On Air: Fukuoka City Information/2014.07.26(Sat)/09:00～

There is a non-indigenous spider, known as a Red-back spider, that is being found in various areas all over Japan.

It is not a particularly aggressive species, however is poisonous and has been known to bite spontaneously. If you find one, be sure not to handle it with bare hands and kill it with regular pesticide spray found in the market. In addition, if you come upon one of their egg sacks, use chopsticks to transfer it to a plastic bag, saturate it in pesticide spray and dispose of it along with your burnable garbage.

Red-back spiders tend to like feeding on insects and such in warm areas near the ground. They may be present in or around planters with good sunlight, drain gutters, or drain pipes extending from walls or under benches. When doing outdoor work, or other activities in such places, please wear gardening gloves. The spiders have been known to play dead, so please use caution even if they are not moving.

If you are bitten, wash the bite with either cool or warm water and seek medical attention. For further information or to inquire about the extermination of Red-back spiders, please inquire at the Living Environment Section of your local ward office.

And in another announcement, Fukuoka City would like to let you know about its Uchi-mizu Watering Event. Uchi-mizu is the Japanese term used for watering roads and gardens in order to create a cooler environment as the water vaporizes and to keep dust levels down. It has been a type of common-knowledge tradition in Japan since long ago.

The city will be holding its Fukuoka Water Sprinkling Campaign 2014on July 29 in about 30 different localities in Tenjin and Hakata. The event will begin at 3:30PM in IMS Square, in Tenjin, in Chuo Ward. Ten areas in Tenjin will engage in watering in a relay-fashion to cool Tenjin off. Then, this year the event will move beyond Tenjin and continue on into Hakata. Then again, starting at 6:15 PM 18 other localities will simultaneously engaging in watering, together with the Hakata Exit Station Square in front of Hakata Station. The sight of staff wearing yukata, along with lots of participants carries the feeling of summer!

Uchi-mizu is a simple way to fight areas holding excess heat. Give it a try!

That was information from Fukuoka City.