Australia: Man opens car door and finds “at least 100” giant spiders

It’s a sight that would have any spider phobe running for the mountains – so look the other way now if you’re squeamish.

Craig Baulderstone, 59, was recently shocked to find “at least 100” spiders in the door of his car.

Luckily, the horrific incident happened thousands of miles away in Adelaide, South Australia.

Craig took photos of the army of arachnids and their nest and it was soon determined that they were huntsman spiders.

His pictures showed an egg sac full of spiders in the door of his Mercedes.

Craig said: “The car is actually a rally car that has sat since the end of the season last year and I opened the door to do some work on it.

“They were near the door lock mechanism and outside the rubber dust seal, which largely prevented them from getting inside.

“Although it’s not uncommon for adults to somehow find their way into it.

“I guess there must have been at least 100.”

Predictably, Craig’s photos triggered arachnophobia in some.

“You should probably buy a new car,” one person wrote, “their car is theirs now.”

“That’s a lot of hunters that suddenly fall out one day when you flip down the sun visor,” said another.

But others thought the nest was a marvel to behold – including Craig.

“Excitement would be the best description,” said the retired ecologist.

“I closed the door again very carefully and left to see the wife and children.

“I took pictures and carefully closed the door again and found another job so I could disperse them in peace. I checked again after two days and they were all gone.

“I feel privileged to have captured them in this snap in a timely manner, but also knowing that this is happening all around me, under bits of bark etc.”

The 59-year-old added that cars and houses are not good habitats for spiders and that they often find their own way.

He said: “I’m much less afraid of spiders – and snakes – than I am of people.

“They never wanted to hurt you and their behavior is much more predictable.

“Their goal is to eat and breed. There is beauty in everything, even spiders which also make great bird seed if you love birds more. Crushing them is a waste!’

He might exchange a word or two with Jared Splatt from Melbourne, Australia.

He was cleaning the trunk of his car when he stopped dead at the sight of a giant huntsman spider and a giant egg sac full of baby arachnids.

Faced with the prospect of facing a spider invasion in his car, the 39-year-old lived up to his last name and decided to splatter everyone.

“It quickly turned into an extermination mission,” said Mr. Splatt.

“I grabbed the can of Mortein and went into town – scorched earth like Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder.

“I flicked it out of the car, covered it in white chemical death, and then immediately stomped on the egg sac; Some green slime shot out.

“In my opinion I had saved the neighborhood from 200 plus one hunter.”

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