Ugh, these spider threads are really putting me off! Soon as I get off the plane I'm buying shares in Mortein!!

Thanks all.

But does anyone know if these bombs you do in the house continue to kill new spiders coming in or will it only do the ones already these?

We had a chap come out from Mandurah Pest Control. It reached a point where we had quite a few running (not redbacks though) and I decided it would be a matter of time before one was a redback. I can honestly say since spraying we've not seen a spider in the house. I have heard people say spraying is rubbish but it seemed to do the trick for us.

Just this morning my friend and I took the kids to the Fun Factory in Mandurah. My friend turned to me and said can you keep an eye on the kids there's a little spider in the play house. Whilst she went off to get something to grab it with I took a little look. What she didn't realise is that this little spider was actually a redback. Needless to say it's not there anymore.

Yeah, we use a product called Kaltostat - same as in the UK. You can pack them with sterile gauze, but we find the Kaltostat removes some of the slough (yellow stuff), plus if any fibres get left in, theres no big drama as its a natural product.

Another thing is that Huntsman aren't harmless. We had a guy that got bitten on the foot (it was in his shoes) and he was really sick. Much sicker than from the redback bites I've seen in (symptoms which are mainly from panic I might like to add "help I've been bitten by a redback I'm gonna dieeeeeee"!!!!!) - ummm stop panicking and you won't die, you'll feel grotty for a few hours, but unless you're allergic to their venom - you won't die!

Maybe I should produce a thread BE's guide to spider survival!

Bugger have to get the kids to shool and its so cold XX

My DS got bitten by what we think was a redback which was clinging to the lane ropes at the AIS many years ago (He was bitten. A redback had been seen on the lane rope. A drowning redback was later seen trying to do the breaststroke so we make the assumption) He was a fit and healthy lad but he felt bad enough that he asked to go to hospital - he wasnt freaking just sick. They kept him for a few hours and then let him go when he felt better. OTOH that pic of a whitetail bite reminds me of the one my next door neighbour had - she had a necrotic patch over 2" wide and they were talking skin grafts at one point - very nasty.

Hey everyone, Can some one tell me what a Gecko is?

Yeah that sounds like a white tail - problem is that most people don't relaise they've been bitten as during the initial bite they inject a lovely anaesthetic - by the time they realise somethings wrong its been a few days and a 'pimple' has appeared. Looks ok until you do an incision and drainage and realise theres lots of necrotic tissue and its about a cm deep! The main thing is the history. When you talk to them they always give the same history - working in wooded area or under house, felt a bite - thought it was tick, brushed it aside then this lump came up a few days later! I take photographs all the way so we can accurately monitor how effective our treatment is. At the end of the day, everything heals, its just how well it heals.

a gecko's like a lizardy type thing that eats spiders but craps everywhere! They're really tiny, cute and tiny. They're always in my washing machine and laundry - frightens the life out of me!

Hey I just googled a Gecko - They are cute. Are they in every house?

I think so, the kids play with them all the time! We've had squashed gecko a few times - oops! Like I say they're tiny and get into everything!