How much of an issue is the wildlife in OZ?
Discussion
Keep reading that most hazzardous wildlife in the world is often found in OZ.
What's it like to live there with regards to dangerous wildlife?
Is it something you have to be continuously aware of and make compromises on your daily plans?
Is it only a problem in the countryside or do you also have to be aware in the cities?
Do hazzardous insects make their way regularly in to living spaces?
Cheers.
What's it like to live there with regards to dangerous wildlife?
Is it something you have to be continuously aware of and make compromises on your daily plans?
Is it only a problem in the countryside or do you also have to be aware in the cities?
Do hazzardous insects make their way regularly in to living spaces?
Cheers.
I have lived in the Perth area for a while now. Never seen a snake or a spider to date. I have worked in an area in the North West where there are a number of species of 'deadliest' snakes including the Northern Death Adder and King Browns. Never seen one and never been too concerned either. A more real hazard is Kangaroos jumping infront of your car when you are travelling of the freeway to be honest.
I certainly wouldn't let it compromise my decision to come here. There are potential killers almost everywhere in the world.
Hi AJI, yes we have some dangerous wild life, but most Ozzies will live a full life without ever encountering any of it.
There are some places it is rather unwise to swim. Up in the further reaches of places like the Gold Coast canals, & many tidal rivers have rather dangerous sharks, but they don't catch many humans. Of course now we protect them, [the sharks that is], this might change
Some northers rivers are getting rather well populated with crocodiles, since they became protected, but again they don't eat many. Not that many people in most of those areas, although the folk in Darwin are going crook when they find crocks in their swimming pools.
We do have some dangerous spiders, but as we have not yet been stupid enough to protect them, pest exterminators will keep your property free of them.
We have been stupid enough to add some of the most dangerous snakes in the world to the protected list. Fortunately no one pays any attention to this stupidity, with most feeling, apart from city folk, the only good snake is a dead one. Perhaps this is because the more dangerous ones are rare in the city.
Fortunately most snakes are disinterested in us, we are a bit big to be a good meal, so prefer to avoid us if we let them. People who bumble around noisily are unlikely to ever see one. There are a couple of more aggressive types, which it is best to eliminate if they take a liking to your living area.
Occasionally people find a large one curled up under their washing machine or similar spot. This is so rare however, it usually makes the evening news.
We have lost a couple of dogs to snakes. I had told them a dozen times to leave the snakes alone, but do you think they would listen. A rather large dog attacked a Yellow Bellied Black. He got the snake, but died about 2 minutes later. The other lasted about an hour after attacking an Eastern Brown.
I do live on 20 acres well out of town, & have lost those 2 in 20 years. So far we have had no personal problem. The most dangerous occasion was when a Taipan, [very dangerous] fell into the swimming pool one night. He was very angry when found in the morning, & I am glad it was too cold for a kid to have wanted an early swim.
So there you are, it is not too bad, provided you avoid certain places at night, which are frequented by our most dangerous animal, young thugs.
There are some places it is rather unwise to swim. Up in the further reaches of places like the Gold Coast canals, & many tidal rivers have rather dangerous sharks, but they don't catch many humans. Of course now we protect them, [the sharks that is], this might change
Some northers rivers are getting rather well populated with crocodiles, since they became protected, but again they don't eat many. Not that many people in most of those areas, although the folk in Darwin are going crook when they find crocks in their swimming pools.
We do have some dangerous spiders, but as we have not yet been stupid enough to protect them, pest exterminators will keep your property free of them.
We have been stupid enough to add some of the most dangerous snakes in the world to the protected list. Fortunately no one pays any attention to this stupidity, with most feeling, apart from city folk, the only good snake is a dead one. Perhaps this is because the more dangerous ones are rare in the city.
Fortunately most snakes are disinterested in us, we are a bit big to be a good meal, so prefer to avoid us if we let them. People who bumble around noisily are unlikely to ever see one. There are a couple of more aggressive types, which it is best to eliminate if they take a liking to your living area.
Occasionally people find a large one curled up under their washing machine or similar spot. This is so rare however, it usually makes the evening news.
We have lost a couple of dogs to snakes. I had told them a dozen times to leave the snakes alone, but do you think they would listen. A rather large dog attacked a Yellow Bellied Black. He got the snake, but died about 2 minutes later. The other lasted about an hour after attacking an Eastern Brown.
I do live on 20 acres well out of town, & have lost those 2 in 20 years. So far we have had no personal problem. The most dangerous occasion was when a Taipan, [very dangerous] fell into the swimming pool one night. He was very angry when found in the morning, & I am glad it was too cold for a kid to have wanted an early swim.
So there you are, it is not too bad, provided you avoid certain places at night, which are frequented by our most dangerous animal, young thugs.
Edited by Hasbeen on Tuesday 23 April 14:44
Been here 6 weeks now this time and not seen a single dangerous spider.
Lived and worked in the outback for 6 years and only saw about 3 snakes. Only ever seen one shark off Perth and it was dead.
Yes, there is bad stuff here, but danger doesn't lurk around every corner. You just to know where not to go and where and when not stick your hand/foot/cock etc
Lived and worked in the outback for 6 years and only saw about 3 snakes. Only ever seen one shark off Perth and it was dead.
Yes, there is bad stuff here, but danger doesn't lurk around every corner. You just to know where not to go and where and when not stick your hand/foot/cock etc
WeirdNeville said:
It's worth noting that there have been no fatal Redback Spider bites in Australia since 1946, when they introduced the antivenom. Hospital procedure if you do get bitten is that they tell you to go home and come back in 24 hours if you're still not feeling better.
Agreed, but I do it because we've two small dogs who stick their nose into everything.Only take a bite once we've left for work, and 8 hours later we could have issues.
It's not an issue at all.
My wife is 'insect adverse' so we get the house sprayed yearly = no problems.
In the last 24 months I've seen:
2 redbacks in different locations (one at our house prior to spraying & one at a camping site)
1 brown snake while at Hawkesbury (nasty)
1 red belly black snake at same place not 30 minutes later. All my life here I'd only seen one snake prior.
and 1 Bronze Whaler Shark about 1 mile offshore of Avalon beach while on a jetski
Was bitten by a white tail spider on the ankle, was sore for a week but that's it.
I should point out that I go offshore a fair bit and would be in the countryside pretty reguarly.
Having said that we lost a worker to a snake bite in the Surat Basin about 12 months ago so yes there are some nasties around.
As a Dad it's more of a concern for my kids, I teach them not to go poking around in long grass and to stay still should they ever see a snake.
My wife is 'insect adverse' so we get the house sprayed yearly = no problems.
In the last 24 months I've seen:
2 redbacks in different locations (one at our house prior to spraying & one at a camping site)
1 brown snake while at Hawkesbury (nasty)
1 red belly black snake at same place not 30 minutes later. All my life here I'd only seen one snake prior.
and 1 Bronze Whaler Shark about 1 mile offshore of Avalon beach while on a jetski
Was bitten by a white tail spider on the ankle, was sore for a week but that's it.
I should point out that I go offshore a fair bit and would be in the countryside pretty reguarly.
Having said that we lost a worker to a snake bite in the Surat Basin about 12 months ago so yes there are some nasties around.
As a Dad it's more of a concern for my kids, I teach them not to go poking around in long grass and to stay still should they ever see a snake.
Thanks for the replies !
Well, sounds like there are plenty of encounters from the posts so far.
I'm not too bad with wildlife to be honest, I've grown up in the countryside in the UK with all sorts of creepies but the issue would be with the other half. She absolutely hates insects of any sort. During the summer time even when we do get the single warm day here in England, as soon as the sun goes down and the house lights go on then all the windows have to be shut to stop even the smallest of flies from getting in.
The occasional sighting of any large spider or snake would see her running for her life in a hysterical state of affairs!
So maybe if/when we do re-locate out to OZ then only the high rise apartments in the cities may be the best choice? What do you think?
Well, sounds like there are plenty of encounters from the posts so far.
I'm not too bad with wildlife to be honest, I've grown up in the countryside in the UK with all sorts of creepies but the issue would be with the other half. She absolutely hates insects of any sort. During the summer time even when we do get the single warm day here in England, as soon as the sun goes down and the house lights go on then all the windows have to be shut to stop even the smallest of flies from getting in.
The occasional sighting of any large spider or snake would see her running for her life in a hysterical state of affairs!
So maybe if/when we do re-locate out to OZ then only the high rise apartments in the cities may be the best choice? What do you think?
Cockroaches are an obvious no no! I can now imagine her on some sort of military night watch patrol constantly armed with a napalm flame-thrower. Just ready to turn and shoot at the slightest movement..... I can see myself getting fried at the potential edginess that she would probably be on!
d. Oh and a shark carjacked me - big bugger, with a knife and everything.I've only ever seen one Redback, and it was dispatched with half a can of bug spray. Most spiders in the house are about the size of a big UK spider and are easily dealt with by the wife. They do seem slighly more switched on than UK spiders however - most take evasive action when they sense you coming.
Huntsman are different - they are huge, but tend to be in the shed/garage. And I just hold a brush at arms length to deal with them - they aren't that quick.
Getting the house sprayed is the best idea. First time we got in and out done but now just get outside the house and inside the garage/shed. Hardly ever see anything until towards the time the spray expires.
If your OH doesn't like flies there could be an issue - they have a tendency to attack people during the summer to try to get moisture from your nose/ mouth/eyes. They can make a summer's day really unpleasant.
Huntsman are different - they are huge, but tend to be in the shed/garage. And I just hold a brush at arms length to deal with them - they aren't that quick.
Getting the house sprayed is the best idea. First time we got in and out done but now just get outside the house and inside the garage/shed. Hardly ever see anything until towards the time the spray expires.
If your OH doesn't like flies there could be an issue - they have a tendency to attack people during the summer to try to get moisture from your nose/ mouth/eyes. They can make a summer's day really unpleasant.
Actually the thing that injures most people in Oz is the mosquito, at least in the northern half of the country.
WE no longer have malaria, but do have an increasing rate of dengue, & Ross river fever.
These don't kill, at least the first time you contract them, but the debilitation can linger for a couple of years. They are not a joke, & do have to be taken seriously when in the areas where they are prevalent.
WE no longer have malaria, but do have an increasing rate of dengue, & Ross river fever.
These don't kill, at least the first time you contract them, but the debilitation can linger for a couple of years. They are not a joke, & do have to be taken seriously when in the areas where they are prevalent.
AJI said:
So maybe if/when we do re-locate out to OZ then only the high rise apartments in the cities may be the best choice? What do you think?
Was in an apartment for 18 months. Was better, but still got all the flying bugs (moths and roaches, biggest about 2" long). Redbacks were still common-ish.
I live in the city but have managed to be bitten by spiders twice, one fell off a tree and landed on my neck. Neither were serious but enough to make me tired.
I stood on an electric ray (got a right thump) in shallow water and a stingray both in Sydney Harbour.
Been stung lots by bluebottles but these are just like being stung by nettles.
The closest I got to anything serious was at Seal Rocks on the northern NSW coast. Just about to go for a dip when a 10ft plus bronze whaler appeared from nowhere in the channel a few feet from shore. It was chasing fish there for about 15mins before disappearing.
having said that, I still haven't seen a snake - or a Drop Bear!
I stood on an electric ray (got a right thump) in shallow water and a stingray both in Sydney Harbour.
Been stung lots by bluebottles but these are just like being stung by nettles.
The closest I got to anything serious was at Seal Rocks on the northern NSW coast. Just about to go for a dip when a 10ft plus bronze whaler appeared from nowhere in the channel a few feet from shore. It was chasing fish there for about 15mins before disappearing.
having said that, I still haven't seen a snake - or a Drop Bear!
I work in the 'proper outback' .
Been followed on a run by some dingos - wasnt drought season so not too worried. They only seem to attack humans when they are really starving.
Seen hundreds of snakes, every single one has made off when approached - I like snakes so always want a better look. Actually last week there was a snake apprehended in the tree under which I had parked my 911- with the top down.. it was a 7ft python so nothing to worry about.
crocs everywhere - sharks everywhere - box jellyfish everywhere - sea snakes everywhere- just avoid the water.
The one that got me, nobody warned me about. Put me in hospital and on steroids for over six weeks. Fecking Mangos!! One of the most poisonous tree's!! dont go picking them if you dont know what your doing!!
Been followed on a run by some dingos - wasnt drought season so not too worried. They only seem to attack humans when they are really starving.
Seen hundreds of snakes, every single one has made off when approached - I like snakes so always want a better look. Actually last week there was a snake apprehended in the tree under which I had parked my 911- with the top down.. it was a 7ft python so nothing to worry about.
crocs everywhere - sharks everywhere - box jellyfish everywhere - sea snakes everywhere- just avoid the water.
The one that got me, nobody warned me about. Put me in hospital and on steroids for over six weeks. Fecking Mangos!! One of the most poisonous tree's!! dont go picking them if you dont know what your doing!!
AJI said:
Thanks for the replies !
Well, sounds like there are plenty of encounters from the posts so far.
I'm not too bad with wildlife to be honest, I've grown up in the countryside in the UK with all sorts of creepies but the issue would be with the other half. She absolutely hates insects of any sort. During the summer time even when we do get the single warm day here in England, as soon as the sun goes down and the house lights go on then all the windows have to be shut to stop even the smallest of flies from getting in.
The occasional sighting of any large spider or snake would see her running for her life in a hysterical state of affairs!
So maybe if/when we do re-locate out to OZ then only the high rise apartments in the cities may be the best choice? What do you think?
my wife was super paranoid - she had me doing spider checks every day, wouldnt walk in the grass etc. Now she laughs about it- hoovers up the spiders, runs through the grass witout a second thought.Well, sounds like there are plenty of encounters from the posts so far.
I'm not too bad with wildlife to be honest, I've grown up in the countryside in the UK with all sorts of creepies but the issue would be with the other half. She absolutely hates insects of any sort. During the summer time even when we do get the single warm day here in England, as soon as the sun goes down and the house lights go on then all the windows have to be shut to stop even the smallest of flies from getting in.
The occasional sighting of any large spider or snake would see her running for her life in a hysterical state of affairs!
So maybe if/when we do re-locate out to OZ then only the high rise apartments in the cities may be the best choice? What do you think?
It really isnt an issue as long as you keep your eyes open. Also depends on what your wary of as different parts of Oz have different issues. Ours is big dangerous things up here in the North and we dont have a spider problem. Snakes in the city are extremely rare (venemous) but pythons are pretty common.
james280779 said:
I work in the 'proper outback' .
Been followed on a run by some dingos - wasnt drought season so not too worried. They only seem to attack humans when they are really starving.
Seen hundreds of snakes, every single one has made off when approached - I like snakes so always want a better look. Actually last week there was a snake apprehended in the tree under which I had parked my 911- with the top down.. it was a 7ft python so nothing to worry about.
crocs everywhere - sharks everywhere - box jellyfish everywhere - sea snakes everywhere- just avoid the water.
The one that got me, nobody warned me about. Put me in hospital and on steroids for over six weeks. Fecking Mangos!! One of the most poisonous tree's!! dont go picking them if you dont know what your doing!!
2 days for someone to mention box jellyfish...Been followed on a run by some dingos - wasnt drought season so not too worried. They only seem to attack humans when they are really starving.
Seen hundreds of snakes, every single one has made off when approached - I like snakes so always want a better look. Actually last week there was a snake apprehended in the tree under which I had parked my 911- with the top down.. it was a 7ft python so nothing to worry about.
crocs everywhere - sharks everywhere - box jellyfish everywhere - sea snakes everywhere- just avoid the water.
The one that got me, nobody warned me about. Put me in hospital and on steroids for over six weeks. Fecking Mangos!! One of the most poisonous tree's!! dont go picking them if you dont know what your doing!!
My wife was really worried about the spiders before we arrived and in the last 7 months we've actually seen quite a few - We take pictures of them to send family and friends back in the UK.
Our house backs on to a nature reserve/scrubland that's used for scouts and school kids to go on camping trips.
1x Redback within the first week - It was inside an old plant pot that was covered in webs and tucked behind some bushes outside.
1x Redback at work, again in a very obvious web, hanging across the middle of a truck's wheel.
1x Huntsman at work, found in the stores and bought inside to scare a colleague:
2x Huntsman both dead behind the air conditioner unit outside. I think they'd got stuck in the radiator and died whilst mating, judging by the position they were in!
1x Huntsman in the house last week, walking along a wall, making for a bookcase.
1x Huntsman walking along the fence outside, also last week:
1x Huntsman hanging about on the street:
This was hanging about outside a neighbour's house. The web is about 6 feet high and 4 feet wide. The side is about 10cm across including legs. This is the biggest spider I've seen since coming here.
Generally the spiders will leave you alone. Everytime I've seen a huntsman it's started walking quickly away. I've only found one in the house and I dont know how it got there because we spray (DIY Spray from the Aussie version of B&Q). Its the only one I've killed because I diddnt want it hiding behind the bookcase.
Red backs will also get out of your way - They dont move very fast and are clearly more scared of people than we should be of them.
Harmless wildlife around the house includes:
Baby lizzards/Gekos that find the smallest hole to crawl through:
and
Mole cricket:
Praying Mantis:
Skink (bobtail):
Legless lizard (which actually have small legs):
We get big cockroaches too but I think they get a needless bad rep! People say they carry salmonella but that's mostly untrue. What they do is carry bacteria around the place on their feet and because they walk EVERYWHERE they spread it around. So if you have them in a restaurant where raw and cooked food is kept, it can cause problems. However, around the house they're fine. They move very quickly and can climb pretty much anything that isnt' made of glass. There are some small ones about 1-2cm long that will eat your food given a chance to get into a cupboard but we have only seen one of those. The ones we've seen have all been 4-5cm long and are easily removed from the house - I actually find them fascinating!
I got bitten by something in the garden just before Christmas, right on my elbow. I was carrying some furniture through a tight spot and my arms were in the bushes. It swelled up a lot and I had pain from my shoulder to my wrist for a few hours. Woke up the next day and the pain had turned to an ache that lasted a couple of days. No idea what it was.
More of a problem for us are "Portuguese" millipedes. They come in at night through the tiniest holes, crawl up the walls (outside) and all over the eves and guttering of the house. A good soaking with the spray keeps them off those areas but has to be re-applied every 4 weeks.
They're completely harmless and once they've walked over the sprayed surface they die within a few minutes. This means we get a dead millipede perimeter around the inside of the house - They never make it more then 3 feet inside before they keel over and die. Occasionally they get in past the spray and crawl over the ceilings.
Every morning my wife cleans them up and collects about 50-70 every day!
I jumped awake one night when I rolled over and felt something between my face and the pillow - It was a millipede! Presumably crawled over the ceiling and fell off right over my pillow.
We get a lot of ants inside too, they're about half the size of English ants. We have ant traps in both bathrooms and the utility room where they come in via the wet-room type drain in the middle of the floor. Before we set the traps they would come in and walk all over the place but now they come in through the drain and march straight for the trap and back again. Its a steady flow of 1-2 ants per minute, all day, every day. We've tried the bug spray down the drain but it doest seem to work with the ants.
We also get a few earwigs in the house. Big ones about an inch long but they seam seasonal - There were lots in February/March but none at the moment.
Our house backs on to a nature reserve/scrubland that's used for scouts and school kids to go on camping trips.
1x Redback within the first week - It was inside an old plant pot that was covered in webs and tucked behind some bushes outside.
1x Redback at work, again in a very obvious web, hanging across the middle of a truck's wheel.
1x Huntsman at work, found in the stores and bought inside to scare a colleague:
2x Huntsman both dead behind the air conditioner unit outside. I think they'd got stuck in the radiator and died whilst mating, judging by the position they were in!
1x Huntsman in the house last week, walking along a wall, making for a bookcase.
1x Huntsman walking along the fence outside, also last week:
1x Huntsman hanging about on the street:
This was hanging about outside a neighbour's house. The web is about 6 feet high and 4 feet wide. The side is about 10cm across including legs. This is the biggest spider I've seen since coming here.
Generally the spiders will leave you alone. Everytime I've seen a huntsman it's started walking quickly away. I've only found one in the house and I dont know how it got there because we spray (DIY Spray from the Aussie version of B&Q). Its the only one I've killed because I diddnt want it hiding behind the bookcase.
Red backs will also get out of your way - They dont move very fast and are clearly more scared of people than we should be of them.
Harmless wildlife around the house includes:
Baby lizzards/Gekos that find the smallest hole to crawl through:
and
Mole cricket:
Praying Mantis:
Skink (bobtail):
Legless lizard (which actually have small legs):
We get big cockroaches too but I think they get a needless bad rep! People say they carry salmonella but that's mostly untrue. What they do is carry bacteria around the place on their feet and because they walk EVERYWHERE they spread it around. So if you have them in a restaurant where raw and cooked food is kept, it can cause problems. However, around the house they're fine. They move very quickly and can climb pretty much anything that isnt' made of glass. There are some small ones about 1-2cm long that will eat your food given a chance to get into a cupboard but we have only seen one of those. The ones we've seen have all been 4-5cm long and are easily removed from the house - I actually find them fascinating!
I got bitten by something in the garden just before Christmas, right on my elbow. I was carrying some furniture through a tight spot and my arms were in the bushes. It swelled up a lot and I had pain from my shoulder to my wrist for a few hours. Woke up the next day and the pain had turned to an ache that lasted a couple of days. No idea what it was.
More of a problem for us are "Portuguese" millipedes. They come in at night through the tiniest holes, crawl up the walls (outside) and all over the eves and guttering of the house. A good soaking with the spray keeps them off those areas but has to be re-applied every 4 weeks.
They're completely harmless and once they've walked over the sprayed surface they die within a few minutes. This means we get a dead millipede perimeter around the inside of the house - They never make it more then 3 feet inside before they keel over and die. Occasionally they get in past the spray and crawl over the ceilings.
Every morning my wife cleans them up and collects about 50-70 every day!
I jumped awake one night when I rolled over and felt something between my face and the pillow - It was a millipede! Presumably crawled over the ceiling and fell off right over my pillow.
We get a lot of ants inside too, they're about half the size of English ants. We have ant traps in both bathrooms and the utility room where they come in via the wet-room type drain in the middle of the floor. Before we set the traps they would come in and walk all over the place but now they come in through the drain and march straight for the trap and back again. Its a steady flow of 1-2 ants per minute, all day, every day. We've tried the bug spray down the drain but it doest seem to work with the ants.
We also get a few earwigs in the house. Big ones about an inch long but they seam seasonal - There were lots in February/March but none at the moment.
Edited by 200bhp on Friday 26th April 01:21
200bhp said:
My wife was really worried about the spiders before we arrived and in the last 7 months we've actually seen quite a few - We take pictures of them to send family and friends back in the UK.
Our house backs on to a nature reserve/scrubland that's used for scouts and school kids to go on camping trips.
1x Redback within the first week - It was inside an old plant pot that was covered in webs and tucked behind some bushes outside.
1x Redback at work, again in a very obvious web, hanging across the middle of a truck's wheel.
1x Huntsman at work, found in the stores and bought inside to scare a colleague:
2x Huntsman both dead behind the air conditioner unit outside. I think they'd got stuck in the radiator and died whilst mating, judging by the position they were in!
1x Huntsman in the house last week, walking along a wall, making for a bookcase.
1x Huntsman walking along the fence outside, also last week:
1x Huntsman hanging about on the street:
This was hanging about outside a neighbour's house. The web is about 6 feet high and 4 feet wide. The side is about 10cm across including legs. This is the biggest spider I've seen since coming here.
Generally the spiders will leave you alone. Everytime I've seen a huntsman it's started walking quickly away. I've only found one in the house and I dont know how it got there because we spray (DIY Spray from the Aussie version of B&Q). Its the only one I've killed because I diddnt want it hiding behind the bookcase.
Red backs will also get out of your way - They dont move very fast and are clearly more scared of people than we should be of them.
Harmless wildlife around the house includes:
Baby lizzards/Gekos that find the smallest hole to crawl through:
and
Mole cricket:
Praying Mantis:
Skink (bobtail):
Legless lizard (which actually have small legs):
We get big cockroaches too but I think they get a needless bad rep! People say they carry salmonella but that's mostly untrue. What they do is carry bacteria around the place on their feet and because they walk EVERYWHERE they spread it around. So if you have them in a restaurant where raw and cooked food is kept, it can cause problems. However, around the house they're fine. They move very quickly and can climb pretty much anything that isnt' made of glass. There are some small ones about 1-2cm long that will eat your food given a chance to get into a cupboard but we have only seen one of those. The ones we've seen have all been 4-5cm long and are easily removed from the house - I actually find them fascinating!
I got bitten by something in the garden just before Christmas, right on my elbow. I was carrying some furniture through a tight spot and my arms were in the bushes. It swelled up a lot and I had pain from my shoulder to my wrist for a few hours. Woke up the next day and the pain had turned to an ache that lasted a couple of days. No idea what it was.
More of a problem for us are "Portuguese" millipedes. They come in at night through the tiniest holes, crawl up the walls (outside) and all over the eves and guttering of the house. A good soaking with the spray keeps them off those areas but has to be re-applied every 4 weeks.
They're completely harmless and once they've walked over the sprayed surface they die within a few minutes. This means we get a dead millipede perimeter around the inside of the house - They never make it more then 3 feet inside before they keel over and die. Occasionally they get in past the spray and crawl over the ceilings.
Every morning my wife cleans them up and collects about 50-70 every day!
I jumped awake one night when I rolled over and felt something between my face and the pillow - It was a millipede! Presumably crawled over the ceiling and fell off right over my pillow.
We get a lot of ants inside too, they're about half the size of English ants. We have ant traps in both bathrooms and the utility room where they come in via the wet-room type drain in the middle of the floor. Before we set the traps they would come in and walk all over the place but now they come in through the drain and march straight for the trap and back again. Its a steady flow of 1-2 ants per minute, all day, every day. We've tried the bug spray down the drain but it doest seem to work with the ants.
We also get a few earwigs in the house. Big ones about an inch long but they seam seasonal - There were lots in February/March but none at the moment.
I have every single one of those (bar the redback) currently living in my house. I actually encourage lizards as they are pretty friendly and keep the bug numbers down. I find you have to adapt and live with nature rather than against it up here- even the wife enjoys it now. Got a couple of green tree frogs that join us for dinner most days. Our house backs on to a nature reserve/scrubland that's used for scouts and school kids to go on camping trips.
1x Redback within the first week - It was inside an old plant pot that was covered in webs and tucked behind some bushes outside.
1x Redback at work, again in a very obvious web, hanging across the middle of a truck's wheel.
1x Huntsman at work, found in the stores and bought inside to scare a colleague:
2x Huntsman both dead behind the air conditioner unit outside. I think they'd got stuck in the radiator and died whilst mating, judging by the position they were in!
1x Huntsman in the house last week, walking along a wall, making for a bookcase.
1x Huntsman walking along the fence outside, also last week:
1x Huntsman hanging about on the street:
This was hanging about outside a neighbour's house. The web is about 6 feet high and 4 feet wide. The side is about 10cm across including legs. This is the biggest spider I've seen since coming here.
Generally the spiders will leave you alone. Everytime I've seen a huntsman it's started walking quickly away. I've only found one in the house and I dont know how it got there because we spray (DIY Spray from the Aussie version of B&Q). Its the only one I've killed because I diddnt want it hiding behind the bookcase.
Red backs will also get out of your way - They dont move very fast and are clearly more scared of people than we should be of them.
Harmless wildlife around the house includes:
Baby lizzards/Gekos that find the smallest hole to crawl through:
and
Mole cricket:
Praying Mantis:
Skink (bobtail):
Legless lizard (which actually have small legs):
We get big cockroaches too but I think they get a needless bad rep! People say they carry salmonella but that's mostly untrue. What they do is carry bacteria around the place on their feet and because they walk EVERYWHERE they spread it around. So if you have them in a restaurant where raw and cooked food is kept, it can cause problems. However, around the house they're fine. They move very quickly and can climb pretty much anything that isnt' made of glass. There are some small ones about 1-2cm long that will eat your food given a chance to get into a cupboard but we have only seen one of those. The ones we've seen have all been 4-5cm long and are easily removed from the house - I actually find them fascinating!
I got bitten by something in the garden just before Christmas, right on my elbow. I was carrying some furniture through a tight spot and my arms were in the bushes. It swelled up a lot and I had pain from my shoulder to my wrist for a few hours. Woke up the next day and the pain had turned to an ache that lasted a couple of days. No idea what it was.
More of a problem for us are "Portuguese" millipedes. They come in at night through the tiniest holes, crawl up the walls (outside) and all over the eves and guttering of the house. A good soaking with the spray keeps them off those areas but has to be re-applied every 4 weeks.
They're completely harmless and once they've walked over the sprayed surface they die within a few minutes. This means we get a dead millipede perimeter around the inside of the house - They never make it more then 3 feet inside before they keel over and die. Occasionally they get in past the spray and crawl over the ceilings.
Every morning my wife cleans them up and collects about 50-70 every day!
I jumped awake one night when I rolled over and felt something between my face and the pillow - It was a millipede! Presumably crawled over the ceiling and fell off right over my pillow.
We get a lot of ants inside too, they're about half the size of English ants. We have ant traps in both bathrooms and the utility room where they come in via the wet-room type drain in the middle of the floor. Before we set the traps they would come in and walk all over the place but now they come in through the drain and march straight for the trap and back again. Its a steady flow of 1-2 ants per minute, all day, every day. We've tried the bug spray down the drain but it doest seem to work with the ants.
We also get a few earwigs in the house. Big ones about an inch long but they seam seasonal - There were lots in February/March but none at the moment.
Edited by 200bhp on Friday 26th April 01:21
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