28 February 2011

washing dishes is dangerous

Here's a new excuse: "I can't wash the dishes, I might get bitten by a redback spider." Now who would believe that one? Well it very well could be a valid excuse after my experience today. I filled the sink to wash the dishes at work today and then looked across the bench for the sponge. I found it and brought it over to the sink when I noticed a spider on the inside of the sink. Wierd place for it. Don't know where it came from. AND IT WAS A REDBACK! (Redbacks are one of our poisoness spiders.) I took a photo....coz I just had to. Pity my phone doesn't do close ups well. Then the kids came in and were naturally interested. While I asked the eldest not to lean across the bench explaining that this spider is poisoness I smooshed it with a spoon. Sorry spider, but you'd attack if I invaded your home.

3 comments:

Tab said...

Maybe it hitched a ride home with you from BH. They're everywhere here. Also an interesting fact that I refused to believe when I heard it [but nonetheless it is true] that red back spiders are probably not native to Australia.

kelgell said...

Really? Where else are they?

Tab said...

Oh! I researched it again, and they USED to say that it was the same as the Black Widow from the USA. However, now they've sequenced the DNA and it is actually a distinct species after all. So there you go. When I heard it a few years ago I looked up the information and they said it wasn't native, but the same website now says it is. http://australianmuseum.net.au/Redback-Spider