Australia invades Japan...

[Armistice]

Good to see us getting one back on the world after the last two centuries of introduced species wreaking havoc with the native wildilfe..

Japan 'not ready' for invasion of redbacks as venomous Australian spiders reach Tokyo - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

 

[Bobbsy]

...and we'll send more unless we get lots of sushi and get it NOW!

 

[Armistice]

...and we'll send more unless we get lots of sushi and get it NOW!

Indeed!

Might be up your way soon, Bobbsy... still trying to work out whether I'm really up for such a big drive, twice, to see some friends out Moola way.

 

[Greg_L]

Redbacks? Pfffft. In Texas we have rednecks and wetbacks!

 

[Bobbsy]

Indeed!

Might be up your way soon, Bobbsy... still trying to work out whether I'm really up for such a big drive, twice, to see some friends out Moola way.

Long drive indeed..but if you decide to make it, you'll likely come right through my city on the way to Moola. A beer or three may be in order...

 

[Armistice]

Long drive indeed..but if you decide to make it, you'll likely come right through my city on the way to Moola. A beer or three may be in order...

Yes, it is, and truth be told, I'm not feeling the love from the people I'm visiting, or at least one of them, so it's now looking unlikely. However if I do head up I'll PM you and definitely stop by for a beer. If not this time, then next...

 

[Armistice]

Redbacks? Pfffft. In Texas we have rednecks and wetbacks!

Yep, I'd rather face off a hundred spiders than a redneck... I tell you though, every time I accidentally uncover one somewhere, there's an instant escalation of the heart rate to about 200bpm for a minute.... there's something primal about that red stripe.

 

[Bobbsy]

I quite like the redbacks' rather stoned looking webs though--in our previous house there was one in the corner of our outdoor clothes drying rack. We came to a form of peaceful coexistence. I didn't break the web and she didn't bite me. My worst encounter was years ago when we bought a second hand pool table and, when we were cleaning it up, found the ball runs full of redbacks.

Still, I agree that I'd rather a pool table full of red backs than a single Texas red neck.

 

[witzendoz]

I had an uncle (in-law)visiting form Germany a few years ago, and he was talking about all the things that will kill you in Australia, the conversation turned to poisonous spiders so I asked him if he would like to see one. A quick trip to the shed lifted a piece of wood and there one was. Should have seen the expression on his face. By the way I think my wheelie rubbish bin has one around the handle somewhere as the unmistakable red back web is there, haven't bit me....Yet.

Alan

 

[ferrisD]

are u serious man?^^that killed me...

 

[witzendoz]

are u serious man?^^that killed me...

Yes, and we wont even talk about snakes this time of year LINK

Alan.

 

[Bobbsy]

This young lady attempted to build a web between the patio and our clothes line a few years back...size wise she was about the same as my hand with my fingers spread:





(That's a "golden orb" so she's not too badly venomous but her web was as tough as steel wire!)

 

[Anders Erisian]

Redbacks? Pfffft. In Texas we have rednecks and wetbacks!

Yeah redbacks are pretty lame as far as spiders go round here - delicate little things that rarely venture out into the open, all show and no go, as is usual with the go faster red stripe. I actually know a couple of people who were bitten and the experience didn't even warrant a visit to the doc - pretty painful by all accounts though and the localised symptoms (swelling, itchiness, necrosis of flesh) took a few weeks to clear up. They were pretty hardy types though, and if you are kid or already frail of constitution it's a different matter.

The funnel webs and trapdoor spiders i see around here are another matter - big, all black, aggressive with fangs up to a cm long - pure evil and if one bit me i'd probably cry, possibly even die. And if Armistice was to take a short detour through this part of the world on the way to mooloolaba, which is not too far from here, i can assure you you would find no shortage of rednecks, maybe not texan style, but a spade by any other name is still a shovel, or something like that. Given current Australian immigration policy i don't think a 'wetback' is something that is often seen here. Wasn't really familiar with that term til' now. The japanese should follow our enlightened masters' policies and process those redbacks in an offshore facility....