A spider on a banana is creepy, but a whole nest of eight-legged critters invading a person's home is quite unnerving, as shopper at Sainsbury's Supermarket learned.
I thought it was mold ... But when I had a closer look I saw some funny looking spots, and was horrified to see they were spiders. They were hatching out on the table, scurrying around on my carpet," said Consi Taylor, 29.
Initially, Taylor went to the store where she bought the bananas and was only offered $16 in compensation at the time. Imagine that?
The woman notified pest control agents, who asked her to send over a photo of the spiders in the bananas. Lo and behold, she was told to evacuate the home immediately because the spiders were extremely venomous and a threat to her family’s health.
Taylor, her husband, and two children fled to a nearby hotel as officials arrived to fumigate her home. She then notified management at the store and brought proof of the presence of the Brazilian spider in the bananas she purchased.
In the end, they paid for her three-day hotel stay, the cost of fumigating her home and her dry-cleaning bill.
Moreover, Sainsbury's offered an apology to the woman over the spiders in bananas incident.
We're very sorry and have apologized to Mr and Mrs Taylor. We do have rigorous controls on imported products at all stages - from harvesting to transportation - which is why this is so rare," said the supermarket.
It's unknown how the South American spider species found its way in the British produce. However, the store promised it would not happen again.
Lesson learned: Inspect fruit and vegetables before purchasing.