The UK False Widow Spider scare....

[David Strover]

Hullo Everyone,

I did say I'd post more stuff so here's the next one.

A while ago in the UK there was a huge 'non-story' about the deadly and poisonous false widow spiders. This was despite the fact they have been native to the UK for about 170 years or so and are not deadly and can't hurt you.

I got so fed-up with reading about them in the news and on Facebook, and especially as a lot of people were killing them on sight and any spider, including even more harmless garden spiders, that I created this tee-shirt design as a tribute to them. The idea was to make it look like a bike club back patch [remember the Black Widows MC from Every Which Way But Loose etc?] and see if I could sell some as well. I didn't.

I didn't put it on the back of any garments because you can get into trouble doing that if certain people see you...

Anyway the design was created from scratch in Xara, no clip-art etc. all by my own hand, so I live or die by it.

[gwpriester]

It's a niche movement isn't it?

Nice design, though.

I have never heard of false widow spiders. Are they same as black widow spiders?

[csehz]

Nice ones, I like that you did from scratch and the whole is by your own hand

[wizard509]

Hi David, I like the design. Spiders of any kind are certainly not my favorite creature.

[David Strover]

It's a niche movement isn't it?

Nice design, though.

I have never heard of false widow spiders. Are they same as black widow spiders?

Hiya,

No they look very similar to black widows but they aren't, hence false widows. If you are unlucky enough to actually be bitten by one it is no where near as painful as the black widow and unless you are infirm, very young or on strong medication medical assistance is not required. There are no dangerous spiders in the UK and no black widows.

Don't get me wrong I can fully understand why people are frightened of spiders but I don't understand the hysteria whipped up by the national press to the extent that people began killing any spiders and proudly displaying their corpses on media outlets.

Spiders serve a useful ecological purpose, they're part of important chain just like us.

Lecture over - back to the designs soon!

[Ron Duke]

The design looks good on the "Ts"!

[angelize]

I like the design, it's very nicely done. I hear you about the spiders. Don't get me wrong I think they are all creepy and I generally stay away from them, but they do have their place. We actually have black widows here and brown recluse spiders too so in general any areas where there are spiders around are treated with care. For example I never touch the firewood stacks without a good pair of leather gloves and a long sleeved work shirt.

[David Strover]

Hey Angelize, That's fair enough. If you've got naughty ones then be careful. In the UK the most dangerous animals on the island[s] are people!! All I saw on Salt Spring was tree-frogs and some particularly angry and nasty ants, I didn't look closely but I think they were fire ants.

My wife's nephew's wife sent us the videos of the orcas killing seals/dolphins that the ferry users saw.

[angelize]

They quite possibly could have been fire ants you saw (they can have a nasty bite) Yes the orca video was amazing. The orcas are awsome creatures they also eat large fish like salmon. We are seeing more of these animals with the resurgence of herring and salmon populations. The dolphins and seals come to feed on the herring and the orcas come to feed on them.

We also have predators on land too, coyotes, cougars, and further north wolves to name just a few.

[gray]

Like the T's, David. Very catchy design.
Yep, not much on this island deadly either, like Frances just a few cougars, bears, wolves. Had a cougar go through the yard once, bears and wolves you have to go out of town a little to find. Normally they just like to scrounge. The deer are plentiful and eat everything in the yard. Don't mind or find spiders distasteful though. Maybe you could do a line of wildlife T's.