This going to sound silly but is there any literature available to train ignorant immigrants up to the level of an Aussie school kid regarding dealing with snake and spider bites etcetc. There are obviously lots of things that can bite and sting you and in the unlikely event that this was to happen to me or a family member I'd like to feel a little less helpless.

I spent 7 months in OZ in 2000 and saw nothing remotely dangerous despite looking on a couple of occaissions but want to box this off for my own peace of mind. I just feel we have missed out on a basic element of Aussie schooling and want to bridge the gap.

Cheers

Tell your kids to leave all spiders and snakes alone regardless of what they are.

If you get bitten there is a poisons line you can ring, as with all bites try and identify the thing that bite you or your kids use your camera phone.

Here this might help
http://www.termite.com.au/spider-identification.html

Believe me in all the drama of moving this is the least of your worries.

I would be very interested in the response to this one, spiders are NOT my cup of tea at the best of times, so even thinking about the little critters in Oz makes my hair stand on end

http://www.avru.org/firstaid/firstaid_main.html

http://www.usyd.edu.au/anaes/venom/spiders.html

If you do a senior first aid course they cover the treatment of snake bites. I am a born and bred Aussie and have never even considered being bitten by a spider.

Well, perhaps I did when we moved to Sydney from Tassie as they have the funnel web down there. We went to the Australian Reptile Park at Somersby (google it if you wish) as they have Spider World there and we got to see a Funnel Web close up and were also told how to treat a bite if you were ever unlucky enough to get bitten by one. We had never seen a Sydney Funnel Web so wanted to know what they looked like so we could spot one in the yard if there were any about.

In the 7 months we lived in Sydney we never saw one outside the reptile park. They are one very ugly looking spider though I must admit!! If you came across one you would instinctively know not to touch it, they just look so mean!

Just been sat on the decking having a couple of JD's with the wife and a huntsman appeared on the wall, luckily was only a Baby 3" round.:curse:
If Francine had seen this in the Uk she would have ran for a week, but hardly any reaction, fancy another drink?

I found yet another redback spider in my dogs kennel tonight - this is the third in as many days.

Pest control coming tomorrow morning so hopefully this should reduce.

In nearly 9 years here (Melb) I have seen about 6 snakes - not in the zoo- and all have been heading in the opposite direction. They tend to try and avoid you unless you prod them or stick your hand into a pile of logs.
One guy at work was bitten on his country property (out past Geelong) as he stuck an ungloved hand in a log pile.....trip to hospital and week off work!

Spiders are plentiful, but most are harmless. Only the tiny whitetails here in Vic are a problem (well that I know of). Mr P was bitten on the toe by one and it was v painful, but reactions can be very nasty.
Huntsmen look horrible, but just lurk.

They are less of a problem than I ever thought before I came here.....

I had my pest control done yesterday

I agree with Pomster: "Spiders and Snakes are less of a problem than I ever thought before I came here.....'

However... Ants are another thing entirely.

My wife was simultaneously bitten by 4 bull-ants (or so she claims) at our little boys Kindy Xmas party in a Brisbane park and her lower leg started to go numb. I have been bitten by one on the toe last year and it felt like a hot needle being pushed into my toe.

Nasty bastards for sure.

been here over 18 months, never seen a redback, nor do I wish to !

I thought I was bitten by an ant the other day, and my foot began to swell up.

I checked up on the ant, and it turns out that some ants are related to the wasp family, and they actually have a sting in the tail .

I was stung by the ant, not bitten!

I guess so was my wife then....

Explains the pain....

I will just add, that was the first time i've been bitten like that, in the 18 years I have lived in Australia, 6yrs of which have been here in QLD.