Everyone has had their fair share of horrifying spider encounters. Usually always happening when we least expect it. Sometimes they can be pretty manageable and you can maneuver them out of your house. However, there are other times where killing it might be the ultimate solution. If you’re in Australia, you might actually have some pretty terrifying spider stories. Just like this Australian woman who came back to her car only to find a huge spider hiding in her door handle.
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Huge Spider, Huge Problem
What’s even more concerning is that this particular spider has been identified as the huntsman spider. There are more than 155 species of huntsman spiders in Australia and they are a formidable size. Some have compared their size to be equivalent to a dinner plate. Could you possibly imagine coming back to your car to find one of these things hiding in your door handle?
For Christine Jones of New South Wales this was almost a huge problem for her. Upon returning to her car, Jones says she was just about to open her door when she noticed something. At first, she believes the legs of the spider were just hairy little caterpillars. With further inspection, and much to her surprise, she almost touched a giant Huntsman spider. Mentioning that she noticed at the last second what she was about to do. In fact, the experience traumatized her so much she hasn’t driven for a week after that.
After posting about in a local Facebook group, others have commented on the huge spider. Some have said that she should just hand over the keys to the spider since it’s the new owner now. Others told her that she would have to purchase an entirely new car now or push this one off the cliff. There’s not a lot else that comes to mind whenever we see something so huge and so frightening such as the huntsman spider.
The Huntsman Spider
Even though this particular spider is very intimidating in size and appearance, it’s actually not that harmful to humans. Of course, this spider is venomous and can cause a person to feel mildly or seriously ill if left untreated. However, the huntsman spider prefers to eat cockroaches, insects, and sometimes other spiders. They rarely want to attack humans and will most likely try to run away if you approach them. Despite being a huge spider, they really don’t mean anybody any harm. (1)
Due to their greyish-brownish color, they tend to like to had underneath loose bark and other dark crevices they can find. Sometimes this might mean finding a good door handle to nestle into. If you really look at those pictures again, that spider was probably just trying to get a good nap. Maybe even get some sun on those hairy legs for a moment. (1)
The huntsman spider gets its name from the literal meaning. Instead of making big elaborate webs they physically stalk their prey. Using their venom and powerful mandibles to devour their food. They are very fast and can jump far distances. As you can see from how long its legs are and how huge their body is. (2)
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Handling A Huge Spider
There are even some people that actually want huntsman spiders around their house. Spiders are probably some of the more misunderstood creatures. Based on appearance alone, people are quick to assume a lot about spiders. More often than not, all spiders want is a nice dark corner to live with some tasty snacks every now and then. Of course, if you live in a place like Australia it’s probably good to be brushed up on your spider knowledge. There are some even smaller spiders that do a lot more damage than the huntsman could.
However, if you’re dealing with a huntsman spider, you can essentially treat as you would any other spider. Instead of trying to use a broom to shoo out the huge spider, find a sizeable container to trap it under. Once trapped, using a solid piece of paper or something sturdy enough to close the bottom. Now that it’s contained you can safely remove the huge spider from your house. It’s also important that you seal any openings to your home. The huntsman spider’s body is very flat and can squeeze into the tightest spots. As you’ve seen with the car door handle, there isn’t much they can’t get into. (2)
Why do we recommend helping these huge spiders out? For a lot of reasons, but mostly because they aren’t as harmful as you think. In fact, huntsman spiders are some of the more docile species of spiders. Males and females engage in a long courtship before actually mating. They also do not attack each other like most other spiders after mating. Once the female is impregnated she will find a nice hiding spot for her eggs. This might be the only time you will find an aggressive huntsman spider. As the matriarchs are very protective of their young and will guard their eggs for weeks until they are ready. (2)
Always Research
You might be thinking that being mindful of spiders is ridiculous. However, there can be numerous benefits to keeping a huge spider around. They get a bad reputation just based on their appearance alone. It’s important that we take the time to research instead of hastily passing judgment. This is truly a moment where it’s good to not judge a book by its cover.
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