ate some on one of his cook on

the

wild side programmes. I think he sort of mashed them into a porridge,

can't

remember the recipe.

Oh. is he a real person then? I always thought that he must be a Giles
Wembley Hogg or Alan Partridge clone. (But then, I haven't got a telly,
innit)



Yes, he is a real person.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/chef_biogs...-whittingstall

in case you're interested.



Woodlice do no harm and atually benifit the garden. Woodlice eating
spiders don't eat them that quickly so I would bother with that idea.
But here are a few other uses:
http://www.geocities.com/~gregmck/woodlice/recipes.htm

Paul

The message
from "Spider" contains these words:

Banana spiders are definitely venomous.

There's no such thing as a 'banana spider'

Some venomous spiders used to get into the hold amongst hands of
bananas, but the ones put in deliberately were not venomous.

Pity you couldn't keep one, though;
they make great pets. I kept a few myself for 22 years - without incident.
They're brilliant. Of course you do have to be very responsible.
It was kind of your potential benefactor to offer you a side of beef, but
they don't make such good pets. They tend to smell after a while! :~))

Well, if I knew what i know now, I'd have made an aquarium for it and
pickled it in formaldehyde, and made a fortune as an avant-avant-garde
artist...

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

The message
from "BAC" contains these words:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/chef_biogs...-whittingstall

in case you're interested.

Thanks, but not very.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

The message
from Victoria Clare contains these words:

Nope - just not a spider person I'm afraid. I don't dislike them, and I
know they are very interesting, but I cannot bring myself to do more than
tolerate them. As we have 5 cats and a dog, spiders are probably safer
staying outside our house anyway.

I've got a 'pet' one which lives in a tunnel of webbing in my front
room. The tunnel is out of the way, so I leave it, and spider emerges
and goes hunting over the adjacent wall.

Fortunately, she's quite large, and escapes the fate of smaller ones, of
which the Venus fly trap is rather fond.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

The message
from Tone contains these words:
On Thu, 26 May 2005 13:23:57 +0100, Jaques d'Alltrades
wrote:

/spider/

Fortunately, she's quite large, and escapes the fate of smaller ones, of
which the Venus fly trap is rather fond.


"She" ??

Youve looked ??

Ofcourse I've looked - I wouldn't have known she was big, thus a female,
if I hadn't...

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

The message
from "Des Higgins" contains these words:

I can imagine the conversation in Rusty's front room ....

"Corrrrrr blimey look at the pedipalps on that Tegenaria!!"
Knowing looks exchanged.
"I would!!"

I don't say a lot, but if a fly or similar gets in, I chase it round
with a fly-swatter til it blunders into her web.



pounce!

fx

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzz zzzzzzzzz zzzz zz

/fx
/pounce!
fx sound="suction"
/fx
fx sound="burp"
/fx

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/