# Eeek! I mean, BIG TIME EEK! Spider! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 6, 2005, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eeek-i-mean-big-time-eek-spider/302628 "2005-05-06T00:49:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eeek-i-mean-big-time-eek-spider/302628/21 "2005-05-06T18:09:50Z")
A Daddy Longlegs is a [Harvestman](http://www.fcps.k12.va.us/StratfordLandingES/Ecology/mpages/harvestman.htm) ,not a spider. Spiders are cool. ---
**Author:** ![Sengkelat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Sengkelat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sengkelat)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eeek-i-mean-big-time-eek-spider/302628/22 "2005-05-06T18:30:54Z")
> [@cherry](#): > > Occasionally a daddy long legs will come inside and we’ll watch him/her go room to room… For the record, what you’re calling “daddy long legs” are probably cellar spiders. Apparently, they mainly eat other spiders. But that doesn’t mean I don’t get rid of them anyway. I was initially skeptical of the story of the brazilian wandering spider, but apparently it’s real enough. And given that it happened in Australia, I can understand why it was let go. I can see them thinking, “Huge and creepy? Deadly venomous? Probably from around here.” ---
**Author:** ![Sengkelat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Sengkelat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sengkelat)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eeek-i-mean-big-time-eek-spider/302628/23 "2005-05-06T18:34:45Z")
> [@Contrapuntal](#): > > A Daddy Longlegs is a [Harvestman](http://www.fcps.k12.va.us/StratfordLandingES/Ecology/mpages/harvestman.htm) ,not a spider. I was going to say the same thing, but apparently the Pholcus spiders are called “daddy long legs spiders” in some circles. I agree with you though; daddy long legs == harvestmen == opilionids. ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eeek-i-mean-big-time-eek-spider/302628/24 "2005-05-06T20:33:03Z")
> [@Contrapuntal](#): > > A Daddy Longlegs is a [Harvestman](http://www.fcps.k12.va.us/StratfordLandingES/Ecology/mpages/harvestman.htm) ,not a spider. > Spiders are cool. A mere technicality, my dear. It’s sufficiently spiderish to be immediately marked for execution the second it wriggles within reach of my vacuum-cleaner hose. I am not going to stop and investigate every bug-oid critter for nationality before I wipe its sorry multilegged butt out of existence. I have a similar policy regarding scorpions and crawdads. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eeek-i-mean-big-time-eek-spider/302628/25 "2005-05-06T20:40:58Z")
How do you kill a crawdad? ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eeek-i-mean-big-time-eek-spider/302628/26 "2005-05-06T20:47:54Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Yeah? I’ve had malaria. I live in the States, but I visited India and was infected. Sick as a dog for two weeks. 😛 Yeah? If I ever go to India, I’ll take a flamethrower with me to take care of virus-laden mosquitos and hideous-abortions-of-God’s-holy-creation spiders. 😛 > [@Inigo Montoya](#): > > How do you kill a crawdad? Again: flame, and lots of it. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eeek-i-mean-big-time-eek-spider/302628/27 "2005-05-06T21:35:51Z")
> [@Sengkelat](#): > > And given that it happened in Australia, I can understand why it was let go. I can see them thinking, “Huge and creepy? Deadly venomous? Probably from around here.” Actually, the link is to an Australian newspaper but the incident happened in England. Here’s a [BBC aritcle](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/somerset/4499921.stm) (warning: contains closeup photo of spider) on the incident. Boiling water and microwave are _not_ mentioned, however. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eeek-i-mean-big-time-eek-spider/302628/28 "2005-05-06T21:44:19Z")
Heh, CNET is spinning it as “[Camera phone saves man from deadly spider](http://netscape.com.com/2061-10801-5690575.html)”. BTW there are great photos of this specis [here](http://triffophoto3.tripod.com/tpo/id8.html). :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eeek-i-mean-big-time-eek-spider/302628/29 "2005-05-06T21:52:05Z")
Y’know what creeps me out? Any critter without _exactly_ two eyes. Too [many](http://spiders.zacharoo.com/spidey10.html) eyes. Not [enough](http://www.jack-o-lantern.com/gallery/pumpkins/cyclops.jpg) eyes. [Also](http://www.sitcomsonline.com/hoganfamilyduncan.jpg) not enough eyes. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eeek-i-mean-big-time-eek-spider/302628/30 "2005-05-06T22:36:57Z")
> [@lno](#): > > Yeah? If I ever go to India, I’ll take a flamethrower with me to take care of virus-laden mosquitos and hideous-abortions-of-God’s-holy-creation spiders. 😛 Hmmm. That…\*might \* work. Maybe. Dear Og, if you ever saw one of the spiders in India, you’d scream and run to the next continent. They’re large enough to fill your shoe. :eek: And that’s only in North India- the ones in the South are big as small cats. **Kythereia** , my dear, I didn’t notice your post before. Glad to see you like spiders, too. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eeek-i-mean-big-time-eek-spider/302628/31 "2005-05-06T22:54:07Z")
> [@Inigo Montoya](#): > > How do you kill a crawdad? Around here (Fort Worth, Texas) and in the Southeast US, crawdads are generally boiled with spices and then eaten. But not by me. I do not eat shellfish. Or scavengers. I especially don’t eat scavenger shellfish. ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eeek-i-mean-big-time-eek-spider/302628/32 "2005-05-06T22:58:59Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Hmmm. That…\*might \* work. Maybe. Dear Og, if you ever saw one of the spiders in India, you’d scream and run to the next continent. They’re large enough to fill your shoe. :eek: And that’s only in North India- the ones in the South are big as small cats. > > **Kythereia** , my dear, I didn’t notice your post before. Glad to see you like spiders, too. Thank you for putting India further down my list of must see places. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eeek-i-mean-big-time-eek-spider/302628/33 "2005-05-06T23:23:54Z")
> [@Beware of Doug](#): > > Y’know what creeps me out? Any critter without _exactly_ two eyes. > > Too [many](http://spiders.zacharoo.com/spidey10.html) eyes. > > Not [enough](http://www.jack-o-lantern.com/gallery/pumpkins/cyclops.jpg) eyes. > > [Also](http://www.sitcomsonline.com/hoganfamilyduncan.jpg) not enough eyes. _snort_ Am I the only one who checked your last link? ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eeek-i-mean-big-time-eek-spider/302628/34 "2005-05-06T23:26:19Z")
> [@Beware of Doug](#): > > Y’know what creeps me out? Any critter without _exactly_ two eyes. > > Too [many](http://spiders.zacharoo.com/spidey10.html) eyes. > > Not [enough](http://www.jack-o-lantern.com/gallery/pumpkins/cyclops.jpg) eyes. > > [Also](http://www.sitcomsonline.com/hoganfamilyduncan.jpg) not enough eyes. Dude, you are _soooooo_ going to hell for that last link. ---
**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2005, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eeek-i-mean-big-time-eek-spider/302628/35 "2005-05-07T02:34:51Z")
\<\< climbs up on her soapbox \>\> Ahem. Most, if not all, spiders are toxic. (It’s how they kill their prey.) Not all are poisonous to humans. Even so, no spider has the right to be wherever I may be naked. This is not limited to my bathtub. Any spider found in bathtubs or bedrooms will be squished with all due haste. \<\\> Carry on. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2005, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eeek-i-mean-big-time-eek-spider/302628/36 "2005-05-07T02:58:52Z")
> [@Kythereia](#): > > I’ll take any loose spiders if people don’t want 'em! Oh fine. Praise and support all of the promiscuous spiders. Shame the chaste spiders who did as their parents said, saving themselves for later. Great. Just great. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2005, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eeek-i-mean-big-time-eek-spider/302628/37 "2005-05-07T02:59:36Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > Dude, you are _soooooo_ going to hell for that last link. Yeah, but his going to hell is going to be so worth it. 🙂😃 ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2005, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eeek-i-mean-big-time-eek-spider/302628/38 "2005-05-07T04:20:13Z")
> [@Inigo Montoya](#): > > How do you kill a crawdad? Fortunately, this rarely comes up in my neck o’ the woods. But there was a creek with some crawdad things in it near where I grew up, and my general policy was RUN THE HELL AWAY REAL FAST SCREAMING MY HEAD OFF 'CUZ IT MIGHT BE A SCORPION. Hopefully, my screaming then attracts someone braver and stupider, who then grabs a rock and smooshes it for me. ---
**Author:** ![melondeca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@melondeca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/melondeca)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2005, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eeek-i-mean-big-time-eek-spider/302628/39 "2005-05-07T14:16:25Z")
> [@Small Clanger](#): > > Whatever you do don’t follow the link he (she?) posted over in the “scorpion in my bedroom” thread. Thanks for pointing that out cause I am one of those girls who just has to touch the paint to make sure the sign is telling the truth. I ran right over to check out that link and I can still feel my skin crawl. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2005, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eeek-i-mean-big-time-eek-spider/302628/40 "2005-05-07T14:50:32Z")
Let me get this straight. He throws boiling water on the spider, puts it in a jar and then nukes it? If that ain’t a recipe for creating a giant, mutant spider who will hunt you down, pierce you with fangs the size of broadswords, and suck out your lifeblood, I don’t know what is. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eeek-i-mean-big-time-eek-spider/302628.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eeek-i-mean-big-time-eek-spider/302628.md?page=3)