Looked at loads of threads on Spiders - scary stuff.

I absolutely hate them but it does not put me off Australia. Spent three weeks in Brisbane and didn't see one (just a red bellied black snake - which was more afraid than us).

But with spiders its the legs and scurrying that scares me/us.

Some of the threads talk about the white tail hiding in your bed and biting you in the night (in your mouth !!!!!!!). Is it really this bad ?

We have heard about spraying your house and garden to keep the nasties away - but does it work and how often do you have to do it. I believe you can get people in to do it for you, is this the best option.

We have a four year old, and don't really like the idea of nasties walking around in her bedding while she's sleeping.

Probably just being mard poms, but would like to know what we are letting ourself in for.

Weve been here almost two years and only seen a couple of huntsmen and wolf spiders.......only saw our first red back a couple months ago. You get your house sprayed once a year, it usually does the trick, although you know when its time to respray cos u get the odd blighter coming in the house.

That's what we had heard - feel very reassured - thanks

You get a very skewed idea of the volume of spiders from reading this site. It's one of the main thread topics on here, but in real life I rarely have or even think about spiders - certainly never have conversations about them with real people!

I've lived here for over 25 years and until about 10 years ago I'd never even heard of a white tail spider. It just took one photo of someone's skin damage from a whitetail (they were allergic to the bite) to be shown in the media and now every man and his dog supposedly has them. Before the photo and the media beat-up no-one had ever heard of them.

I see about one huntsman a year, I've never ever seen a funnel-web and I've only ever seen a couple of redbacks (in 25 years). There are no more spiders around here (eastern suburbs of Sydney) than you get in the UK. Our house has never been specifically sprayed for spiders.

I accept that there is more wildlife out in the bush and in other parts of the country - but if you're going to live in the suburbs, as long as you stay away from any bushland (ie don't buy a house that has a lovely bushy outlook or you'll receive more visitors than you might want), wear gardening gloves when weeding and don't stick your hands in dark corners, then I promise you that spiders will be a non-event.

Thanks for this - temporary panic over - I had thought it was a bit strange. We stayed in Brisbane with a lady that had a rain forest for a garden and although you could hear stuff rustling around you didn't actually see anything. So we were hoping thats the norm.

You don't see anything untill its too late.

Yes and they crawl in through your mouth and ears while your asleep and lay eggs inside your head and then millions of babies hatch and eat away your brain. :scared: :scared:

Sounds like I need to sleep with ear plugs and a gag then.

You really dont see many, but i understand your phobia, believe me.
My fear is SSSS and i am starting therapy next week.
If i was you i would sort out some sort of therapy now before you come, i wish i had.
I t can spoil it for you when you come if you are worried about it all the time.
good luck, Denise

They are very distinctive, Nicky. Can't miss the big white blob on the end of the body. We've had four inside in the last fortnight. But as you say, too much is made of it at times. We have several Australian friends that have always lived here and have never seen a whitetail.

I never remember to put my gardening gloves on! And it's hard to remember to check things in the garage like boots and gardening gloves! I've been told that redbacks like cycle helmets..

I wouldn't spray - I'd be a damned sight more worried about the insecticides in the spray than I would ever be about the spiders.

Thank you very much you've put our mind at rest. Sensible and informative.

I've lived out there in the past and hardly ever seen spiders... the odd huntsman here and there, but don't squish them or banish them from your house ... they hardly ever bite and eat the nasty roaches that sometimes come in.
There's no need to spray ... That stuff is incredibly bad for the environment and for you...

I've seen a couple of funnelwebs which come into the house when it rains... they tend to hide under the stairs where it's dark ... A quick bang with something long handled (I used a cricket bat) and you're sorted.

The house was on a bushy 5 acre block and even when gardening we saw nothing... I've been there two years and never seen a white tail spider ...
I've never seen a redback at all, and I've seen one snake as it rushed from my thudding footsteps.

If you do get bitten by a spider, make sure you know how to use compression technique... No-one as far as I know has died from a spider bite in Aus for years using this technique. Also, make sure you know how to deal with a bite - who to call and what to do.

If you leave shoes outside or by the back door, shake them out in the morning before you put them on.... But remember, spiders are shy and retiring types (apart from the Blue Mountains Funnel Web which is probably the only breed that does rear up which scares the pants off you at first!) and they don't want to bother you.

Don't bother them... they won't bother you.

All very reassuring but..............funnel webs in your house (these things are as big as your hand). I only thought they hung out in the bush !

Spray, spray, spray every 3-6 months! At least that's what I will do I think!

Can't bear the thought of them! I know its harmful to everything but I also know I am a complete nut job around spiders and wouldn't settle unless I was at least fairly sure none was about. I even have an industrial strength plug in killer here.........and we don't even have anything that bite you here!

But your choice

Its a real dilemma, but wouldn't you just die if something scurried across your bed !!!