German Supermarket Evacuated, Loses All Perishable Food...Over Spider?

Next time you're picking through a mound of bananas at the supermarket, think twice.

While unpacking a banana crate at large supermarket it Germany, one grocery store employee got the scare of his life when a hairy, 13 centimeter Brazilian Wandering Spider -- apparently the world's most aggressive, venomous variety -- sprung out and scurried under a shelf.

The incident got even more out of hand when the store was evacuated and local police were called to the scene. According to Der Spiegel, a "spider expert" from a nearby zoo then arrived to help a team of 30 people try to lure the deadly beast from its hiding place.

If that were not enough, the spider could not be located so exterminators were sent in the following evening to treat the entire 5,000-square meter store with poison. Needless to say all perishable food was tainted and had to be discarded.

Can we say overkill?

One expert explained the Wandering Spider to Der Spiegel:

Anyone encountering it should be very careful. Amy Stewart, the author of "Wicked Bugs: The Louse That Conquered Napoleon's Army & Other Diabolical Insects," cites the Brazilian Wandering Spider as one of her top five worst bugs. A bite doesn't just cause severe pain, but also leads to breathing problems, paralysis and even death.

That isn't all. Stewart writes that the creature is fearless and so aggressive that it will stand on its hind legs, prepared to take on any challenger, however big.

While "experts believe the spider should be dead," the "corpse" has yet to be found. And despite the copious amounts of insecticide, those involved say it "can't be ruled out" that the spider might have escaped and is now roaming the streets of Bexbach.