nava24 Posted August 16, 2017 Share Posted August 16, 2017 I've had a search around the forum and looked at a few posts but just wanted to do one myself. Hubby is an aussie and we are moving in November. There was a pretty big (for me being from the UK) spider in our bedroom last night and it scared me a bit. We are moving to Melbourne first then travelling round Aus. My thoughts are if other people from the UK have moved and still there how bad can it REALLY be? I know there are a lot of jokes about it where people think they are on every corner you turn.... Can someone give me a real insight into reality with spiders in Aus? Im not talking snakes, insects or bugs, just spiders! ???? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perthbum Posted August 16, 2017 Share Posted August 16, 2017 lots of spiders and some huge ones, the big one's are normally harmless but some of the little blighters can leave a nasty bite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parley Posted August 16, 2017 Share Posted August 16, 2017 They have 8 legs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 16, 2017 Share Posted August 16, 2017 Its fine. Honestly, you shouldn't have any real issues. The fast moving ones and often pretty big are huntsman and they are pretty harmless. They eat other bugs and stuff so I leave them alone, even though I don't like fast moving spiders. But trying to catch them to put them outside is a far worse thing to attempt to do Red backs are pretty easy to spot and if they are indoors they get rehomed. Same with the white tails. Both of these can bite and so we don't like to leave them in the house if we find them. Neither are particularly quick moving. Then you have wolf spiders in the garden and again, just leave them alone and let them go on their way. In parts of NSW you have the funnel web and if you are really wanting to read up on that, go ahead. But please know its not a big thing to panic over. If you read up on the stats of how many people get bitten and how many actually die from spider bites, its not many. Just make yourself familiar with the native species that you need to be aware of and you'll be fine. We've been here almost 4 years now and have come across all sorts in and around the house, garden and when out. None of us have come to any harm. And think about it, your Aussie hubby grew up just fine, as did mine and many we know http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/topics/wildlife/2012/08/australian-spiders-the-10-most-dangerous/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nava24 Posted August 16, 2017 Author Share Posted August 16, 2017 They have 8 legsI'd have never known, thanks ???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nava24 Posted August 16, 2017 Author Share Posted August 16, 2017 Its fine. Honestly, you shouldn't have any real issues. The fast moving ones and often pretty big are huntsman and they are pretty harmless. They eat other bugs and stuff so I leave them alone, even though I don't like fast moving spiders. But trying to catch them to put them outside is a far worse thing to attempt to do [emoji23] Red backs are pretty easy to spot and if they are indoors they get rehomed. Same with the white tails. Both of these can bite and so we don't like to leave them in the house if we find them. Neither are particularly quick moving. Then you have wolf spiders in the garden and again, just leave them alone and let them go on their way. In parts of NSW you have the funnel web and if you are really wanting to read up on that, go ahead. But please know its not a big thing to panic over. If you read up on the stats of how many people get bitten and how many actually die from spider bites, its not many. Just make yourself familiar with the native species that you need to be aware of and you'll be fine. We've been here almost 4 years now and have come across all sorts in and around the house, garden and when out. None of us have come to any harm. And think about it, your Aussie hubby grew up just fine, as did mine and many we know [emoji3]http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/topics/wildlife/2012/08/australian-spiders-the-10-most-dangerous/Thanks for the detailed reply you have reassured me somewhat. I think its just sometimes the shock of them as opposed the actual spider itself. Appreciate the link aswell I'll be sure to look at that[emoji4] [emoji4] [emoji4] ???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perthbum Posted August 16, 2017 Share Posted August 16, 2017 theses are big but harmless, please dont ever kill a spider, just put it outside.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest241083 Posted August 16, 2017 Share Posted August 16, 2017 ................there will always be someone with a horrific photo....! .................a tale of a spider in the sunvisor....... ..................the toe of a boot....... ...................I've lived in Australia ,on and off for over 20 years...... ...................and probably had half a dozen experiences with spiders........ .....................just remember.........check your clothes and shoes...... .....................Leave them alone.........you won't get bitten.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 16, 2017 Share Posted August 16, 2017 My thoughts i'd never been bothered by spiders at all to be honest. Until i got a spider bite which at the time i wasn't aware off just a slight itch on my lower leg while at a bbq next day slight soreness progressing to pain as the day wore on. By early evening i couldn't walk the sight of the bite had become red and all puffed up still didn't bother to go to the doctor (silly me) by morning i couldn't put any weight at all on my leg and the area had filled with pus. Off to hospital yes i'd been bitten by a white tail several courses of antibiotics followed. Then a few surgery's to remove infected tissue now have a rather large area of scar tissue. In all it probably wasn't the venom just my bodies reaction to it according to experts. Now i'm quite wary of spiders check my boots for spiders now but we are rural area. As Tink has said check your boots, clothes etc. Especially if you leave them outside. I'm sure you will be fine though. Chances of getting bitten are really slim. I was just unlucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest241083 Posted August 16, 2017 Share Posted August 16, 2017 .........sorry to hear about your bite Chicken66 .........that was an awful reaction .........checking shoes boots and clothes is important ..........don't brush cobwebs away with your hand something else easily done without thinking ime ..........I don't like spiders......never have ..........but agree generally they don't hurt us Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bristolman Posted August 16, 2017 Share Posted August 16, 2017 The truth is Australia is home to some massive spiders, there is no escaping that fact. Our house in storage was like a spider magnet. My son had a huge one in his school shoe one morning. There are a number of spiders able to deliver a bite capable of harming a human, all spiders are venomous but few have the capacity to hospitalise a person. These are the facts, they are there and you need to be careful. Like snakes you can minimise your possible exposure to them, good fly screens on windows, avoid clutter around the house and check shoes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted August 16, 2017 Share Posted August 16, 2017 You will see some and some fairly large ones. Huntsmen are very common and can be a bit of a surprise due to their size - can easily be tarantula size. But, there regarded as harmless and not in the slightest interested in people. You will probably come across a red back / black widow at some point. My first encounter was my first day and having a shower noticed I was sharing it with one. Not at all aggressive and the only time we have had to do anything against them was when they took up home in our letter box. The only real advice is don't try and catch a spider in Oz with your hands as you wont know which are harmless and which aren't. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calNgary Posted August 16, 2017 Share Posted August 16, 2017 I was petrified of spiders and creepy crawlies, even now seeing horrible pictures like those above send shivers through me but i have got a little braver. As soon as we got a house here we pest sprayed it ourselves inside and out every few months and for agessss we got nothing inside the house, even now 10 years on, due to actually seeing so few (we live on acerage) we spray maybe once or twice a year and see probably 1 spider every month, normally in the bath.lol... Thank god nothing massive as confronted me yet,lol. You do see them out and about and walking into cobwebs still freaks me out,lol, but i am more 'settled' knowing they are around but dont really bother you. Its funny as i bought a UK womens magazine today and there was a story in it about a NSW lady who had recently moved to the UK and got bitten on her head by a false widow spider, ending up with her being admitted to hospital for a while. It said she had lived in Aus years and never had a bite,lol. So yes they are here but you learn to be careful when gardening etc and before long it just comes naturally and you dont stress aboyt seeing them as much. Cal x 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nava24 Posted August 16, 2017 Author Share Posted August 16, 2017 Thanks for all your replies! I think it's a matter of being there and experiencing it myself:)???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainR Posted August 16, 2017 Share Posted August 16, 2017 We get the house professionally sprayed as well, and have the automatic sprays in the house and never seem to see anything in the house. We have come across red backs in the garden and garage, but the kids even when they were toddlers, very quickly adapted and learned to play sensibly. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nava24 Posted August 16, 2017 Author Share Posted August 16, 2017 I was petrified of spiders and creepy crawlies, even now seeing horrible pictures like those above send shivers through me but i have got a little braver. As soon as we got a house here we pest sprayed it ourselves inside and out every few months and for agessss we got nothing inside the house, even now 10 years on, due to actually seeing so few (we live on acerage) we spray maybe once or twice a year and see probably 1 spider every month, normally in the bath.lol... Thank god nothing massive as confronted me yet,lol. You do see them out and about and walking into cobwebs still freaks me out,lol, but i am more 'settled' knowing they are around but dont really bother you. Its funny as i bought a UK womens magazine today and there was a story in it about a NSW lady who had recently moved to the UK and got bitten on her head by a false widow spider, ending up with her being admitted to hospital for a while. It said she had lived in Aus years and never had a bite,lol. So yes they are here but you learn to be careful when gardening etc and before long it just comes naturally and you dont stress aboyt seeing them as much. Cal xThank you for the detailed reply! And reassurance youre also not keen! It cant be that bad if you have lived there for 10 years i guess then. Thanks again ???? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickyNook Posted August 16, 2017 Share Posted August 16, 2017 There are almost 25 million people living in Australia. I'd imagine that very few of those 25 million actually like spiders, yet most of them - bar the occasional whinging pom on here - manage to live here quite happily. I've been here for nearly 40 years in the suburbs of Sydney. I see about one huntsman a year. I've never seen a funnel-web and no-one I know has ever seen a funnel-web. I can count on one hand the number of redbacks I've seen. Redbacks live outside in the dark anyway, and funnel-webs live underground, they don't come wandering into your living room. If you're going to be living in a normal suburban area spiders are a non-event. Don't worry about them. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nava24 Posted August 17, 2017 Author Share Posted August 17, 2017 There are almost 25 million people living in Australia. I'd imagine that very few of those 25 million actually like spiders, yet most of them - bar the occasional whinging pom on here - manage to live here quite happily. I've been here for nearly 40 years in the suburbs of Sydney. I see about one huntsman a year. I've never seen a funnel-web and no-one I know has ever seen a funnel-web. I can count on one hand the number of redbacks I've seen. Redbacks live outside in the dark anyway, and funnel-webs live underground, they don't come wandering into your living room. If you're going to be living in a normal suburban area spiders are a non-event. Don't worry about them.I like your honesty! Thank you the whinging pom made me laugh cheers for the reassurance.???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bristolman Posted August 17, 2017 Share Posted August 17, 2017 I like spiders, we have a few proper Aussie friends that are afraid of them to the point of it being a phobia. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottieGirl Posted August 17, 2017 Share Posted August 17, 2017 53 minutes ago, bristolman said: I like spiders, we have a few proper Aussie friends that are afraid of them to the point of it being a phobia. I was phobic, went on a course at London zoo before I moved out. Very glad I did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nava24 Posted August 17, 2017 Author Share Posted August 17, 2017 I was phobic, went on a course at London zoo before I moved out. Very glad I did.Yeah ive read about this. Its pretty pricey though plus ive got to get to london! But yes i have heard its good. ???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottieGirl Posted August 17, 2017 Share Posted August 17, 2017 Just now, nava24 said: Yeah ive read about this. Its pretty pricey though plus ive got to get to london! But yes i have heard its good. ???? I thoroughly recommend it if you are in the UK worth every penny. Crashing your car because there's a huntsman on the window will cost even more. (There was and I didn't )? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vickyplum Posted August 17, 2017 Share Posted August 17, 2017 (edited) We live in a second floor apartment in Sydney, and have had two occasions where there's been a huntsman in our bedroom. I'm sad to say that I got my partner to "deal with it". It was any other room, I'd have happily left him/her alone. But I didn't want a situation where they took up residence in my built in wardrobe and there was any chance of me disturbing them. This has been over a period of 27 months. On the other hand, my father in law has an old house on a big plot (in the Illawarra) and I've never even seen a tiny house spider! Edited August 17, 2017 by vickyplum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nava24 Posted August 17, 2017 Author Share Posted August 17, 2017 I thoroughly recommend it if you are in the UK worth every penny. Crashing your car because there's a huntsman on the window will cost even more. (There was and I didn't )[emoji3]Wow ok......maybe i will consider it then????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quokka2005 Posted August 22, 2017 Share Posted August 22, 2017 In the 10 months I was there all I bumped into was 2 golden orb spiders outside, some sort of green spider, one spider that just looked like a UK house spider and a dead tiny huntsman. I was hoping to see a proper huntsman to scare people back home I was worried I was going to find them in my shoes or in my tent etc but it wasn't bad at all. In the outback we had these things that they called stink bugs, they were like cockroaches but they spray you. Was the stuff of nightmares, I'd handle a spider over that any day lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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