[Tony&Kat]

Hi everyone,

Just wondering if anyone knew if there are many bad spiders out there...i've heard of the whitetail, are these common in houses? We're looking at moving just north of Auckland to the Whanapora area - any info would be great. Just a bit concerned if our cats get bitten off one of them etc.

Thanks

Tony

[Debbie P.]

Hi Tony,

This is a really useful page: http://www.tepapa.govt.nz/TePapa/English/CollectionsAndResearch/Collections/InsectsSpidersAndSimilar/Spiders/Spiders_Web/, lots of facts on locations, how dangerous they are etc.

Regards,

[Ana&Steve]

Here are some old thread links that may interest you. (very popular subject!)
http://www.emigratenz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=11212&highlight=bugs
http://www.emigratenz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=9786&highlight=bugs
http://www.emigratenz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=4818&highlight=bugs
http://www.emigratenz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=11077&highlight=spiders
http://www.emigratenz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=10199&highlight=spiders
http://www.emigratenz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=6155&highlight=spiders

Ana

[Cardy]

weve been close up with a few whitetails but we had the house spiderproofed and its certainly working it was worth $120:yes

[StevieD]

Paul, what ara ya, man or mouse :laugh

[kanatakiwi]

Don't want to be too negative. they are not a huge deal but there are quite common if you are a gardener, you need to watch out for them. We found one in our house, have not had the house spiderproofed (what does that involve?)

But on a scary note, my OH was bitten by one when he was cleaning up his family's plot at the cemetery. The bite was on his hand, his arm swelled up from his hand to his elbow, it looked like a rugby ball. He had mega antibiotics, and 2 courses of intravenous antibiotics or something, to bring down the swelling as it turned into cellulitis. We had no idea it would be so serious. So IF you do get bitten, get yourself to a treatment centre right away and take it seriously.

[nippa&pippa]

Just warn you...watch out for Moorf's photo of a spider in one of old threads....:laugh

[Tony&Kat]

Thanks a lots for the info guys, very much appreciated!! IS it quite common to get your house spiderproofed over there then? That'll probably be one of the first things we do!!!

Cheers

Tony

[Debbie P.]

Here's the lovely spider photo!

http://www.emigratenz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=5150&highlight=spiders

[movefromus]

I wouldn't worry about them too much. I lived in NZ for 17 years....pretty much my entire childhood and teen years. We never spider proofed anything. I've seen those spiders a gazillion times and never been bitten. I had a friend who was bitten once...she lived on a farm and although it hurt, it wasn't a huge deal. Just squash them or put them outside.

I'm scared of spiders btw

[Ana&Steve]

Don't want to be too negative. they are not a huge deal but there are quite common if you are a gardener, you need to watch out for them. We found one in our house, have not had the house spiderproofed (what does that involve?)

But on a scary note, my OH was bitten by one when he was cleaning up his family's plot at the cemetery. The bite was on his hand, his arm swelled up from his hand to his elbow, it looked like a rugby ball. He had mega antibiotics, and 2 courses of intravenous antibiotics or something, to bring down the swelling as it turned into cellulitis. We had no idea it would be so serious. So IF you do get bitten, get yourself to a treatment centre right away and take it seriously.
Was it a white tail spider? I've heard their bite isn't "poisonous", but that a lot of people are basically allergic to them...(kinda boils down to the same thing in the end!:uhoh )
Ana

[kanatakiwi]

yep it was a whitetail, and because it got him on a vein, it was definitely serious for him. It evolved into a secondary problem which was cellulitus, (infection in the layers of the skin I believe) and doctors told him if the antibiotics hadn't brought down the swelling he was in danger of losing his arm. So perhaps it wasn't directly the sprider bite but it definitely had dangerous consequences, I would treat any whitetail bite seriously.

[willsken]

We had our house sprayed for $70 and haven't seen a spider since. Also you seem to get a lot less flys in the house. Worth doing IMO. :nice1

[martinp]

We had our house sprayed for $70 and haven't seen a spider since. Also you seem to get a lot less flys in the house. Worth doing IMO. :nice1We did the same, hardly any flies or spiders in or around the house. We had both inside and outside sprayed in synthesised Pyrethrum, a chemical version of the natural fly deterrent. My car, which sits outside, is covered in spiders webs, so it seems to work and doesn't cost a lot.