Monday, July 15, 2013

Spiders Called Goliath: Goliath Bird-Eating Spider

You know when something is called Goliath it is going to be big.  Well, when it is the Goliath Bird-Eating Spider, this translates to dinner plate sized.  Not dessert, not salad, nope full on dinner plate sized folks.  That is one monstrous spider.

Although research shows they rarely eat birds and mainly focus on insects, these spiders are capable of making a meal of rodents, frogs, lizards, bats, birds and even some snakes.  The Goliath Bird-Eating spider will not seek to attack a human, although they will bite and/or throw nasty barbed hairs.  I hear the bite is similar in affect to a wasp sting.  The hairs cause an itchy rash on the skin and can damage eyes and mucous membranes.

With inch long (give or take) fangs these spiders make a formidable foe and despite being nearly blind they're pretty good on the defense too.  Check out this youtube video by National Geographic.

   

From a pest control stand point, these guys aren't an issue.  In fact some people choose to keep these and other tarantulas as pets.  The Goliath Bird-Eater is native to northern South America, so we North Americans should not run across one of these guys in the wild.  Pet stores? Maybe. Backyards? Unlikely- unless your neighbor had a pet and turned it loose in your yard!

If you're dealing with pest spiders as unwelcome guests in your home, give me a call and I'll be happy to help you out.  In fact we, at Peak Pest Management, are running a summer special.  $99 for inside or outside spider treatment.  Same deal with ants.  Bees, wasps and yellow jackets are also typical summer pests.  We'll remove a nest for $99 or you can get a full treatment with a guarantee and not have to worry about these stinging pests in your yard!

Micah Wood
Peak Pest Management LLC
www.peak-pest-management.com
503-998-4322
360-607-1933