Unwanted guests

[Grumpy John]

I was poking around the shed this morning, bare foot of course, and spotted these two having a punch-up. I know a red back when I see it, but does anyone know what his bigger (~4 times) mate is. Sorry about the poor quality of the pictures, I still haven't mastered the manual focus and macro on the digi cam. The red back is about 12mm long (body).

Attachment 127509 Attachment 127510

[jimbur]

Looks like a wolf spider.
Cheers,
Jim

[jimbur]

Here's something to cheer you up John.

Symptoms of a Wolf spider bite are usually minor, restricted to local pain or itchiness. Less commonly, symptoms can include swelling, prolonged pain, dizziness, rapid pulse and nausea.

Jim

[RedShirtGuy]

It looks like a male wolf spider to me too.

(I knew working on that web site a few years ago would come in handy one day )

[Grumpy John]

Jim, RedShirtGuy, looks like you're spot on. About 3/4 grown judging by the info on the site you linked to RSG. I wonder which one would have won the fight. It looked the wolfie was caught up in the red back's web.

[beer is good]

If you want to discourage spiders without harming them, buy a bottle of lemon oil (like the stuff you put into an oil burner with a candle), put a couple of drops in 500 ml of water in a spray bottle and spray on the walls and ceiling wherever you see them. They really don't like the smell of lemons, and they will go somewhere else.... like your neighbours place.
Some spiders, like redbacks, are best discouraged with a thong.

[Vernonv]

Some spiders, like redbacks, are best discouraged with a thong.

Better be careful, it give the neighbor a fright if they see you running between the house and the shed wearing just that.

[jimbur]

Better be careful, it give the neighbor a fright if they see you running between the house and the shed wearing just that.

[Woodwould]

What sort of thong are we talking about?

[underfoot]

I have much admiration for someone who can segway from a thread about Australian native spiders to a female British bobsleigh team in one post...magnificent
there should be an award

[AUSSIE]

Maybe it was the nextdoors spider sent to your place by them using the lemon spray
Mr Woodwould. I don't know

[Grumpy John]

What was that sudden rush of cold air .

[Ad de Crom]

John, we in Holland have big hairy spiders too, about 3cm big, pitblack and very fast. Years ago I had one in the livingroom, guess he had his home under the floor. Always late in the evening he showed up, and runs then with an astonishing speed from one corner to the other corner. Since 5 years that I have a new flooring, I don't see him anymore. I was used to see him running over the floor with high speed, and I called him or her ''my friend the roadrunner''.
Was easy to kill him, or to catch him, but somewhere it's an useful creature, so I saw this big spider more as an useful pet than as a threat.
Cheers, Ad

[Grumpy John]

Ad, I'm not sure about the spiders in Holland but of the two I found in my shed one can kill and the other one can make you quite ill . See this chart for more information on Australian spiders.

[artme]

As kids we - my three brothers and I - had little fear of Redbacks. We had calloused hands from doing the sorts of things feral boys do.

A favourite trick was to get two fat female Redbacks, go up to a new lady teacher and say "Look miss". spiders were then tipped onto the palms and the two spiders stirred to attack each other. Great fun!!

Redbacks are not actually native to Australia. They are a localized mutant of the Black Widow from North America. Some cousins, the Brown Widows have also reached our shores andcross bred with the Redback. The resultant cross is apparently even more toxic than the parents.