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Definitely the worst thing about Oz

Definitely the worst thing about Oz

Old Jan 14th 2002, 7:01 pm
  #31  
Colin
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yuk

Colin

[usenetquote2]> > I think I would rather have a house full of frogs.[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> >[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > Colin[/usenetquote2]
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[usenetquote2]> >> Regarding spiders in houses, I would assume that there arn't too many in[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> >> Brisbane due to all the little green frogs that crawl all over the walls and[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> >> ceilings! frogs - no insects including spiders![/usenetquote2]
 
Old Jan 15th 2002, 12:38 am
  #32  
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Default Which would freak you out more..... (long reply)

.. one or two huntsmen or about 10 times as many big black cockroaches? Large spiders eat these beasties, smaller spiders such as redbacks will take the smaller brown ones (thogh they're capable of taking fairly large black buggers). Redbacks and Huntsmen are very useful in this regard. Huntsmen run down their prey or corner it where it can't get away. Redbacks build a fascinating scaffold web which captures ground-dwelling insects - (more on this in a second). important point before you read on - no fatalities have occurred from spider bites in something approaching (exceeding, even) twenty years. a redback bite will give an adult symptoms like severe flu for a few days, and antivenin is available. you have some time to get to a doctor and most people bitten don't even get as far as the flu-like symptoms, since they've been to see the doctor before they came on. A child or person in poor health is more at risk, but not in the realm of horror stories you may have heard ("redbacks'll kill yer in about 10 minutes, mate!" - bull)

The ones I can picture scaring people are the huntsmen, which are totally harmless to humans (and their pets). they can be disconcerting because of their speed and their size, but there's really no reason to be scared of them. Personally, I'm more disturbed by birds than I am by spiders - they're feathery, have claws and beaks *AND* carry diseases transmissible to humans. that's scary.

Besides, in Brisbane you're a long way outside the range of Australia's nastiest spider (Sydney Funnel Web, : Atrax Robustus). Very nasty neurotoxin, particularly effective on primates, and no-one knows why... luckily they're not likely to be seen much. They don't come out in the open too much - their respiratory system is not very efficient and likes damp air, and you really only see them around the end of summer when they're roving around looking for a mate. You can move faster than a funnel web! I've so far only ever seen one, and I look out for them! You may see redbacks, but not many, see below. What you will see are almost totally harmless. If you can overcome your revulsion a while, you should buy 'The Silken Web' by Bert Brunet, which will let you know if you're looking at something nasty or something harmless and beneficial.

Yes, redbacks like toilet seats, but they also like to build a web that'll last for more than a few minutes and where there's some likelyhood of catching some food. Therefore keeping the bathroom clean = no food and any webs that gather are regularly broken up. They wouldn't stick around for long here. They're also pretty far from the sci-fi picture of agressive, fast creature. I've carried a large juvenile redback out of my bathroom by hand before now, they only bite if they feel very threatened and are brought into contact with skin and cornered (such as in a pair of gloves). If you can get on onto an open palm you're as likely to get bitten as you are to have a piano fall on your head (still, don't try it too much, getting it there is tricky)

Here's how redbacks do their nifty web.

1. they like to find a web area fairly close to the ground, not more than a few feet up. (side note, tales of redbacks 'abseiling' from the ceiling are not particularly likely for this very reason. they're usually harmless lookalikes. besides, do you stop for a taxonomic examination when confronted with a spider descending towards you?)
2. they build a 'scaffold' like net horizontally, reinforced and interlinked, from elastic thread. they like plenty of attachment points for this, so usually build it in a cluttered or overhung area.
3. from this net, they descend to the floor on very elastic threads, securing them to the ground with a few globs of very sticky glue, placing the thread under tension
4. they retire upwards and wait. when an insect (cockroach, whatever) blunders into the vertical threads, they break the adhesion with the ground, get stuck to the globs of glue and get lifted clear of the ground. Very neat, eh?

Redbacks are the archetypal body shape for their 'family' so have plenty of 'lookalikes'. the red stripe is the distinguishing feature, but people don't tend to stop and look.

Have you made it this far? good. I'll finish up now.

Realistically, spiders are your friends here. You'll find, after a while, that the _most_ annoying things in Australia are, in order :

flies
mosquitoes
cockroaches
Bert Newton

of these four annoying things, three are eaten by spiders, and one should be. slowly.

couple of golden rules.

1. don't wear things (sandals) when walking through damp woodland in Sydney in the late summer. (pretty speciic, eh?)
2. put gardening gloves on when clearing stuff in your garden. if you're really worried, wear long sleeves.
3. if you spot a large wheel-web spider near your house - LEAVE IT THERE and watch the number of flies it catches. those flies would be in your house leaving footprints in the butter!
4. If you *do* spot a redback web somewhere, there are a couple of ways of dealing with it, after making sure it's actually a redback.
a) use a long feather duster and bust the web up a bit. repeat as necessary, it'll go away
b) call in pest control

I'll stop now, before I write a book.

Jason
http://www.SydneyPubGuide.net/

(pub reviewer and arachnid enthusiast)
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Old Jan 15th 2002, 4:20 am
  #33  
Odysseus
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I'm interested in knowing how that device works or if there are any scientific
studies which show that it works. Don't offer anecdotal evidence. I'm looking for
controlled double blind studies. All of the controlled studies I have seen on devices
like that say that they don't work. The reason given for them not working is that
spiders and insects are deaf.

in message

[usenetquote2]>> Having seen various postings on a similar vein to this title, I was VERY concerned[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]>> at the regular mention of SPIDERS (yuk). Being an extreme arachnaphobe (and I mean[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]>> EXTREME) I would be grateful if any of you living in Oz could let me know the[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]>> following:[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]>>[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]>> 1. if we end up in Brisbane suburbs, how likely is it that we`ll be joined by[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]>> armies of huge spiders in the lounge/bedroom/bathroom?[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]>>[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]>> 2. Also, is it true, or am I just being naive in thinking they like to sit under[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]>> the loo seat??? (I`ve heard this is the redback`s favourite haunt).[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]>>[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]>> 3. Do fly screens and the usual insect precautions usually keep them out of the[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]>> house?[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]>>[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]>> 4. Is there anywhere in Queensland where I could attend therapy for arachnaphobia[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]>> (Bristol Zoo does it, but that`s too far for me I`m afraid).[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]>>[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]>> PLEASE, those of you who read these boards and are prone to rather pointed[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]>> replies, take me seriously... don`t mock..[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]>>[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]>> --[/usenetquote2]

[usenetquote2]>>[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]>>[/usenetquote2]
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listing a correct address in my settings.
 
Old Jan 15th 2002, 7:54 am
  #34  
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thanks for that very detailed reply, Jason. I take your point(s).
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Old Jan 15th 2002, 11:49 pm
  #35  
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Originally posted by Teri M
thanks for that very detailed reply, Jason. I take your point(s).
no problem. any further questions, give me a shout! (As if I hadn't covered enough ground ;-))
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Old Jan 16th 2002, 9:48 am
  #36  
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One more question Jason - who is Bert Newton???
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Old Jan 16th 2002, 10:26 pm
  #37  
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Originally posted by Teri M
One more question Jason - who is Bert Newton???
Bert Newton. Bert Bloody Newton

He hosts a morning television show over here, and is lauded as a 'celebrity' (you wouldn't believe some of the TV we get here). He's short, chubby, ginger and half-bald. kind of a less funny Clive Anderson. Stands like he's got something stuffed up his... you get the point. One of those uncles who turns up and blathers jokes at you all afternoon without ONCE being funny. Guy should be burned at the stake.

He's a symbol, for me, of the appalling quality of entertainment in this country. The only good entertainment is imported, but the folks at the stations can't tell the difference between good imported TV and bad imported TV. So they import the lot.

I should stop now before I get into a rant.

j
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Old Jan 16th 2002, 10:30 pm
  #38  
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try a search on google for him. you'll start to see my point.


btw in my original post, i just notices I put 'things' where I should have put 'thongs' (nearly did it twice then)





j
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Old Feb 4th 2002, 4:37 am
  #39  
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Originally posted by Michael Fox
[B]They're really quite harmless. I've caught them in my Spider Catcher. The trouble
with the huntsman spiders (in Sydney) was that they were too big to fit into the
spider catcher!! Had no trouble with the redbacks, whitetails, mouse spider, and
various other not so poisonous ones.

Regards,

Michael
I agree with Michaels posts and I hate to think of anyone killing harmless spiders, they do eat flys and insects so they're not harming anyone and doing some good at the same time, I do kill redbacks though. So I thought I would post my method of dealing with harmless spiders in case it helps someone, and believe me, I am not the bravest person you will meet and spiders do scare me sometimes.

For small spiders I get a dustpan and brush, and gently sweep the spider up and hold it in place (carefully with the brush), take it outside away from the house and let it go, it is so easy to do.

Huntsmans and Wolf spiders (the big ones) I don't have the nerve to do that with. They are normally on a wall, so I get the broom and gently sweep them off the wall, they just fall straight to the ground and then I use the broom to guide them out an open door and off into the garden. all you need to do is tap the broom on the floor next to them on the opposite side of where you want them to go or give them a gentle nudge with the broom head. It is easier than you think and after that the spider is probably too scared to come back.


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