What did you do when you saw your first Hunstman?
#16
Re: What did you do when you saw your first Hunstman?
Scarey but not as big as the trapdoors they are much more scarey........ leave the Huntsman alone they eat the other spiders
#17
Forum Regular
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 33
Re: What did you do when you saw your first Hunstman?
Had to reply to this thread!
First spider I saw was a wolf spider (about the same size as a huntsman) and it crawled up the fence where I was weeding. I am stereotypically English about eight legged creatures and so bravely took 3 steps back and yelled for the husband who asked me 'are you sure it's a spider?' but did concede it was big.
Second spider experience was horrific-was putting green waste in the bags for the tip...didn't realise I'd strayed to a pile of bark that had been cleared from under a bush near a fence! I picked up a tube bit of bark and snapped it in half to fit in the bag...and little spiders swarmed everywhere (there were about 40 or 50 of them)..I dropped the bark...the husband prodded it with his fork and the mother was still in there with the egg sac I'd just hatched (or had been unfortunate enough to pick up as it hatched!). We thought it was another wolf spider at first (it ended up on the end of a fork so was difficult to identify!) but we think it was a huntsman nest as fitted more with their habits!! Can still feel things crawling all over me just thinking about it!!
The husband is an Aussie and even he thought that picking up a spiders nest plus 'mum' and having them swarming everywhere was an experience he wouldn't particularly like!!
Bear in mind I've only been living in Australia for a couple of months and I think you'll agree I've had more than my fair share of spider incidents!! :0) So far so good I haven't seen one inside as yet!!!
First spider I saw was a wolf spider (about the same size as a huntsman) and it crawled up the fence where I was weeding. I am stereotypically English about eight legged creatures and so bravely took 3 steps back and yelled for the husband who asked me 'are you sure it's a spider?' but did concede it was big.
Second spider experience was horrific-was putting green waste in the bags for the tip...didn't realise I'd strayed to a pile of bark that had been cleared from under a bush near a fence! I picked up a tube bit of bark and snapped it in half to fit in the bag...and little spiders swarmed everywhere (there were about 40 or 50 of them)..I dropped the bark...the husband prodded it with his fork and the mother was still in there with the egg sac I'd just hatched (or had been unfortunate enough to pick up as it hatched!). We thought it was another wolf spider at first (it ended up on the end of a fork so was difficult to identify!) but we think it was a huntsman nest as fitted more with their habits!! Can still feel things crawling all over me just thinking about it!!
The husband is an Aussie and even he thought that picking up a spiders nest plus 'mum' and having them swarming everywhere was an experience he wouldn't particularly like!!
Bear in mind I've only been living in Australia for a couple of months and I think you'll agree I've had more than my fair share of spider incidents!! :0) So far so good I haven't seen one inside as yet!!!
#18
Re: What did you do when you saw your first Hunstman?
I've posted these before but I like them, the first huntsman was on son Max's window.
The best one I found at 10.15 am after morning brew at work (BMW dealership) as I was walking across workshop floor I felt something sticking into my upper inner right thigh, I brushed my pants thinking it was a splinter & felt a big lump in my pants (nothing new there) which started to move upwards quickly, so I grabbed the lump & ripped my pants off to find a huntsman stuck to the inside leg of my keks, when I looked in my car I found a web in the footwell near pedals, so it must have been there since 8 am at least
3rd one legged it up the screen of a bike when I was changing headlight bulb, sadly none of them survived our encounter.
The best one I found at 10.15 am after morning brew at work (BMW dealership) as I was walking across workshop floor I felt something sticking into my upper inner right thigh, I brushed my pants thinking it was a splinter & felt a big lump in my pants (nothing new there) which started to move upwards quickly, so I grabbed the lump & ripped my pants off to find a huntsman stuck to the inside leg of my keks, when I looked in my car I found a web in the footwell near pedals, so it must have been there since 8 am at least
3rd one legged it up the screen of a bike when I was changing headlight bulb, sadly none of them survived our encounter.
#20
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Joined: Feb 2008
Location: Gold Coast, Qld
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Re: What did you do when you saw your first Hunstman?
We saw a few smaller ones when we first arrived but i clearly met the " Daddy " whilst alone in the house, with my husband away abroad. (toddler son asleep). It was late at night and i was making a cup of tea when it ran from underneath me towards the TV and straight up the wall. This thing i kid you not ..was the size of my hand !! After an hour of repeated attempts at throwing things at it ..then running away Lee Evans style.. i remembered i had a can of Mortein !!! (doh ). So after cornering it in my bedroom, i sprayed it good ..but then had to endure THE MOST AWFUL screaming noise from the bloody thing ..so emptied the can on it ..still screamed... so in the end i threw the can at it and ran out the room..squirming and squealing..then came back and watched it from the crack in the door ..until it stopped moving..!!
My poor husband then endured a very early hours phonecall which involved an ear-bashing for being away whilst we were invaded my gigantic mutant spiders from the film Aracnophobia and how did he propose i get rid of the giant carcass in the bedroom !!! It was definately my "Welcome to Australia" !!!
My poor husband then endured a very early hours phonecall which involved an ear-bashing for being away whilst we were invaded my gigantic mutant spiders from the film Aracnophobia and how did he propose i get rid of the giant carcass in the bedroom !!! It was definately my "Welcome to Australia" !!!
#21
Lost in BE Cyberspace
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Re: What did you do when you saw your first Hunstman?
Soil my trousers.
#22
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Joined: Oct 2005
Location: Hill overlooking the SE Melbourne suburbs
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Re: What did you do when you saw your first Hunstman?
I was disappointed that they did not look like the very tarantulas I had expected them to be. Even now, whilst I've seen some fine specimens, none have ever impressed me. Irritated me, got me out of a warm and toasty bed, maybe.
I did get a fright when one fell off the visor as I was negotiating a bend at 80k.
I did get a fright when one fell off the visor as I was negotiating a bend at 80k.
#23
Re: What did you do when you saw your first Hunstman?
I found one in the garage when I was little (5,6?) and was allowed to keep it overnight so I could take it in to school for Show & Tell the next day. Was very excited and made what I thought was a lovely home for him in an ice cream container with leaves and stuff. Called him Bertie. Unfortunately I didn't put enough (any?) air holes in the container lid and when I went for the big reveal in school Bertie was found dead!!! Very upsetting, still feel guilty about it to this day.
#24
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Re: What did you do when you saw your first Hunstman?
I think a little bit of poo actually came out.
#25
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#26
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Location: SE Qld
Posts: 107
Re: What did you do when you saw your first Hunstman?
When i see a huntman I think wow what a beautiful creature and I leave it alone. They are welcome in my home as they catch pests that i dont want around such as roaches. Same with geckos, they're free to come and go and eat the things i dont want around like the mozzies that find their way in.
Killing something that is harmless, and in fact can be benefical, is stupid.
Killing something that is harmless, and in fact can be benefical, is stupid.
#27
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 708
Re: What did you do when you saw your first Hunstman?
When i see a huntman I think wow what a beautiful creature and I leave it alone. They are welcome in my home as they catch pests that i dont want around such as roaches. Same with geckos, they're free to come and go and eat the things i dont want around like the mozzies that find their way in.
Killing something that is harmless, and in fact can be benefical, is stupid.
Killing something that is harmless, and in fact can be benefical, is stupid.
Both Huntsman's and gecko's are welcome guests at my place
#28
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Joined: Sep 2009
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Re: What did you do when you saw your first Hunstman?
When I saw my first "Hunstman", I threw a dictionary at it
#29
Re: What did you do when you saw your first Hunstman?
When i see a huntman I think wow what a beautiful creature and I leave it alone. They are welcome in my home as they catch pests that i dont want around such as roaches. Same with geckos, they're free to come and go and eat the things i dont want around like the mozzies that find their way in.
Killing something that is harmless, and in fact can be benefical, is stupid.
Killing something that is harmless, and in fact can be benefical, is stupid.
Totally agree with you Crunchie. I'm not actually afraid of spiders, but I do proceed with caution. The only spiders I'm prepared to kill are redbacks and whitetails, for obvious reasons. But all other spiders, including the huntsman and all geckos are welcome at our place too. We have a regular gecko visitor here. We think he's living behind the dartboard. He's been here for so long now, that we've called him Gary, lol.
And we once had a huntsman that we named Herman.
Last edited by Chelle66; Feb 23rd 2010 at 2:24 am. Reason: Add on
#30
...giving optimism a go?!
Joined: Jun 2007
Location: Brisbane (leafy, hilly western suburbs)
Posts: 2,202
Re: What did you do when you saw your first Hunstman?
My first huntsman was seen hovering above a bed in a holiday house. There was a shrill scream from my SIL (Philippino-Australian of 10 years at the time) before a broomhandle was swiftly administered creating a satifying 'crunch' noise. I watched from a respectful distance - remained calm and intrigued.
Subsequent encounters have envolved chasing the damn things around (they move FAST once they want to dont they?) unsuccesfully trying to spray them with stuff (including a deoderant can based flame thrower).
I had limited success with the vacuum cleaner - but the 'clunk-clunk-crunch' as they rattle up the hose and encounter a grisly death at the hands of machinery seems a bit unnecessary.
Nowadays I tend to leave them alone unless they're hovering with intent somewhere with potential for discomfort.
Subsequent encounters have envolved chasing the damn things around (they move FAST once they want to dont they?) unsuccesfully trying to spray them with stuff (including a deoderant can based flame thrower).
I had limited success with the vacuum cleaner - but the 'clunk-clunk-crunch' as they rattle up the hose and encounter a grisly death at the hands of machinery seems a bit unnecessary.
Nowadays I tend to leave them alone unless they're hovering with intent somewhere with potential for discomfort.