There's not enough food inside a house for a huntsman spider, so they're best off outside." Dr Harvey said the safest method, for both people and spiders, was to use a container. He said while they can give a painful bite, they don't pose a risk to humans.
As they can move very quickly, instead of using a broom or an object they can run along to move them, try to slowly and gently place a container over them and push a piece of paper underneath. You can now carry them safely outside to release them.
However, you don't actually need to kill them! Huntsmen are quite beneficial spiders in many ways. Apart from being mainly harmless to humans, they're very fond of eating other creepy crawlies that we don't like having around the house – such as cockroaches, mosquitoes and flies.
"It's pretty unlikely to ever happen," says an insect expert.
Huntsman spiders are not deadly to humans. However, it would be a mistake to assume that not being life-threatening means that huntsman spiders are safe. Huntsman spiders are venomous, and their bites can be painful to humans, causing localised swelling and pain. Some people may also experience headaches and nausea.
If you try to catch a huntsman and it runs towards you, it isn't attacking. It is trying to get to a safe place, away from the giant human thing looming over it. Given they have poor eyesight, sometimes they get it a little wrong and head towards us instead of away from us.
Huntsman spiders have an unusual leg arrangement – they sit away from the body – which gives rise to their alternative name, giant crab spiders. Huntsman do sometimes 'jump', or more often 'fall' from a surface to escape, but it's their speed that is their real asset. Huntsman spiders are fast.
So thinking about how long do house spiders live, can make it worse. The average house spider lifespan can be anything from 1-2 years, which is quite a long time for a spider to be in your home. As well as this fact, we looked at others that many of our customers didn't know.
These spiders are venomous but have very mild venom which is not considered dangerous to humans. Most are very reluctant to bite, and will attempt to run away from any threats they encounter. Contrary to popular belief, huntsman spiders do not chase people. They do not see like we do, and cannot see us from a distance.
Sometimes when we get too close or disturb them, they treat us like they would treat any predator. Many spiders have threat displays intended to scare off predators, such as rearing up or lunging. Biting in self-defence is another strategy that spiders can use when they are afraid for their lives.
Huntsman spiders often seek refuge from extreme weather inside homes. A drop in air pressure can cause spiders to hatch. In dry weather, spiders can seek out water within homes.
Why do they like to hide in clothes, if they do? “Only some spiders like to hide in clothes. These are likely the nocturnal hunters, the most common of which would be huntsmen spiders. They'll come out at night looking for food, often returning to their safe, warm and dry places for the day.
As the Huntsman spider is so gentle, timid and most importantly, harmless to humans, some people do actually just let them be.
People aren't usually overjoyed to see a spider crawling around inside their home. But Matt Bertone, an entomologist at North Carolina State University, says spiders are an important part of our indoor ecosystem and rarely a danger to humans — so it's best to just leave them alone.
If you truly can't stand that spider in your house, apartment, garage, or wherever, instead of smashing it, try to capture it and release it outside. It'll find somewhere else to go, and both parties will be happier with the outcome. But if you can stomach it, it's OK to have spiders in your home. In fact, it's normal.
Spiders love to hide in the dark, debris-filled cracks away from humans. Be sure to give the space under your bed a lot of attention while you're cleaning. Since it tends to be dark and dusty under beds, they're an ideal place for spiders to hide away.
Huntsman spiders are not normally aggressive towards humans except during summer when females are guarding their egg sacs. They are more likely to run away than attack unless provoked.
Huntsman spiders, like all spiders, moult in order to grow and often their old skin may be mistaken for the original spider when seen suspended on bark or in the house. The lifespan of most Huntsman species is about two years or more.
Why are huntsman spiders so frightening to people? First, their size is intimidating; they can be as large as the palm of a hand. Second, they are very smart.
It is wise to check around your house from for huntsman spiders egg sac, whilst usually these would be produced outside, they can be found in many Australian houses.
Although huntsman spiders are venomous and their bites can be painful to humans, they are not dangerous. Localized swelling, pain with onset nausea, or headaches are frequently the sole symptoms of a huntsman spider bite.
While the theory is unproven, it is likely that spiders can detect human fear. However, there are only few studies about this topic and it is not yet known for certain. Different animals have sensory organs that are able to identify different stimuli.
Experimental evidence shows reports of spiders “lunging” towards a fearful person is more perception than reality. Even if a spider DID want to chase you down, it probably couldn't. With an open circulatory system, spiders don't have a system of veins and capillaries for oxygen distribution through the body.
They are essential to our ecosystem; they are our friends, not our enemies so we need to find a way to learn to live alongside them. They really are more scared of you than you are of them and would much rather run away. Even the big spiders such as tarantulas don't want to hurt you.