Huntsman spiders

**Chandan** · 26-10-2010, 02:44 AM

Born and bred here on a farm out in Gawler I have seen my fair share of scary wildlife, brown snakes being one of them, my brothers used to catch the babies and keep them in a reptile aquarium (boys will be boys) I have had some scary run in's with 3 of them in my teens and think of spiders are the pussy cats instead! we used to pull back planks of wood with about 10 redbacks and their egg sacks attatched to them. I have to admit the red back is bloody stunning if not abit scary.
When I moved to the UK 12 years ago I was upstairs in the bathroom and spotted a small snake on the floor in the corner. I froze, I sat there wondering how the hell I was to get out of the bathroom without walking past the snake. No one was home to help me and I sat for quite some time terrified...all sense of logic had left me.
Growing up on the farm we learnt to be still when we came across a snake, and to let it pass. so this is what i did, for about an hour. then I figured if I got the loo roll and flung it at it it would move away from where i needed to go, so there i was standing on top of the loo throwing the loo roll at a teeny tiny snake in an upstairs bathroom.
It didnt move, well it did shudder but didnt move.. then logic came back to me.. I was upstairs, how on earth would a snake climb two flights of stairs, it was tiny, then I realised the beast that had captured me at a stand still for over an hour was in fact one of the kids toy snakes!!

Little S**ts!! still to this day it has kept me on my toes and been vigilant. Give me a spider any day compared to that toy snake!

**Chandan** · 26-10-2010, 02:53 AM

Originally Posted by WhatNow?

Haven't been bitten by a white tip myself (although have had several in the house during the v hot weather) but I know several people who have and it isn't as scary as often made out - unless you get an allergic reaction of course. The main thing is that if you get a mysterious bite that feels like a mossie bite at first but then starts to ache, swell unusually quickly or look like it is going septic, get to your doctor soon as. It could be a white tip bite. Doctor took a look at one friend's arm, gave her oral antibiotics to take and drew a line around the bite with a marker. Told her that if the swelling reached the mark she was to go straight to A&E where they would give her intravenous antibiotics. Don't know if that is advice anyone else has heard about suspected white-tip bites but the doc certainly wasn't giving the impression it was a big deal. Got the same feedback from Australian friends who got bitten several times as kids and survived intact! Just don't ignore a bite that starts to get nasty - get medical advice as soon as you can, just in case.

When I was 18 I was walking through some long grass down at Gepps Cross after a training day and got in my friends car, I thought I had been bitten by a mozzie and scratched away at my ankle, you know when you scratch a mozzie bite too much you can scratch a fair amount of skin away, well I was so itchy, then the next day it looked like I had impetigo (sp?) so went to the doctors and he told me that I had been bitten by a spider and because of the scratching had properly done myself a favour by scrapping the venom away. The yellow crust was apparently venom that had oozed out over night and dried, they took a sample of it, gave me oral antibiotics and a antibiotic cream to put on the wound so I didnt get an infection and that was that. I was more traumatised by the Health and Hygiene course I had done that day by seeing what ready made sandwiches harboured than my brush with a spider..

**WhatNow?** · 26-10-2010, 04:16 AM

That is quite disgusting if also hilarious, Chandan! ROFL! The comment about the sandwiches is oh so true!

**swampo** · 21-12-2010, 04:18 AM

I am the worlds worst for spiders and I was almost pooping myself before I came here. You expect to see them around every corner when in fact they are generally trying to avoid you! Huntsmen are good guys as they kill the nasty ones. they just look big and scary, well they are big and scary and they move so flaming quick. Seriously ,we have been in our house over 2 years and only ever had one inside and that was because wer were renovating and there was a huge hole in the wall. Do house bonms regularly, spray outside with an all purpose spray, especially around entertainment areas and hopefully you will be safe and sound. Your worst enemies are the mozzies and the flies.

**julie-ruth** · 21-12-2010, 05:56 AM

I've bought one of these plug in Electronic Pest Repeller. Its suppose to repel Rats and Mice, SPIDERS and Ants.

I bought it from Woolworths, well so far so good I haven't seen any new spiders taking up residence but its only been a week or two, have noticed we are not getting so many of those annoying millipied or what ever it is that we seem to get climbing up our walls.

Anybody any views on these device or simular do they really work or am I kidding myself.

Julie

**smallwoods** · 21-12-2010, 07:59 AM

Luckily we have had 2 huntsmans in 27 months - not bad going!!

One was inside and one was outside

you should leave them alone as they eat the poisonous ones like the white tips and redbacks

**Scrappin' Julie** · 21-12-2010, 10:12 AM

Originally Posted by julie-ruth

I've bought one of these plug in Electronic Pest Repeller. Its suppose to repel Rats and Mice, SPIDERS and Ants.

I bought it from Woolworths, well so far so good I haven't seen any new spiders taking up residence but its only been a week or two, have noticed we are not getting so many of those annoying millipied or what ever it is that we seem to get climbing up our walls.

Anybody any views on these device or simular do they really work or am I kidding myself.

Julie

May have a go at this if they rid the millipedes...just annoying little critters lol, thanks for posting :)