Stowed Away in Supermarket Bananas, Deadly Spiders Force UK Family to Flee Home

A London family was forced to evacuate their home because of a potential infestation of lethal Brazilian wandering spiders that stowed away in a package of supermarket bananas, British newspaper The Sun first reported.

Consi Taylor, 29, brought home a bunch of bananas from her local Sainsbury's supermarket and noticed something funny on the banana's skin as she peeled one.

At first glance, Taylor thought the fuzzy white spot on the banana was mold. But when she took a closer look she realized she was seeing a mass of tiny spiders. (Click here to see a photo.)

"I had a closer look and was horrified to see they were spiders. They were hatching out on the table, scurrying around on my carpet," she told The Sun. "I was so scared," she said.

Taylor promptly returned the bananas to the supermarket and she was reimbursed with a £10 ($16) voucher for her trouble.

But when she sent a picture of the tiny spiders to a pest control company, her family of four was told to get out of the house. The image revealed Brazilian wandering spiders, an aggressive and venomous species of arachnid mainly found in tropical South America. The spiders are sometimes referred to as "banana spiders" because of their tendency to hide in banana plants.

According to the UK Metro, when the pest control company responded to the photo Taylor emailed them, the message was clear: "The Brazilian Wandering Spider is venomous and should be considered dangerous. We have to take huge care and diligence."

In 2010 the Brazilian wandering spider was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most venomous spider in the world. Their venom "contains a neurotoxin which causes loss of muscle control, paralysis and eventual asphyxiation," according to Sky News. While the spider is the world's most toxic, an effective antivenom is available and few people die if bitten. The spider's genus name, Phoneutria, is Greek for "murderess."

The ordeal resulted in Taylor, her husband Richard and their two young children to abandon their house southwest London's Hampton neighborhood while it was fumigated.

The family had to stay in a hotel and have all their clothes dry cleaned to kill any potential pests. The cost for the services was £1,000 ($1,600), which Sainsbury's reportedly paid on behalf of the family.

"We're very sorry and have apologized to Mr. and Mrs. Taylor," the supermarket said, according to Sky News. "We do have rigorous controls on imported products at all stages -- from harvesting to transportation -- which is why this is so rare."

Still, Taylor remains leery of bananas.

"I hope I didn't eat one but I can't be sure. I now have a phobia of buying bananas. We don't know whether they've all gone," she said, according to the Metro.