Common Pests

Spiders

Apart from several types of indigenous Australian spiders whose bites are often dangerous and occasionally life threatening, most are relatively harmless. However, they sometimes bite humans that encroach on their habitat. Any spider bite should receive medical attention as blood poisoning or an infection could possibly result.

Most spiders, being nocturnal are seldom seen during the day unless disturbed.

Those that depend on webbing to snare their prey seldom move far and hide in a crevice, curled leaf or appear camouflaged as twigs. Hunting spiders, many of which are ground dwellers are less dependant on webs and move around in the dark for hours in search of food.

Whether the spider traps prey in a web or hunts to capture it, the victim is injected with venom through the fangs. This immobilises it. The body is then squeezed and the erupting liquid is sucked in through the small mouth behind the fangs at the base of the palps.

Chemical control consists of the careful application of residual surface sprays and the judicious use of space sprays.