Help - large spider that eats tubeweb spider?

[gaviston]

I can't see the point in threads like this or why people think they are genuine.

Saggy goes into so much detail and obviously knows that what she is witnessing is very rare and certainly more worthy of the local news than half of the oeoeoeoe that gets shown. GMTV would have it's most interesting story of all time if they just sent a cameraman to film this spider living it's life.

So Saggy knows all this yet can't find ANYONE with a camera phone to record what's going on??? Please, and why are all these BS stories from women? This is a wildlife site not a site for women who like being damsels in distress so much they make up stories.

[wildherbalian85]

Originally Posted by saggy

Hi everybody

I moved into my flat above a shop about three years ago and I live in Southsea in Hampshire about 10 mins walk from the sea front. I have a problem with the drain always blocking and consequently have major problem with flys and other insects making my yard a haven for spiders. I used to have loads of huge common garden spiders and various others but about 18 months ago everything disappeared and I found my yard had been taken over by tubeweb spiders whom I know had eaten some of the other large spiders as I saw them. The yard has high walls on all four sides and I would estimate that each wall has at least 30-40 of these things which always hang out at night and I have to walk past to get to my door. I'm really not a huge fan of spiders but at least they stay in the same place and retreat back into their holes when the security light comes on.

Anyway, about two months ago I noticed that they were quickly dissapearing and I am now down to only several of the really large ones (which are huge). I also noticed many dead ones looking like they had been in a huge battle with limbs hanging off etc left hanging in various places. I also found unusually that a couple of the these spiders have ventured into my house in the last month and have even built funnel type webs in piles of clothes that were left hanging around - one had nested in a sock which fortunately I noticed two seconds before putting my foot into it.

I also noticed that considering my previous massive problems with insect life, my yard is now appearingly void of nature (apart from lots of dead things and woodlice). I thought nothing of it at first and to be honest was just hugely relieved at the now seemingly spider free yard.

That was until my friend and I saw a massive spider which I cannot for one minute believe is English in origin. It was of a similar size to a tarantula - the body (minus legs) was much bigger than a mouse and the legs were approximately the size of a pencil. It was light coloured - grey/brown. It was certainly aware of us even though we stayed about five metres away and as we walked up and down to try and see it from different angles, it was watching our every move and turning to face us. It was walking around for quite a while afterwards as we watched it from my kitchen window and it doesn't appear to be the type of spider that hangs around in webs.

I have seen it twice now which both times were only when it was really hot and really sunny. I think it may be living in the big shed type building whose walls make up one of the walls of my enclosed yard. My friend is from Brazil and is used to huge big horrible spiders and even she was scared and believed it definately is not native to this country.

Does anyone think I have a problem that needs to be sorted or will it be okay as I'm really not sure what to do about it.

Sorry for the long essay but I thought it would be best to give as much detail as possible as although I've tried to ignore it for the past few weeks, I can't help freaking out. I've never seen anything like it before.

Many thanks for any advice anyone can give me.

Sarah.

From the discription, and the location, im assuming by tube web you are referring to segestria florentina??
Anyway i have seen a spider in the portsmouth area before that looked like a tarrantular with a black hairy body about 5/6 cm long and this was just walking down the street when it spotted me it raised its front legs in a deffencive way whilst expossing its fangs... mentioned it on here and people reckon it was an escapee - im not so sure though.

[wildherbalian85]

Originally Posted by Wild-Woman

I know of a population of Segestria florentina (Tube-web Spider) and every now and then you will find their shed skins. This may account for the 'remains' you are finding. These spiders live tucked away inside their 'tube' in wall crevices and corners.

It would be difficult, I should think, for another larger spider to be able to attack and eat them as they 'S.florentina' are very aggressive themselves.

I am no spider expert, but am wondering if a Spider eating Wasp may be able to tackle them.


As for your larger species seen, I can only suggest that it's been imported into this country accidentally or is an escaped pet.

They also make excellent bird food

Thing is with S.florentinas is they like to roam and have several webs, so just because it isn't at home it doesn't mean that its dead.

We had one in our kitchen a few month back and it has never been seen since - don't no were it went but what i can say is it was locked in the house that night never to be seen again.

[wildmanofthewoods]

Originally Posted by gaviston

I can't see the point in threads like this or why people think they are genuine.

Saggy goes into so much detail and obviously knows that what she is witnessing is very rare and certainly more worthy of the local news than half of the oeoeoeoe that gets shown. GMTV would have it's most interesting story of all time if they just sent a cameraman to film this spider living it's life.

So Saggy knows all this yet can't find ANYONE with a camera phone to record what's going on??? Please, and why are all these BS stories from women? This is a wildlife site not a site for women who like being damsels in distress so much they make up stories.

http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/fo...mpy-today.html

This is the thread you need mate

[naturegirl]

Ha ha ha ha ha!!!!

Incy wincy spider climbed up the spout
Down came the rain and washed poor Incy out
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain
Incy wincy spider crawled up the spout again!

Cheer up guys!!

Naturegirl

[gaviston]

Originally Posted by wildmanofthewoods

http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/fo...mpy-today.html

This is the thread you need mate

Hey! I also need some money and help with a woodlouse that's eaten my cat and my uncle.

[wildmanofthewoods]

Originally Posted by gaviston

Hey! I also need some money and help with a woodlouse that's eaten my cat and my uncle.

[saggy]

Hi maggot at toad hall and others

Sorry, I still haven't managed to get a pic as the times I have seen it, there's no battery left on my camera and my mobile is an old one with bad camera. I'm still trying though.

I don't know why some people would believe that is BS, just don't have time at mo to do anything about it - work full time and am finishing a full-time masters!! have submitted over twenty thousand words in last three weeks alone so simply have not had time to hang about outside with camera nor call rspca but i will over the next few weeks and I will update you.

yes, from what I can see the tube-web spiders are segestria florentina and I had massive ones and I lived with them perfectly fine without making a mountain out of a molehill - something I should obviously be quite proud of considering I am a woman gaviston!!

btw, i'm not what you would describe as freaking out or "damsel in distress" - am simply curious and also did not want to call rspca first as for all I knew, there are english spiders that could grow that big so thought it would be best to check here first before wasting their time. only worried about my smaller pets, not myself.

My point wasn't that one or two tube-webs have dissappeared, I had hundreds of them which used to come out every night. My yard is surrounded by four walls and each wall is simply covered by their funnels - some of them are really impressive and huge. There were loads and they have all dissappeared along with all other insect life.

I will post pic if I managed to get one and I will try harder after I hand inthe rest of my work next week.

Tata, Sarah.

[saggy]

Hi maggot at toad hall and others

Sorry, I still haven't managed to get a pic as the times I have seen it, there's no battery left on my camera and my mobile is an old one with bad camera. I'm still trying though.

I don't know why some people would believe that is BS, just don't have time at mo to do anything about it - work full time and am finishing a full-time masters!! have submitted over twenty thousand words in last three weeks alone so simply have not had time to hang about outside with camera nor call rspca but i will over the next few weeks and I will update you.

yes, from what I can see the tube-web spiders are segestria florentina and I had massive ones and I lived with them perfectly fine without making a mountain out of a molehill - something I should obviously be quite proud of considering I am a woman gaviston!!

My point wasn't that one or two tube-webs have dissappeared, I had hundreds of them which used to come out every night. My yard is surrounded by four walls and each wall is simply covered by their funnels - some of them are really impressive and huge. There were loads and they have all dissappeared along with all other insect life.

I will post pic if I managed to get one and I will try harder after I hand inthe rest of my work next week.

Tata, Sarah.

[saggy]

Hi again,

In regards to them being good food for birds - I have noticed that recently, I have been visited by a bunch of magpies on a daily basis and they have been ripping my bin bags apart thought it was rats or a cat but caught one of them with his beak shovelling inside a couple of days ago. Could that be another answer to their dissapearance?

Thanks, Sarah.