20 replies to this topic

[Justa]

It's that time of year in the northern hemisphere... the snow is melting, the sun is warming us, and a lot of people are getting bitten by the gardening bug... but BEWARE. Make sure you know exactly what you are buying when you bring those plants into your house to prepare them for spring planting.

Take this poor soul for example:

Minnesota: 1991

A lady bought a large cactus from a floral store and took it home. The cactus was one of the larger ones that stands about five feet tall. She found a nice sunny spot to put it in, and went about her business. That night, her daughter was sitting in the room reading and heard this strange sound. She looked around and couldn't find anything, so she went back to reading. The sound repeated itself, and after searching, she realized it was coming from the area of the cactus. She looked all around the cactus and didn't see anything, and then the noise repeated again, but louder. She looked at the cactus and couldn't believe her eyes... it looked like it was breathing. The sides were moving in and out, and had wave like motion travelling up it. She called her mom and told her what was going on, and her mom told her to get out of the house right away while she called the police and drove home.

The police arrived with the bomb squad and put the cactus in a large container to take it away. Just as they were about to close the container, a portion of the cactus gave way, and hundreds of baby tarantulas crawled out.


What do you think? Can something like this happen? Is it plausible? Can insects lay their eggs inside of a plant and have them hatch later?

Just make sure you take a stethoscope to the garden shop and listen to your plants before you buy them. If you hear "lub dub.... lub dub... lub dub" (immitates a heart sound) don't buy that one

[spelling]

oiy vey! that would be enough to put me over the edge!

[little_light]

I would freak out!.....I know that bugs can lay eggs in some crazy places...but that tops it!

[MoonChild]

oh boy! hhmmmmmmm weirder than Jumanji, eh?

[Willow]

Quote

Just as they were about to close the container, a portion of the cactus gave way, and hundreds of baby tarantulas crawled out.

*shutters*

I've heard this one from my own mother and thankfully i've been given the gift of not being able to grow/keep alive anything plantlike in my home

[spooksareus]

little_light, on Apr 4 2006, 05:38 AM, said:

I would freak out!.....I know that bugs can lay eggs in some crazy places...but that tops it!

No, what tops it was when they used my husbands thigh as an incubaor in Figi!

[SouthernCelt]

Snopes.com that investigates stories like this says this is just a legend. See page on this subject here

[Willow]

Ah good, tarantulas arent possible but scorpions are, now thats much better! I know shipments of fruit harbour all kinds of creepy crawlers

[Justa]

SouthernCelt, on Apr 4 2006, 01:38 PM, said:

Snopes.com that investigates stories like this says this is just a legend.

Yes, I knew it was an Urban Legend when I posted it in "Urban Legends" The story may seem far fetched, and of course is known to be false, but the real question is, is it plausible? Maybe you aren't letting Tarantulas into your house, but what are you letting in?

When an insect lays it's eggs in a plant, it's called a "Gall"

Here are some examples that may be attached to plants that you bring home

A type of wasp:





A member of the fly/mosquito/gnat family




Sooo, they are out there

[Mistteak]

wow .. it is amazing how many times this one makes the rounds .. still a good read .. but check out urbanledgends.com there are some cool ones there

[Redhead]

I have to admit - when I read the title of this thread, I immediately thought of an old episode of Dr. Who - the aliens in this one were plants, and they came here to take over. They used our house plants to kill us! LOL

Thanks for the photos of larvae in/on plants though. We can also bring in buggers on us! Ticks and fleas jump up onto our pants legs, spiders can drop down on our clothes/hair from above. And they can come in on our pet's coats as well. Ah spring, when a squeamish person's heart turns to pesticide...

[aloha_spirit]

It's not just land plants, either.

Everyone who owns an aquarium knows to set up a quaruntine tank for new arrivals. Only after a month of being quaruntined is the new plant / fish is allowed into the big tank. Oh, you can't mix different stages in the same tank (the month would start over for everyone in there).

[Justa]

One of the best examples of something like this happening was when soldiers returning from Asia after the war sent items home in crates made of local lumber. A little stow away jumped in the wood that the crates were made of and made it to the south US, especially around New Orleans. That critter... a breed of termite not indiginous to the US, which has caused vast destruction ever since. Not that the termites already living there weren't bad enough, but these new ones seemed to cause much more destruction.

[Mistteak]

I had a saddle quarentined because when they xrayed it it had bugs in the padding and cantle lining.

So plausable for things to come over for a visit. imagine if they did not do that??

I told them to send the saddle back. The chemicles would have ruined the leather to kill the bugs

[Daddy'sGirl]

Cringes well how about fruits or veggies.. i don't know it 's true but i was told of a black widow appearing from a vegatable ... so could that happen too :S luckly i don't keep plants i have no room in this apt and my groceries are fine too