Spiders live in almost every habitat on earth. The only places where there are no spiders are the polar regions, the highest mountains and the oceans.
In Australia they are only found in the southeastern part of the country, from South Australia to Queensland via Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania. You won't find them in the dry and arid zones. On the other hand, huntsman and wolf-spiders are found all over the country.
There are only a handful of locations on earth where spiders cannot be found. Among these areas are the world's oceans (though some spiders have adapted to life on shorelines and shallow bodies of freshwater), polar regions, like the arctic and Antarctica, and at extreme altitudes of tall mountains.
“If spiders disappeared, we would face famine,” says Norman Platnick, who studies arachnids at New York's American Museum of Natural History. “Spiders are primary controllers of insects. Without spiders, all of our crops would be consumed by those pests.”
Humans need spiders to survive. It is important to remember that spiders and other invertebrates – animals without spines – make up 98% of animal species. They are vital to the functioning of ecosystems; without them, the remaining 2% of vertebrates, including humans, could not survive.
There have been no deaths in Australia from a confirmed spider bite since 1979. An effective antivenom for Redback Spiders was introduced in 1956, and one for funnel-web spiders in 1980. These are the only two spiders that have caused deaths in Australia in the past.
That is quite the sight, but picture this — millions of tiny spiders raining from the sky. While it can sound like something out of a horror movie, in Australia the transition from late summer to fall can trigger what is known to the locals as spider season.
Stay in the cities.
I went to Sydney, Brisbane and Cairns in October. I saw no spiders. I was concerned about Cairns. I saw no spiders in Cairns.
An estimated 5 per cent of Australians have arachnophobia, but there are plenty of others happy to get close to the creepy crawlies. "People find it thrilling," said Catherine Timbrell, the producer of a major exhibition on spiders opening on Saturday at the Australian Museum.
A large species of tarantula native to the east coast region of Australia, the whistling spider, is the largest spider in the country. As the largest spider in Australia, whistling spiders can grow a leg span of up to 16 cm (6.2 inches) and a body size of around 6 cm (2.3 inches).
Poisonous spiders like the Sydney funnel-web come out in spring when the weather starts to warm and while the soil is still damp from winter rains. November would be a good time to see them.
That honor belongs to the tarantula otherwise known as the whistling spider, due to the noise it emits when provoked. The body of the northern species Selenocosmia crassipes can grow up to 6 centimeters (2.4 inches) long, with a leg span of 16 centimeters (6.3 inches).
Australian spiders have a fearsome reputation, but our bees typically pose more of a threat. Here are the worst. SPIDERS TEND TO INCITE more fear than favour and even provoke phobias for some. And many a visitor to our shores has been more than a little worried about our venomous eight-legged friends.
Traralgon in eastern Victoria has been swamped by vast, other worldly sheets of web as spiders climb to higher ground following the disruption of heavy rain.
Probably the most well-known and most feared spider is the black widow. Most people know the black widow by its iconic red hourglass under its abdomen. They are the deadliest spider with venom 15 more times worse than that of a rattlesnake.
Sydney prides itself on safety, deep culture, and friendly communities. It is considered the fifth safest city in the world and Australia's safest city.
Heavy rains can send ground dwelling spiders to “high ground”, which may bring them onto the foundation and siding of your home or send them indoors if they find an opening (including areas damaged by storms). Spiders may also hide behind window shutters, rain gutters, and other protected areas.
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.
They will never intentionally run towards you because they're small and not highly venomous. They can bite you, but they won't do any harm. "Huntsmen are super fast but they get confused, so if a huntsman is running towards you, it's confused.
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.
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. The garbage from your kitchen may also attract spiders.
Regular cleaning will do much to keep their numbers down. Cleaning and removing their webs will also get rid of their eggs.