hi does anyone know if red back spiders are dangerous? We have one living in our garage rent free at moment and i just put recycling in the bin outside and im sure i saw a HUGe buggger lurking behind the bin. Do we kill them or leave alone ?
thanks Helen
(we from south wales and only know about sheep haha)

Only if they bite you - they can kill you.
Suggest you squash it!

Andrew

Just leave them,as long as you dont go sticking your hand in there you will be fine.

(Im from N.Wales,and have shagged a few sheep)

If it's HUGE then it's unlikely to be a redback. They're only 2-3 centimetres across.

i will leave them well alone then..
as for the sheep each to their own haha xx

i may have exagerated about the size a little bit, but it does have ared mark on its back if that helps....

Theie bite can be lethal,but normally they stay in their nests,huge thing must be a huntsman as redbacks are tiny,and they're harmless.

it could be Boris, he's a red spider

The red bit is usually very distinctive and shows up easily because the body is such a glossy black. If it's got a definite red bit then I'd say it's a redback, all right. They're actually very timid and won't bother you - but if it's living somewhere where you're likely to put your hand on a regular basis (like near the handle or under the rim of a garbage bin), then I'd get rid of it.

They are fairly dopey and easy to avoid, but as some others have said it's probably safer to get rid of the ones you see. Sweep under exposed window-sills or railings where you might trail your hand if your home is exposed to the sun. Daddy long legs have been seen to eat them, and other spiders serve a useful purpose in keeping your bug numbers down.

"now he's crawling on my wall,
black and hairy, very small
Boris the Spider"

I had a few in my letterbox :scared: I took my letters out and they were hiding underneath. I sprayed them and thankfully they were soon dead red back spiders. I think you should do the same, esp if you have kids who go into the garage.

Katie

My general rule with red backs or white tails is that if theyare somewhere that may they may get touched then they get sprayed. The letterbox gets sprayed regularly as does Indies climbing frame and under the outside chairs. I also have a resident huntsman who keeps things down a bit too.

Lynn

I have been bitten by a redback. It made me feel like a flu was coming for a few days.

I didn`t see anyone about it - because I`m 'ard. No I would of if it got worse.

Under 10 or over 60 then I`d send em quickly to the docs.

U might wanna sleep with a clothes peg on yer nose...thats if u can sleep now you know you got company :scared: