Many people from around the world are scared about our Australian Spiders that they read on the internet, and there are some spiders that we really should be worried about especially when we unknowingly bring them into our homes.
How Do We Bring Australian Spiders Indoors?
And before I get too far into this article and get people off side, there are spiders that play their part in the ecosystem and they help by eating other pests. BUT today I want to let you know how we bring spiders inside, as you see spiderlings (baby spiders) are floating in the air and they attach themselves to:
- Trees and bushes, so we need to keep pot plants away from the entry points of the house.
- Once on trees, fences, etc., the wind will release them from where they are and they blow onto the washing, kids’ toys, or shoes that are left outside and even pets who will carry them inside.
- Once they are inside, they will grow into bigger spiders and what happens is that when we kill a mother spider, she will drop her egg sack, scattering her babies everywhere! And then the cycle continues.
- NOTE: The Huntsman spider can grow as large as a dinner plate given the right conditions.
Reminds me of a call I took on a Monday morning when this woman was hysterical and wanted us to come out straight away as a Huntsman spider, the size of a large man’s hand, was keeping her hostage as she was too scared to walk past the front door for utter fear that the spider would jump on her!
What we are concerned about though are the poisonous Australian spiders who will live in stacked wood, or in sheds that have storage bins where they love to hide and breed.
And let us not forget that the garden that we lovingly pulled out all of the weeds and turned over the soil is where the funnel web spider lives, and be warned especially in the hot summer nights where we walk barefoot on the cool lawn, you could easily walk on the male funnel web spider who is out looking for a female to mate with.
Although once they mate, the female then has no use for the male and she will kill him.
Let’s look at the top 10 dangerous Australian Spiders:
- White-Tailed Spiders
If you get bit by one, you’ll likely experience localised swelling, and that’s about it. Most bites occur indoors, at night and in warmer months.
- Garden Orb-Weaving Spider They can reach a size of over 1.25 inches, which makes them a relatively large spider in Australia. They can reduce pests, particularly mosquitoes, around your home.
- Daddy Long Legs Spider With a very small greyish body and long thin legs, they are among the most poisonous spiders but their fangs are too short to bite.
- Huntsman Spider Also called giant crab spiders because of their size and appearance. Their bites can be painful, causing swelling and pain.
- Australian Tarantulas Also known as whistling or barking spiders because of their sound. Tarantulas aren’t fatal to humans. However, they can kill dogs.
- Mouse Spider They are medium to large spiders. They have large fangs and fang bases, they are aggressive and will bite if provoked.
- Sydney Funnel-Web Spiders They are aggressive spiders that are black in colour. They live in moist soil beneath houses. Their toxins can kill humans by attacking their nervous system.
- Redback Spider They are common in sheds, garages, and inside the toilet. Their bite is capable of causing death, especially in small children.
- Trapdoor Spiders They do not have webs like other spiders do. But it has a trapdoor on top of a burrow. They rarely bite, but if they do, it can be painful. However, their bite is non-toxic to humans.
- Black House Spider Dark colored, robust spider. Their bite is poisonous but not lethal. They can be found in window framing, near a light source.
Not only can these spiders deliver a nasty bite if an inquisitive child or a pet wants to take a closer look, we also need to be more cautious outside in the garden by wearing gloves and gumboots when gardening.
Spider Pest Control is Needed
A professional pest control treatment done annually will keep the numbers of spiders down by getting on top of problems before you have a spider infestation. I get often told about those people who are in a new home and wonder why they are getting more pests than normal, and it is quite easy really. Let me explain.
Whilst in the process of building the new property, all the terra firma was dug up leaving not only the different spiders homeless, you could have an increase on field mice and cockroaches.
RECOMMENDED for new properties is to have 2 pest control treatments for the first year, and then cut it back to an annual treatment. This will control the pests before they become a problem.
Unrealistic Expectations of Spider Pest Control
Once the spider pest control treatment is done, and to get more out of your treatment, you should look at:
- Leave spider webs up as miniscule amounts of treatment will be on the webs, and as spiders are lazy, they will keep on entering the web and will die. The webs will fall down naturally over a few weeks.
- You will see more spiders at first (don’t be alarmed) but they will be sick and dying as they are flushed out of cracks and crevices.
- Ensure as mentioned that pot plants, both inside and out, are not close to door openings.
- Give the treatment enough time to work at least 4-6 weeks. A pest control barrier has been applied by the technician and the spiders need to walk over the treatment barrier to kill them.
Let’s talk about what pest control is, it is to control the number of pests. We would never say we will get rid of EVERY pest as that would be impossible. Without having pest control, the numbers of various pests would thrive and quickly we would have infestations of various pests.We get calls from different cultures who call us to have pest control treatment and then ring us back and say “we need for you to have the technician come back as there are spiders everywhere!”
I now ask customers what they are seeing, and if they can take a photo as certainly we are human and may have missed a section of the treatment (not very likely to happen but we always give the benefit of the doubt) and we would happily return if the customer is seeing lots of spiders.
What we have found in some cases is that we get there and find only 2-3 spiders! And we then spot spray the ones we have seen on the day.
NOTE: We do not do a whole spray as we apply the treatment safely according to manufacturer’s recommendations, and by doing this keeps our treatments both family, pets and the environment safe.
First Aid Treatment for Spider Bites
Try to take a look at the spider so you can describe to the hospital staff so they know how to treat the spider with the appropriate anti venom.
First aid is the immediate medical attention that can save a person’s life, prevent a situation from getting worse, or help someone recover more quickly. Here’s some first aid you can do when bitten by a spider:
3 Types of Spiders and Basic First Aid Treatment
Big Black Spider (including funnel web spiders)
If you’ve been bitten by a big black spider, treat it as a medical emergency. Call the emergency hotline right away. While waiting, do the following:
- Bandage the wound firmly with a pressure immobilisation bandage.
- Use a second bandage to wrap the arm or leg and splint the affected limb.
- Antivenom is required. Wait for the ambulance to arrive.
- Wash the affected area well and soothe the pain with ice packs or iced water.
- Do not bondage the area.
- Seek medical help immediately.
- Apply a cold compress or ice pack (wrapped in cloth) directly over the bite for 15 minutes to help relieve pain
- If further symptoms and signs of infection develop, seek medical help.
Do not ignore spider bites. It’s important to have them treated right away, and knowledge about these first aid treatments could save you.
Moreso, don’t let spiders linger on your property. Get rid of them safely by getting a pest control company who cares for you and your property. You can trust our professional pest technicians at Queanbeyan Pest Control Services.
Give us a call now at 0407 065 413.
