New House Rules

I had a great time volunteering at a community event today and got a good laugh this morning when a large huntsman spider made its entrance into the marquee. At the time, there was another local volunteer and a Japanese backpacker, Aiko, working alongside me.

We were all taken by surprise when Aiko casually strolled up to the huntsman, started chatting with it, and affectionately named it “Bee.” When she asked if we wanted it removed, we told her it was okay to leave it be. Her reaction was priceless—she laughed at us, clearly amused by our nonchalant attitude.

Aiko then shared a fun story about her previous experience living in a share house for a few weeks while picking fruit in Queensland. There, she had learned the “house rules”: never harm their resident huntsman, Bee (short for “beeg spider”). This massive spider roamed freely throughout the house, helping to keep mosquitoes and cockroaches at bay. Aiko had been taught how to gently relocate Bee from her room before bed if necessary and was even instructed to move her before using mosquito spray to ensure a peaceful night’s sleep.

With no TV in the house, the roommates would watch Bee in action as she hunted down bugs in the living room in the evenings. Aiko became so comfortable handling huntsman spiders that she could even let them crawl onto her hand! She recalled a time when her skills startled other backpackers at a Sydney hostel when she scooped up a huntsman to evict it—before anyone had a chance to squash it.

It’s a skill she never expected to learn, but we think it will add a whole lot of fun to her travels!