{"id":1327,"date":"2025-03-27T10:17:35","date_gmt":"2025-03-27T11:17:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/softnary.com\/?p=1327"},"modified":"2025-03-27T11:27:50","modified_gmt":"2025-03-27T11:27:50","slug":"fungus-infected-zombie-spiders-have-invaded-london","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/softnary.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/27\/fungus-infected-zombie-spiders-have-invaded-london\/","title":{"rendered":"Fungus-infected \u2018zombie spiders\u2019 have invaded London"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The \u2018zombie spiders\u2019 had been infected with a fungus which controls their brains (Picture: Gareth Jenkins)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018Zombie spiders\u2019 have invaded London<\/a> after they were found hidden in a suburban home.<\/p>\n

Gareth Jenkins was working in a garden in Wanstead, east London, on Tuesday when he discovered the bugs<\/a> beneath some decking. <\/p>\n

The 46-year-old said he jumped back in shock after spotting 15 of the creatures with what appears to be a white foam around their bodies. <\/p>\n

He told Metro: <\/strong>\u2018They had almost see-through legs and were about half an inch big. <\/p>\n

\u2018I\u2019ve been a landscaper for 20 years and never in my life have I seen something like this.\u2019 <\/p>\n

After posting images of his find online, he was told the spiders had been infected with a \u2018zombie parasite<\/a>\u2019 \u2013 the entomopathogenic fungus. <\/p>\n

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Gareth Jenkins was working in a garden in Wanstead, east London, on Tuesday when he discovered the bugs beneath some decking (Picture: Gareth Jenkins\/Facebook)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Gareth said he found around 15 of the spiders (Picture: Gareth Jenkins)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The fungi infects the brains of spiders and then keeps them alive for a few more days, controlling their movements and ensuring it is able to spread to as many as possible before killing the host.<\/p>\n

Gareth, from Greenman Landscaping, said he reported his finding to the British Mycological Society who confirmed it was in fact he zombie virus. <\/p>\n

\u2018They assured me it can\u2019t spread to humans,\u2019 he said. \u2018But if I saw one of them run towards me I know I will died of a heart attack.\u2019 <\/p>\n

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\u2018I\u2019ve been a landscaper for 20 years and never in my life have I seen something like this\u2019 (Picture: Gareth Jenkins)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Gareth told the homeowner about the bugs living under the decking, who begged him to not tell his wife and teenage daughters about the creatures. <\/p>\n

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