[Tanya]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/thepress/0,2106,3352030a6530,00.html

Still, a spiders a spider :exit

Tanya

[Carol]

"Many people did not like spiders "full stop", Bunn said.

"They did a survey in Britain and the biggest fear for people there, ahead of even attacks, was spiders," he said".




riiiiiiiiight.........


I think I'll take my chance with ANY of the spiders over the ist.
:eek

[sarahw]

I got bitten by a white tail a couple of months back. It was rather nasty - my ankle was 2 x its usual size & very painful. I couldn't wear shoes for a few days or walk very comfortably.

But as they say in the article - my foot didn't get any flesh eating bug & my foot didn't drop off either! :nice1

[GeorgeM]

We wondered what it must be like to people moving from the UK to Australia - they say that there's a funnel web spider in every house/garage in Sydney. Puts NZ into perspective.

As soon as we were told about white tails we saw them everywhere (!), but since those couple of weeks haven't seen one at all.

Apparently they don't spin webs and they hunt and kill other spiders as their main occupation. So if you have webs around your house it's a reasonably good indication that the white tail isn't resident. (Or so I've been led to believe...)

[solar1]

i hate spiders. have gone as far as getting a mossi net to cover my bed while a sleep

how big do they get :exit :uhoh

[Tanya]

i hate spiders. have gone as far as getting a mossi net to cover my bed while a sleep

how big do they get :exit :uhoh


A whole 17mm!!
http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/research/biodiversity/invertebratesprog/spiders/white_tail.asp

Lovely picture of it! :exit


Tanya

[Tanya]

Just read further down that link -

The spider often hides in clothing, especially if it is left lying around on the floor.

Note to self - ... Pick up clothes! :eek

Tanya

[Moorf]

Oh my god.. :exit *off to clear bedroom floor*

[jubjub]

Need to show this to hubby, he is not the best at picking up his clothes!

[bob_the_engineer]

Hi all,

Spiders, eyyyyyyyy :no


Don’t like them, can’t bring myself to squash em, but can’t sit in a room knowing the things are there. :exit

Usually pluck up enough courage to catch and evict them. That’s if I can get there before the dog.
The dogs both think it’s a moving snack (can you get anti venom for a dog?).

After reading this thread I went off and read about the spiders that may cross your path in NZ, made me feel better, seems lots can bite but few can do much damage.

Learnt a funny thing, you know the film Arachnophobia, well guess where they got the spiders from. :uhoh

Bob

[shagen]

A spider has a tail? :eek

Like Tanya says, a spider is a spider!

Hate it!

[kiwidebs]

How big are the white tailed things? Does anyone know if they'll fit in my Lakeland Spider Catcher??? (the best purchase I have ever made bar none btw).

Debs

[Moorf]

A MASSIVE 17MM

[Tanya]

How big are the white tailed things? Does anyone know if they'll fit in my Lakeland Spider Catcher??? (the best purchase I have ever made bar none btw).

Debs

17mm
http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/research/biodiversity/invertebratesprog/spiders/white_tail.asp

Tanya

[kiwidebs]

Yup, it'll fit!! :clap

[jan]

O M G!!!!!! :eek :eek :eek

I had one of these nasty spiders in my lounge last night. Only because I had read this thread earlier in the week, did I not pick it up and give it a cuddle!! :eek

I was about to turn off the tv as it was bed time, and it came running out of from under the setee. It stopped as I was walking, and just stayed there. I shouted hubby, for back up, who after we closely inspected, from 3 foot away, decided yes it was one. :no

We got an envelope and put it outside. Well that was me awake for most of the night. :roll:

Hubby asked at work this morning, and was told he should have killed it as they are BAD. The lady he works with told him , her friends baby had recently spent 4-5 days in hospital through such a bite!!!!

I am now not happy that I have let it go ,on my `dick` to go and make babies!!! :wah :wah

[Simon & Emily]

I'm all for peace and goodwill to all mankind, but if it's a spider that'is venomous (or anything else that goes bump in the night :uhoh ) then there is no doubt whatsoever - kill it without any second thoughts.

Emily

[solar1]

Just read further down that link -



Note to self - ... Pick up clothes! :eek



Tanya


wonder if thats a house wifes tale, i know many men who us the floor as a shelf for their clothes, just think of those socks housing ickle painful spiders

would be a great insentive to get blokes to pick up their dirty washing

[selchie]

I recommend making sure you don't have gaps between your exterior doors and the threshholds. Rubber door sweeps can fill the gap.

It sounds like these poor spiders are getting a bum rap, though.

[Tanya]

It sounds like these poor spiders are getting a bum rap, though.

Do you think??? :no

Where these spiders are positively identified as causing a bite, a white tailed spider bite will cause instant pain and the following typical symptoms include pain, discomfort and swelling at the bite site. The bite can develop into a small ulcerous wound which can look similar to a boil that heals inside a week. In some instances, victims report flu-like symptoms. Particularly nasty infections can leave scarring. Only a few bite victims will have a truly nasty reaction to a white tailed spider bite. Infection of the bite area seems to be a far more likely cause of medical problems than the spider's venom.

There is no antidote available so should a large blister like swelling occur then seek medical advice. If a nasty reaction to the bite does occur, symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, lethargy and headaches. An icepack should be applied to the area to stop the swelling.


Have to say though - they are quite cunning! - for a spider :exit
These spiders do not build a web to catch their prey as they are active hunters. They are rather unusual in that they specialize in catching other spiders, particularly the common grey house spider.

The white-tailed spider will cautiously enter the web of its intended victim and mimic the struggles of a trapped insect by plucking at the web. This may trick the resident spider into investigating the disturbance and so instead of gaining a meal, it becomes one when the white tail strikes.

Tanya

[Moorf]

Hmmm what a relevant thread considering our neighbours told us yesterday that they found 2 whitetails in their house in the last week :uhoh They're not fussed about them but if one is found no-one will sleep until it's dead!!

They did give me a tip though, and that is to use light-coloured linen and towels so that you can spot them easily. Shopkeeper I was chatting to was bitten 3 times on her calf as it was in her bed when she got in, and she said it was a little swollen and bruised and ached a bit but nothing drastic - she said that even so she would always go to the doc for a check up as it's the bacteria on the spiders fangs that can actually be more dangerous than the venom (unless you're v. young or v. old in which case the venom can cause more severe flu like symptoms).

I am in the midst of clearing lots of garden waste at the moment and boy have I got my eyes peeled!!! :eek: Although I am fighting a losing battle with spiders indoors (the silly, spindly ones) this is apparently good news as whitetails eat spiders so if you have none, you may have a whitetail lurking about. :uhoh

Just my two-penneth worth...

[Simon & Emily]

Just a quick thought - can you get out in NZ any insect spray that kills things dead? Like 'Raid' over here in the UK?

Emily

[marcia]

Although I am fighting a losing battle with spiders indoors (the silly, spindly ones) this is apparently good news as whitetails eat spiders so if you have none, you may have a whitetail lurking about. :uhoh

Just my two-penneth worth...

I must remember this to use as a good reason why my house is full of cobwebs and a bit dusty! Need to leave the webs there for the 'good' little spiders to live in!

So are there any more 'deadly' or nasty insects and animals we should look out for?

[clg]

I just killed a big white tail the other day. He was climbing up the drapes...

[Tanya]

Just a quick thought - can you get out in NZ any insect spray that kills things dead? Like 'Raid' over here in the UK?

Emily

Yes you can - Black Flag or Mortein seen to be the biggest names of insecticides. You can get sprays to spray outside your house to stop them coming in too!

Tanya

[Moorf]

I wish I could find my post from last year when I bought the "bug bomb" and filled the house with smoke :D

LOADS of stuff to thwack bugs with here... Mortein is my preferrd poison!! :)

Having said that, haven't seen any deadly bugs at all, it's just annoying flies that I had probs with over summer - and now I know that a preying mantis isn't preying on ME I kinda like the cute beggars.... :D

[Tanya]

http://www.emigratenz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1867

This one Helen?? :laugh :laugh
Tanya

[Moorf]

:clap That's it!!

[Moorf]

I think I shall refrain from posting on threads of a potentially dangerous nature - firstly I posted about the T-junction up the road and a few weeks later we crashed at that same junction and now, I get involved in a white tail spider thread and just minutes ago my builder (who is renovating back room and has all the wall coverings off the wall) shouts for me to "come and see"... so I did.. and what does he show me but a flippin' white tail... I took the picture and then he immediately stomped on it...

[jubjub]

Yup, stick to safe subjects Moorf. Maybe topics such as "I like choccy cake" or "wish I could find a haul of diamonds" see if that works. see if you get any nice surprises.....

[Tanya]

Moorf

Just think of it as one more of life's experiences to tick off your list :laugh

Tanya

[Moorf]

At this rate I won't get to the end of the list :eek:

But our white tail came to the end of his.....

[Tara Sage]

Does Summer eat Spiders?

[Moorf]

Does Summer eat Spiders?


Afraid not :no - just bumble bees :roll

[Simon & Emily]

You could always post about winning the lottery with a few million £££'s (or a few more milllion $$$'s :laugh )

Emily