Warehouse manager finds deadly Cambodian wasp spider in crate of plumbing supplies

A poisonous spider gave a warehouse worker “the shock of a lifetime” after opening a crate of plumbing supplies only to find it had stowed inside for a 6,500 mile trip.

The wasp spider – known to have a painful bite – hitchhiked from its home in Sihanoukville, Cambodia to a warehouse in Manchester after getting stuck in the cash register.

The 3cm-long spider, which was said to have been starved after not eating for five weeks, was taken away by environmental health workers and then returned to the stunned warehouse manager.

Warehouse manager Lloyd Metz (pictured left) was shocked after discovering a wasp spider that had stowed away in a crate of plumbing supplies for a 6,500 mile trip from Cambodia to Manchester

Lloyd Metz, a warehouse manager for Grafton Merchanting, was at work when he saw something “sparkling” and discovered the spider hidden in a crate.

The 43-year-old said: “As I opened the checkout I saw something shining and shining in the sun near the top corner and realized it was a huge canvas. .

“Then I spotted the huge spider sitting there and it gave me the shock of my life. I’m generally not afraid of spiders but I could tell right away that this one was different.

“It had strange yellow and black markings and was a lot bigger than anything I’ve seen in the UK before. The canvas was really thick.

He added: “Considering the warehouse is full of big guys, it was funny to see them all running a mile from this spider – no one dared approach it.”

But the arachnid’s journeys didn’t end there – and she was soon traveling with a Devon “bug man”, but not until first spending a week in a take-out box.

The spider hitchhiked from its home in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, to a warehouse in Manchester

The spider – now named Jolene – was taken in at Combe Martin Wildlife and Dinosaur Park in Devon

Mr. Metz had put the spider in a take-out box and kept it on his desk while he wondered what to do with the new member of his team – now named Jolene.

Environmental health workers came to pick it up, but then brought it back to Mr. Metz, explaining that it was not a species they would exterminate.

Fearing the creature would die without food, Lloyd tried to feed it a selection of woodlice, but only wanted to escape.

Four days later, Gareth Thomas, of Combe Martin Wildlife and Dinosaur Park in Ilfracombe, Devon, made the 550 mile round trip to retrieve the spider, so it can be transferred to their Bug World.

Mr Metz added: “I was really happy to say goodbye to her because it was a little strange to have such a scary spider on my desk for so long and I thought she would die from not eating.

“I was afraid to open the box because every time I did, she would try to rush and she was very, very fast. I didn’t want to risk her jumping on me because given where the crate was coming from, I knew it was an exotic spider and who knows what her bite could do.

Mr Thomas said that a wasp spider bite is generally only comparable to a bee sting, although it can induce anaphylactic shock in people with allergies, which can be fatal.

However, he added that you are more likely to die from a cow attack than to be bitten by a spider.

He added: “Jolene is settling in well and seems very happy with her new home. She is a very impressive example of a wasp spider and has some striking colors on her abdomen.

“She was very skinny when we greeted her, which was not surprising not having eaten for at least five weeks. But now she has eaten a few grasshoppers and she has become nice and plump, which is good to see.

“Its bright colors and size have caught the attention of some of the children who visit it, which is great because it is positive to get children interested in insects. They are very interesting and important creatures but often overlooked, so Jolene does a good job here. ‘

Gareth, who has worked in the wildlife park for three years, thinks Jolene may have entered the crate looking for a place to put a nest, so he suspects she may be pregnant.