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Banana Spiders in Jamaica!

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by

Kristi
in

There are NO good reasons why I’m posting this!  I just wanted to show you the nastiest display of spiders I’ve ever seen in my life!  For those of you who’ve traveled to Africa or Australia you’ll probably laugh at these ones.  But back home in Canada I’ve never seen the likes of Banana spiders!

Single banana spider in Jamaica
Single banana spider in Jamaica

Okay so that’s a banana spider, no biggy even though it’s leg span was pretty much like a child’s hand.  But the next picture will show you the BIG problem!  Where there’s one banana spider……there’s also his ENTIRE extended family!!!

Whole heap of banana spiders!!!
Whole heap of banana spiders!!!

Spiders are my greatest phobia next to bees and wasps so you can imagine my reaction when I saw the magnitude of this!  The security guards at this venue laughed themselves silly at my reactions.  Nice that I could be such a spectacle for them LOL!

For all you arachnophobes out there, I will assure you that in twelve trips and seven years I’ve never encountered one of these guys outside a botanical garden.  So you don’t need to be scared to come to Jamaica.  I’d hate to think my blog post makes tourism decline hahaa.

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Comments

36 responses to “Banana Spiders in Jamaica!”

  1. sherry Avatar
    sherry

    eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwww!
    shiverin’!

    Reply
  2. sherry Avatar
    sherry

    that’s just creepy

    Reply
    1. JC Avatar
      JC

      Yah……that’s what I said. Disgusting. Every hair on my body stood up when I saw this!!!!

      Reply
  3. EmpressDoms Avatar
    EmpressDoms

    OMG!! is that like a HUGE web???? Do they bite?

    Reply
    1. JC Avatar
      JC

      Yes it was one GIANT web!!!!!! Apparently they’re harmless. The dude at the garden said they aren’t poisonous like other spiders where you’d just fall over dead if bit LOL. That didn’t really ease my mind.

      Reply
  4. DD Avatar
    DD

    Come to Florida – it’s worse in the woods here!!!!!

    Reply
    1. JC Avatar
      JC

      HAHA!!! No thanks!!! I’m too chicken LOL.

      Reply
  5. Yolanda Avatar
    Yolanda

    Hey JC, good to ‘see’ you again!

    As for this post…I’m itching. I’m a level 10 arachnophobe, and I give THANKS that I have never seen this at home, because I’d surely never come back. Ugh. I have two huge banana trees in my front lawn in country, and mi ready fi tear dem dung! LOL! This is just AWFUL hahahaha! Oh goodness my hair just touched my shoulder and I screamed LOL!!!

    Reply
    1. JC Avatar
      JC

      Baaaaaaahahahahhaaa! I laugh til I dead @ your comments LOL!!

      Reply
  6. Anna Avatar
    Anna

    I am going there for my honeymoon in october, hopefully they ll all be sleeping(I Wish)

    Reply
    1. JC Avatar
      JC

      HAHAHA well Anna lucky for you they aren’t everywhere. Like I said, this is the first time in 12 trips I saw them and they were mainly in the botanical gardens areas. I think you’ll be safe!! LOL

      Reply
  7. Darrin Avatar
    Darrin

    I was laughing when I read on tripadvisor that there were no banana spider at Dunns River Falls. We just got back from there and they were every where. i got a cool picture of one. I did research and they are not the infamous banana spider in South America. The spider in jamaica is non aggressive. if it does bite it will hurt for a day but nothing needing medical attention unless you are allergic to it.

    Reply
    1. JC Avatar
      JC

      Yes that’s what our tour guide told us too, they’re harmless. Not poisonous. They’re still UGLY and a plenty in some places!!! Not cool for someone who’s worst fear is spiders LOL!

      Reply
  8. Darrin Avatar
    Darrin

    Let me clarify everywhere….They were no where in the walking zone of the falls and their webs are clearly seen. However they were on the sides and if you explore too much at the falls without looking you will run into a web. Do not let this keep you from the falls. The spiders are out of the way of the tourist

    Reply
  9. elam Avatar
    elam

    I grew up in Australia with all kinds off hairy and venomous spiders. Red backs, trap doors, funnel webs etc…. but that last pic still freaks me out!

    Reply
    1. JC Avatar
      JC

      HAHA!! Yep same here. The only other place I saw them is waaaaay up in the hills, all webbed into the telephone wires up there. Not cute at all!!! 😀

      Reply
  10. elam Avatar
    elam

    I’ve actually walked through a few of those after dark …that experience haunts you forever, i,m still flicking my ears and rubbing my face!

    Reply
    1. JC Avatar
      JC

      I have another friend who did the same thing and it still haunts her to death too!! She now lives in Jamaica so I guess it didn’t deter her.

      Reply
  11. laneysa Avatar
    laneysa

    Ok, I had to comment on here. I am deadly afraid of spiders. When, I was reading the entry, I was over come with anxiety…..Thanks for letting me know where not to go. lol

    Reply
    1. JC Avatar
      JC

      LOL Laneysa, at least I can tell you that you won’t run into those spiders all over the place. They seem to just hide out in the trees and gardens.

      Reply
  12. E. T Avatar
    E. T

    I lived in Jamaica for three years and never saw these spiders, and Im happy I didn’t.
    I have a fear of spiders.

    Reply
    1. JC Avatar
      JC

      You’re like me, I never saw them until my 12th trip and now that I know about them I’m always looking out.

      Reply
  13. Chelsea Avatar
    Chelsea

    The first time I encounted one of those spiders in jamaica I freaked out, it was an area called Stoney Hill…..somewhere in Saint Andrew. The property is huge with lots of trees and fruits and I was just out walking and ran slam bam into the web. I freaked out and ran screaming back to the house. Jamaicans cannot understand how come I am not scared of lizards but have am petrified of spiders. Here in Canada they are not that large.

    Reply
    1. JC Avatar
      JC

      LOOOOOOOL same here!!!! I love having lizards in my apartment and lots of my JA friends are afraid of them. But get me around a spider or bee….I run while they turn bee-whisperer and play with them!

      Reply
  14. Marion Avatar
    Marion

    I got back from a trip to Jamaica two weeks ago. One night I found an all black spider, aproximately 5″ in dia., on my bedroom floor. It stayed still while I decided what to do i.e. get someone or take care of it myself. Then I thought that if I left to find someone it may be gone when we came back. If that happened I wouldn’t be able to sleep so I quickly removed a flip flop and squash it. Now I’m trying to find out what it was. It was all black, no yellow at all, and it wasn’t fuzzy. The “Banana Spider” has some yellow, right? Hope you know- tell me!

    Reply
    1. JC Avatar
      JC

      Marion I never got close enough to one of those to tell if they have yellow on them so I don’t know. But my hats off to you for killing one by yourself LOL! I think I would call a Jamaican to do it for me!

      Reply
  15. Tanya Avatar
    Tanya

    at least they’re so big they’re pretty obvious, whatever that’s worth… small sneaky skittery upset me more, never where those are and what they’re up to!

    Reply
  16. Squinty Avatar
    Squinty

    Lol nice post!
    I want to go to Jamaica badly because that’s where my family is from, but no one can definitively tell me how big the biggest spiders are there.
    Spiders have prevented me from travelling for most of my life. Only since 2008 I have travelled abroad, the furthest being the Dominican Republic. DR does have tarantula sized spiders there, but you don’t come across them in the tourist resorts.
    I’ve always assumed that because Jamaica, like the rest of the Caribbean and South America, is a tropical region with the kind of environments which massive spiders can thrive.
    If anyone can set the record straight, please do so!
    Bless up.

    Reply
    1. Kristi Avatar
      Kristi

      LOL Squinty! I would say these banana spiders are the biggest I’ve seen in Jamaica but they’re not just everywhere. I only see them in lush green places like these botanical gardens. Regular spiders that you would see in random places aren’t nearly as ugly or threatening.

      Reply
  17. Eric Avatar
    Eric

    Pinned your multiple spiders pic because I, too, was in Jamaica and saw these spiders. Yes, they were large and many were in multiples. You only need to look up to see them if you are anywhere near congregation of trees. Glad you assured people because these spiders really won’t bother you. They mind their business and probably like being looked at. I tried taking some pics close up but my camera wouldn’t focus. They are big big spiders. I read, also, that they are venomous. Keeping your distance is all you need to do to be safe.

    Reply
  18. Eric Avatar
    Eric

    Just to follow up after reading some comments. I did not write this article but can tell you a few things people asked.
    Banana Spiders do have yellow in them. They are beautiful spiders with black and yellow markings. According to Wikipedia, they spin some of the worlds most attractive webs.
    There was a healthy abundance of these spiders in the Ocho Rios, Jamaica, Dunns Rivers Falls region. You mostly saw them near the chair lift. I did not get the name of the place but it takes you to a gift shop near a nature trail, garden and (oddly enough) an infinity pool with a water slide. It’s very beautiful place and you can view the cruise port (and possibly your ship) from the top. However, beware of these spiders if you decide to go near the nature trail. They are high above but their webs extend somewhat down. You can’t run into them unless you go off the trails. I’m sure the staff have had their share of scared arachnophobes so they clear the area. I loved the place as a nature buff. Spiders do scare me but these spiders did not move a lot and did not bother anyone. Anyway, hope that helps someone out there.

    Reply
    1. Kristi Avatar
      Kristi

      Eric thanks for all your input! I’m not a big fan of spiders either but you’re right, these ones pretty much keep to themselves and don’t bother people. I lived in Ochi not far from where these photos were taken and I never, ever found one in my apartment. I think they like to just stay in the gardens and not bother anyone.

      Reply
  19. Denise Avatar
    Denise

    Just came back from Jamaica – only saw one “Banana Spider” and that was at Dunn’s River Falls. I asked to hold it and the guide let it crawl from his hand to the back of mine. The spider got so comfy it stopped crawling and just hung out on mind hand while many took photos. It had to be coaxed off of me and neither the spider nor I had any fear. It was quite beautiful and very tame. Nothing at all to worry about. Go to Jamaica and relax!! It’s so worth it!

    Reply
    1. Kristi Avatar
      Kristi

      Denise I admire your bravery. I could never let a spider crawl on me lol

      Reply
  20. Matt Avatar
    Matt

    Eric above is describing Mystic Mountain near Dunn’s River falls and Ochos Rios. I noticed these enormous spiders whilst on the chairlift. A little frightening in size but fascinating and the web’s are enormous.

    Reply
    1. Kristi Avatar
      Kristi

      Yes Matt, the webs ARE enormous!!! I think that’s the creepiest part….that and how many of the spiders hang out on one enormous web!

      Reply

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