Agggghh!!! Uh oh, this could be trouble.

[SteveyC]

I believe I've mentioned Claire's lovin' NZ and really wants to stay, but since our first exposure to spiders since arrival has been 2 WHITE TAILS in ONE DAY Claire's thinking a lot less of NZ!!! DOH!!! [smiley=icon_eek.gif]

They totally suck, they're much bigger than I thought and walk like machines dammit rather than 'normal' spiders. One got squashed and I put the other outside in a bid to maintain good karma and not have anymore invasions. ? [smiley=icon_twisted.gif] [smiley=icon_twisted.gif]

[LilAmy]

Hi Stevey,

I can totally sympathise with you on the White Tails. We has one last week. Stu squished it and all the poison came out it was horrible!!!

Our friend said within the last few weeks 3 people he know's have been bitten by them and had to go to hospital. Apparantly the bite comes up in a blister so be warrned.....

[MotherBear]

Stevey, you need to get Robocan . Gives out a little spray of anti-beastie stuff every 7 minutes or so and wipes out everything in the area (so I've heard). You can get a 'green' version that is good if anyone in the house suffers from asthma or allergies as it's made from natural products.

Only problem is that it's expensive to start off, with having to buy the dispenser and a can of product (roughly $77 for the dispenser and $20 for refills which last several weeks on 24-hour protecton). Should be available from places like Mitre10. There is a cheaper one available called Expra or something, but don't know if it's quite as effective. Could well be worth it to keep Claire bug-free. Just wish we could get them here for the mozzies and tiny beasties that invade the kitchen to get food.

The alternative is to have the house sprayed inside or inside and out every year and that should knock the insect population off their feet but, again, that's a lot more expensive (around $120 upwards depending on size of property and whether includes outside as well). You'd need to know you were staying there for a long time to make that worth the expense.

[DawnMarron]

BLOODY 'ELL!! Do not tell number 1 daughter, do not tell no 1 daughter......

[Glenda]

I do sympathise ... darn Ozzie invaders! :icon_evil: We've only had one whitetail stomping across the floor and that was enough for me to pick up the phone to get the house sprayed. Maybe we shouldn't make a fuss considering what they have to put up with in Australia and other countries, but you just cannot share your home with anything that bites or stings.

Having the house sprayed inside and out is really popular here and certainly helps. I also buy a can of Mortein spray from the supermarket and spray those areas where insects can enter the house - under doors etc. - just to make sure. The spray is supposed to last six months so it is well worth it.

Good luck, and don't bother about Karma!

:icon_neutral:

[Welshgirl]

Steady on people, these whitetails aren't necessarily all they are cracked up to be! Some people do have a bad reaction if they are bitten by one, but I'm pretty sure they are not classed as 'poisonous'. If anything, people are more scared of them because a) they are spiders, b) they do look pretty menacing, especially the big ones and c) they have a reputation of being poisonous. I'm not a spider lover but if the whitetail is the worst I have to cope with, I'll manage. I've also heard they are good to have in and around your home because apparently they eat other spiders, thus keeping them out of your home. Not sure if those Robocan sprays work on whitetails though ? [smiley=017.gif]. You can get a spray that you put along your windowsills which is supposed to keep spiders and any crawling insects out.

I must admit, the first ever whitetail we came across got a whack with a slipper hard enough to send him to Australia, had there not been a nice patio door for him to squish on - the way Taffy hit him, you'd have thought it was a 6ft spider, intent on destroying the human population ? ;D

The worst time for them I think is at the end of summer, when the weather starts getting colder - they will try to come into the house to get some warmth, so you may find a few more in the house that you would ordinarily.

I was actually more scared of another spider that we have encountered, not because it was poisonous, just because of the mere size of it - must have been a hand-span in size, including it's legs, yuck. And when we went near it, it was rearing up on it's back legs as if to attack us ? [smiley=icon_eek.gif] ?Seen two of them but I think that's probably because we live rurally, I wouldn't imagine they are common in the suburbs.

Anyway, if you don't like spiders, I can understand but don't be any more afraid that you would be otherwise, just because it's a whitetail ?[smiley=icon_biggrin.gif]

[DawnMarron]

Ahhhh, poor spids!! Walloped, squished and pummelled just for having eight legs and being mildly scary :icon_eek: Did you know (I learned this on a psychology course) human beings do have an inate fear of spiders, it's the way they move if I remember rightly. Even babies who obviously have no experience, show definate signs of discomfort when shown moving pictures of spiders but not freeze-frame pictures. :icon_wink:

Welshgirl, I'm not scared of spiders, they really don't bother me but one the size of your hand, rearing in a pre-meditated attack? I think I'd squit my pants :icon_eek:

[Debd]

Jeeeeeez!!!!!!

[selchie]

Just keep in mind, folks, that spraying pesticides in your living space will expose you and yours to toxins. Little ones get their hands into all kinds of things, and are not picky about what they stick into their mouths. Sometimes the 'inert ingredients' are more harmful than the active ones. The active ingredients are often neurotoxins, which may or may not have an effect on humans. Just a caveat.

I recommend looking around your domicile to find places from which the creepies might be crawling in. One likely place is under outer doors. If you can see daylight under the door, I recommend installing a door sweep or threshhold thingie to close the gap.

It's also worth noting that the white tail spiders are not aggressive. They try to run away from you (and boy can they run!), and will only ever try to bite if they are trapped or you are being silly with them.

For the 10 or so you might ever encounter in your house per year, they don't pose a real threat. In fact, I read somewhere that the vast majority of biting incidents occured in sleeping bags/tents etc. So make sure you check those thouroughly before using them!!

When you consider that you have a 1 in 200 chance of being killed or seriously injured in a road accident every time you go out, and all thats ever been medically proven from a white tail bite is a blister, you might realise you're worrying about the wrong thing!