[Juniper]

initially it sounded like NZ is relatively pest-free, but when it comes to insects, i think it may be even scarier than where i live! (home of the black widow and some other nasties, e.g. there was a redwood tarantula in our house once)

to me, whether or not a spider is poisonous is merely a secondary consideration to whether it is just plain HUGE and SCARY. it seems like there are plenty of big scary arachnids in NZ, some of which like to wander into houses... it's not a deal-breaker on moving or anything (well maybe i should check with hubby, hehe :-P ) but i'm trying to mentally prepare myself. here's some links if you'd like to do the same!

there seem to be plenty of wasps/bees as well. then there's weirdo stuff like the (in)famous weta!

scary spider info at te papa:
http://www.tepapa.govt.nz/TePapa/English/CollectionsAndResearch/Collections/InsectsSpidersAndSimilar/Spiders/Spiders_Web/

"complete" (hopefully) bug list with pics, distibution, behavior...
http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/research/biodiversity/invertebratesprog/invertid/bug_list_pics.asp

[Moorf]

Welcome to the NZ Bug Spotters Club :D - I agree, not so much "oh my god I'm gonna die" but "oh my god HOW big?" :laugh Topical too - I've been down a Robocan for 4 days and in that time 2 spiders have dropped onto me from the beams and 2 found their way into my bed :exit both brown, both harmless and both pretty damn big.... although I do remember seeing similar brown ones in our barn in Scotland... still, barns good... beds bad...

[Juniper]

beds bad, BEDS BAD! eeek...

i'm now reading the kill-all-insects thread :-)

[jubjub]

This little guy was on our back door frame chirping away..

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v690/asjohnstone/IMGP0899.jpg

[StevieD]

Now come on ladies, stop trying to put me off :exit

:laugh

Steve

[katandbob]

EEEEEKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!

cheers! just what I needed to read first thing in the morning!

oh well I wont panic..just will be buying LONG socks!

Kat

[StevieD]

Oh thanks for those links Juniper, my hairs were standing before I got to the bottom of the first page - YUK!

[katandbob]

not scary...just interesting I personally dont like cockroaches and wasps, spiders I can cope with as long as they are not in my BED!

[Moorf]

I do love those mantis... so beautiful... ;)

[Delson]

Glad you decided to share those with us, NOT!! :exit

[Kim39]

I do love those mantis... so beautiful and they'll box with you if you put a small twig in front of them:laugh

Kim

[Charlosparky]

mmmmm..... not thought about all this before but now... :uhoh What about cockroaches? do you have them just walking about like in teneriefe? UGHHH!!! I cant stand anything like that, and spiders :eek:
God i can't let my OH read this thread- our PR would be straight in the bin!

[Oregonkiwi]

After growing up in NZ I'm still in the habit of shaking out my bath towels before I use them - nothing like stepping out of the shower and discovering a nice big black spider in your towel. Or there was that time when I was in bed and heard a scratching sound and turned to see a weta crawling across my pillow....
But then, last summer here in Oregon we had snakes breeding under our front steps, and I know which I'd rather have any day!

[sarahw]

A huge weta decided to kamikazie itself into our spa pool - whilst we were in it - I haven't moved so quick (even though it died on hitting the hot water) in a long time!!!

Ian hates bugs - I'd recommend getting cats - they eat or kill everything that you're not keen on - especially huge spiders - we came home the other night & there was a spider nearly the size of my hand on the side of the house (we closed the bathroom windows quickly then too!!).

There's nothing dangerous apart from the odd dodgy spider that sneaks in from Australia. Worst thing I've seen since we moved here is a white tail - one bit me & my ankle was quite swollen for a week (well double its usual size!) & quite painful.

Think the worst thing for bites are the sand flies - although haven't noticed them this year - last year the little critters bit me all over my legs. They're tiny but they have a really mean bite & the bites itch way more than mozzie bites - you evidently get immune to them which might be why I haven't noticed them this year even though I've seen them biting me on the odd occassion. New arrivals beware & buy some spray from the local pharmacy when you get here (if arriving in summer).

[Juniper]

gah i know those links are horrible...but know your enemy, right :-P so the white tails are that bad huh...yick!

cats are great in the first place (couldn't do without my cuties) but some kitties don't have the first clue what to do with a bug! oh they will watch it in fascination...which is still useful actually, because detection is half the battle!

best put this out of my mind for now, haven't even submitted an EOI yet for chrissakes LOL

the mantis is sort of cute....hm i hope they are not fond of scurrying rapidly about tho :-P

[pineapplehead]

Sand flies... ouch! They are tiny, but can hurt like hell. I am allergic, I guess, because I swell up. They keep getting me on the ankles, and between socks and shoes rubbing, and lots of walking, I had one ankle swell all the way around, and itch like crazy. I got bites in spring and now autumn as well.

They tend to be more active near rivers & beaches, but I also get them in the garden. I now cover all parts when I weed (wrists and ankles especially). And if we see them in great numbers out and about, we leave quickly. And I never used to get mosquito bites.

I now also take antihistamines when they bite, and there are a few cortisone-like creams that can help for itching/swelling if you apply them directly after a bite. I hope I get immune soon...

[starkhorn]

Silly question but what is a mozzie?

[Moorf]

Slang for a mosquito :yes

[Juniper]

i was wondering the same LOL... hm does mosquito sound like "moz-kee-toe" in "british"? in "californian" it's more like "muss-KEE-toe"

it does make the critters sound cuter, hehe

[Simon & Emily]

I thought a cockroach was a cockroach was a cockroach ... how many different types are there?

And I know everything has to eat, and as long as it's not poisonous I think I can live with it ...... but the description of spiders being 'speedy' and 'hunting' does nothing for me, especially when you see how big some of them are :exit

I've yet to meet a spider I can outrun, but I do usually try to go in the other direction to 'em.

Emily

[Juniper]

ugh yes...why can't they all just make a web and hang out? hunting spiders really (really really) freak me out...

[Jules]

This is our new pet!!!!!!! He was wandering on the side of the house, just thought I would share him with all you WETA lovers :exit

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v626/redrowe/weta.jpg

Jules :D

[off2nz]

Oh my goodness - how big is it Jules??? I really don't like the look of them, am I right in thinking that they are found in the Auckland area?

Oh dear! :wah :wah :wah

[StevieD]

Don't look particularly nice but aren't they related to crickets??

[Delson]

Is that actual size? Pleeeease say it's enlarged!! :exit

[Kim39]

Here's a few for you.........:D

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v721/Brierley1964/preyingmantis.jpg
a little bit of loving

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v721/Brierley1964/spider002.jpg
i'll take a cicada for tea

Kim

[Jules]

The body is about 3" long and the feelers are probably another 3" long!!!!

They are pretty harmless though, I have been told that the female can give you quite a nip if you sqeeze her too hard (yeh right, as if you would pick one up :uhoh )

I dont like the look of that spider Kim :exit

Jules

[Juniper]

cringe!! that spider is giving me the willies. i'll try not to worry about weta since they don't bite (although finding on your pillow as you sleep is a bit much!!! :-) neither do mantis..es (?) right?

an acquaintance of mine made a photo blog of his vacation in NZ, found this massive (like 4 inches) cockroachy-type thing in his camper van shower:

http://www.spencerlindsay.com/images/nzBlog/2005.02.17/DSC_6044.jpg

this occurred somewhere around rotorua.

[Jules]

Hi Juniper

That looks like a Hu Hu (sp) beetle, I was out having a smoke one evening and one flew into me, I swiped it off and it landed on the floor, I saw it and ran in doors (never moved so quick!!!) :exit

Jules

[Juniper]

why do undespoilt countries have to be so full of vigorous little beasties, hehe :p guess humans aren't the only ones enjoying a higher standard of living....

[Simon & Emily]

Look on the bright side though folks - there are no snakes, crocodiles, scorpions and so on. And you never know, they may just all make good eating if you collected enough of them .......... :laugh

Do you think if you line up the decapitated heads you could scare the rest of them off, like the head-hunting tribe? Or would that just attract the friendly rat population :exit

Emily

[Juniper]

haha DO NOT PASS, HERE BE SPIDER-CRUSHERS :D

the original bug list link i posted also has a page called "good or bad?" listing what should be considered to be good and bad traits of insects...
http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/research/biodiversity/invertebratesprog/invertid/good_bad.asp

among them is indeed "food for humans", for those who appreciated fine...grub :roll

[Juniper]

weta wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weta

"While Weta do not pose a risk of stinging or biting people, they are able to inflict painful scratches with the potential of infection. They are known to arc their hind legs into the air in warning to foes. The largest species of giant weta is the Little Barrier Island weta also known as the wetapunga (god of ugly things)." :laugh

[Oregonkiwi]

Yep, wetas will bite, but only if you mess with them. My mother is really interested in insects and was always trying to get us interested too when we were kids - we had normal kid fear of insects - "it's more scared of you than you are of it" she'd say... One day she had a weta in her hand and was showing us how harmless it was and nothing to be afraid of, when it sunk its mandibles into her palm. But if you leave them alone, they'll leave you alone. (True of most insects - except mozzies.)