SallyKay Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 Hi all, A very common post I'm sure!! Surprise surprise I'm terrified of spiders and it's affecting my decision to move to Australia! I never realised quite how bad I was until I started researching into the Australian spiders. I guess I wanted to be aware of what I was letting myself in for but stumbled across the huntsman and they have truly terrified me! The size, the speed!!! How do you get the big ones out if you're on your own in the house?!? Etc etc!! I'm very aware that if we make the move I'll spend the first few weeks checking everywhere I go like some lunatic but I wondered how many of you were like me and checked everywhere to begin with?? When did you stop and forget about them, or did you stop? I know there's all sorts of help I could have and I certainly will look into it but wanted to hear some stories of those of you with a fear of spiders and how it affected your move and whether things have got better as time has gone on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perthbum Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 Never, I am paralysed when I see a huntsman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hogan Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 Depends how much of a phobia you have, you tend to get a bit use to them we like to identify which ones they are , so you get use to looking at them then working out which one it is, you can also have your house sprayed, I c had mine done last week, it's quite cheap really and stops the insects coming in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jit7 Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 I am really scared of spiders too. I haven't thought too much about it which is stupid i guess. I dont know until I'm there on how i will cope. Interested to hear other peoples stories though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PontePom Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 I had / have a fear of spiders and dreaded the thought of them. I had nightmares about them early on when we arrived We have our house and garden sprayed yearly and I'm really calm now around them. Always have a spray handy just in case I also used to use the auto sprayers inside that spray every so many minutes They seem to leave you alone if you do the same lol I even talk to the Gecko's now and was scared when we first arrived chasing them around the house like a silly fool with a plastic cup to take it outside now i see one smile lol So it is something you get used to Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Que Sera Sera Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 It is surprising how powerful you feel when you keep a can of Mortien around :biggrin: Seriously, we Mortien bomb our house every three months and spray the outside and inside. I have honestly seen far less here than I did in our house in the UK. Ive seen, a couple of redbacks. and a few Orbs ( they are huge harmless ones though ) you just do get over it. Song long as they arent in the house Im not that bothered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ptp113 Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 Haven't given them a second thought in 45 odd years here. Far more important things in life to worry about, like sausages, bacon, and the cost of lemons.......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 The place is not crawling with them you know - lucky if I have seen half a dozen! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calNgary Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 I was PETRIFIED about the spiders but have got braver as times gone on and now 6 years in as long theyre not ON me ,i am brave enough to squash it rather than run,lol,, so for me personally time has made my phobia better,lol. Cal x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tickled Pink Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 OK, so I hate spiders. Always have, and probably always will. Not keen on bugs in general but I am able to deal with them all (without killing them) without too much fuss. Spiders do not fall within that catergory for me though! We spray the house in spring (just done it), have Mortien for in side etc, but living where we do, with lots of bush all around, it is just a fact of life. We live there, and so do the spiders - I have learned to share. If they are outside, on the bushes/trees etc, and not in a direct pathway, I leave them. They don't seem to move that much anyway, and I'd rather see them to know where they are - we all know where we stand then. Inside, I have 'bug catching pots' in various places around the house. If I'm home alone, i can often bring myself to put the pot over the spider, stick something heavy on top, and leave it for my husband to deal with when he gets home. If he's there, I hop around giving directions/orders, while he catches! We rarely kill them because, as much as I hate them, they do have their place in the food chain/eco system, and do a little job of their own. We had a huntsman in the shed the other week which we dealt with whilst clearing some stuff out. They are quick, so make sure that before you move in, and spook them into running, have a plan A, plan B, know your 'roles' within this, go in with confidence and you sucess rate of catching the speedy little dude is increased.... speaking from experience here... Overall, other people are right, you get them in the UK, so not a reason to put anyone off coming here. If you live in more urban areas you may hardly see any at all. You may find you get used to them, for example, I quite like the geckos (spelling??), I don't mind them sunning themselves as I hang out the washing, and like PontePom I usually say hello. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 I think I'm getting better. We live on an estate but there is a far bit of acreage/bush around and also we have trees and soil all around our house so we do get them in quite a lot despite the spraying. I can deal with the small and medium ones no problem. But we had a massive huntsman in the garage which I had to get DH to dispose of as I couldn't have gone in there again knowing it was there (yes I know there might well be others there but I haven't seen them!). I really don't know what I'll do when there is one in the house. I have sprays etc but not sure I could go near enough to actually deal with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akiralx Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 In Melbourne and now Geelong I have seen fewer spiders than I ever did in the UK. So move to Victoria! We have two cats so maybe they get them... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnaross Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 The Australian wildlife threat is greatly overrated and not even worth a second thought on your part. In the suburbs you just will not encounter spiders in the house if it is insect sprayed every year. The Huntsman is large but not dangerous and the ones that can kill tend to be in gardens and bush but you will not see them because they tend to keep to their own domain. Obviously you have to be sensible when lifting logs and other fixed things in the garden and outdoors but other than that you can forget problems with insects. Snakes can be seen in the wild, but rarely, and again unless you trample through the bush in bare feet you will come to no harm. ps I hate spiders and it is a toss up between me and the wife who runs fastest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BritChickx Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 I've got quite a big phobia of spiders, when I went there for 4 months I never saw any, I expect if I had my own house I would see them though. Honestly if I saw a big mumma spider i'd run outside of the house or room until Paul came home lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 The Australian wildlife threat is greatly overrated and not even worth a second thought on your part. In the suburbs you just will not encounter spiders in the house if it is insect sprayed every year. The Huntsman is large but not dangerous and the ones that can kill tend to be in gardens and bush but you will not see them because they tend to keep to their own domain. Obviously you have to be sensible when lifting logs and other fixed things in the garden and outdoors but other than that you can forget problems with insects. Snakes can be seen in the wild, but rarely, and again unless you trample through the bush in bare feet you will come to no harm. ps I hate spiders and it is a toss up between me and the wife who runs fastest. You haven't been to my house then! But yes, I think the chances of serious problems are slim. The only thing I've been bitten by was some kind of ant (I think) in the garden which meant I couldn't walk for a couple of hours. We had a small Wolf Spider on the patio but we got it before it had a chance to do any damage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rupert Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 The Australian wildlife threat is greatly overrated and not even worth a second thought on your part. In the suburbs you just will not encounter spiders in the house if it is insect sprayed every year. The Huntsman is large but not dangerous and the ones that can kill tend to be in gardens and bush but you will not see them because they tend to keep to their own domain. Obviously you have to be sensible when lifting logs and other fixed things in the garden and outdoors but other than that you can forget problems with insects. Snakes can be seen in the wild, but rarely, and again unless you trample through the bush in bare feet you will come to no harm. ps I hate spiders and it is a toss up between me and the wife who runs fastest. Yes exactly, I think I have seen fewer spiders here than I ever did in UK. We had a huntsman in the house once in 2.5years, it minded it's own business and certainly was not running around, it just sat quietly on the ceiling and next day was gone. We just had the outside of the house sprayed as we were seeing a lot of webs outside but rarely saw an actual spider. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 I think it must depend on area then. There are also a lot of snakes around the area - even a couple streets from us as they border on acreage. A few DS's classmates have resident carpet snakes! We have soil and trees all around the house and we are removing/disposing of 4 a day regularly despite the spraying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W8ENN Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 I'm terrified of spiders and I'm dreading my first huntsman encounter. I'll be there in a couple of months so will keep you posted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ptp113 Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 The Australian wildlife threat is greatly overrated and not even worth a second thought on your part. In the suburbs you just will not encounter spiders in the house if it is insect sprayed every year. The Huntsman is large but not dangerous and the ones that can kill tend to be in gardens and bush but you will not see them because they tend to keep to their own domain. Obviously you have to be sensible when lifting logs and other fixed things in the garden and outdoors but other than that you can forget problems with insects. Snakes can be seen in the wild, but rarely, and again unless you trample through the bush in bare feet you will come to no harm. ps I hate spiders and it is a toss up between me and the wife who runs fastest. The threat is very overrated. Drop Bears are the only thing that's really scary! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hogg2007 Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 I spent a year in Oz during 1999/2000 and can honestly say I only saw one the whole time I was there. Don't know what type it was, I didn't hang about to find out!! All I know is it was very big!!! It was in a phone booth, I just happened to look up and it was there on the roof. I never made a call from that phone again!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bevanuk Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 You got bitten by an ant and couldn't walk for a couple of hours? 4 spiders a DAY? I'm not sure I can handle this :chatterbox: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fleabo Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 Every house should have a huntsman. Ours returned two days ago and is busily chewing through the rest of the insects in our place which we are happy about. The last time I had to eject a huntsman was when my son woke up to find one in his hair. (It was back the next day, but realised hanging out in my sons room was not a good policy.) The only spider you need to be wary of is the Funnel Web and it has been a long time since one decided it was hungry and leapt on a human for lunch...if you see a Funnel Web catch it and take it to the local hospital so that it can be milked for anti-venom to treat the 60 folk a year that need it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 Just don't get a house with soil and trees around the whole house - most people I know don't have the same problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 I'm working on it before we move. A 4 year old son with an obsession for bugs and other insects is seeing to that :cute: Actually, I am far better than I was with them. So long as they don't touch me. Then I lose it :eek: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ptp113 Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 I'm working on it before we move. A 4 year old son with an obsession for bugs and other insects is seeing to that :cute: Actually, I am far better than I was with them. So long as they don't touch me. Then I lose it :eek: 'before we move', Have I missed something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.