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.
Spiders typically start their invasion of homes from September through to October each year. Thankfully, those who are afraid of the creatures won't have to put up with the unwelcome intruders for long, as they tend to be spotted less often indoors by the first week of October.
Spider season usually begins in the late summer and goes through fall. Spiders are likely looking for a secure home or trying to mate. Experts say if you see a spider, try not to kill it, and just move it instead.
When does spider season start in Australia? According to Mr Milledge, spider "season" starts in spring in southern Australia, while northern Australia is a bit less clear as temperatures are warmer year-round – but, populations likely increase during the wet season from November to April.
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.
Because spiders smell and taste with their legs, spritzing natural oil (in particular, peppermint oil) on surfaces around your home can help deter spiders from sticking around. To do this, add about 20 drops of peppermint oil to a spray bottle filled with water and spray it around your home's spider-affected areas.
Most back yards in Australia will have a garden orb weaver or two in residence. These are nocturnal spiders that hide away inconspicuously among leaves during the day but are usually not hard to miss at night.
Commonly found underneath bark, rocks, leaf litter and logs in the bush and around the home and garden. They eat other spiders including daddy-long-legs, redbacks and black house spiders, and as such are most active at night when their prey is out hunting.
As common as spiders are in Australia and how essential it is for the environment, no one still likes to see them in their home. With over 2400 different species in Australia, you are most likely to see any one of these eight-legged creatures in your lifetime.
Cockroaches and spiders seek shelter during a downpour
Spiders that live in the ground, such as funnel web and trapdoor spiders may enter the house to avoid drowning in their burrows. Other spiders, such as huntsmen and wolf spiders that live behind bark, under rocks and in gardens may move inside your house.
Australia has an international reputation for having some of the most dangerous animals in the world. And yes it's true, we have a lot of spiders, and it's sad when we hear people say they don't want to visit Australia because it's too dangerous.
It's easy to keep spiders away using natural products. These eight-legged creatures hate the smell of citrus fruits such as lemons and oranges. They also don't like peppermint oils, tea tree oils, eucalyptus, and vinegar. Using any of these around your home will keep spiders away.
Many spiders are more active at night because a lot of creatures that would happily eat spiders, for instance birds, are more likely to be active by day. This helps them avoid becoming a snack.
Spiders often invade households during the autumn months where they search for a mate and somewhere to nest. This often occurs during the months of September and October.
An estimated 5 per cent of Australians have arachnophobia, but there are plenty of others happy to get close to the creepy crawlies.
Animals which feed directly on spiders include birds, reptiles, mammals and many arthropods, including other spiders, centipedes, scorpions and even some insects.
You can be prepared without making it scary. There are all kinds of dangerous things in Australia. Spiders are only part of it: we have stingers, blue-ringed octopus, stonefish, sharks, snakes…but fear of wildlife isn't a reason not to move here. Just remember, your home country likely has dangerous creatures too.
Sydney Funnel Web Spider
Found nearly exclusively in Sydney, this spider is often considered the most deadly in the world. With fangs that can pierce through fingernails, and one specimen reaching 10cm stretched out, this spider is serious business. A single bite can kill a human in 15 minutes.
A town in south-east Australia has found itself blanketed in spider webs after wild weather hit the area. 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.
What is the biggest spider in Australia? Australia's biggest spiders belong to the same family as the Goliath Spider. They are the whistling spiders. The northern species Selenocosmia crassipes can grow to 6 cm in body length with a leg span of 16 cm.
Spiders really don't like strong scents such as citrus, peppermint, tea-tree, lavender, rose or cinnamon. Add 15 to 20 drops of your chosen essential oil or a couple of capfuls of Zoflora fragrance to a spray bottle filled with water, and spritz around the house.
Spiders hate the smell of peppermint. Fill a spray bottle with water and 10-15 drops of peppermint essential oil and spray in places spiders tend to hide—under furniture, in closets, and in other corners and crevices of your house.
Does Vicks keep spiders away? Strangely, it does! The eucalyptus and menthol in Vicks VapoRub are also scents spiders hate. You can rub Vicks straight onto your chest, in the corners of your room, under your bed, and around your windows and doors to reap the benefits of unblocked airways and a spider-free zone.