They don't make webs, and the fact that they're eating all the bugs makes it less likely for you to have other nastier spiders around – like redbacks. Many people happily leave huntsmen alone to roam the house – they don't actually like getting too near humans.
"It's pretty unlikely to ever happen," says an insect expert. PHEW. A chill of arachnophobia trickled across Australia this week after a NSW spider expert claimed it's "very likely" huntsman spiders have crawled across your face while you slept.
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.
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.
Fortunately, huntsman spiders are generally non-aggressive.
Their usual response is to run away from humans.
First the good news. Huntsmen spiders do not – repeat NOT – have any inclination whatsoever to creep their spidery, eight-legged crawl across your face while you're sleeping.
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.
A easily made solution to the issue that works fast is to create a spray with peppermint or citrus, whilst they smell nice to us, spiders absolutely despise these scents which will prevent them coming into your property if you are to regularly spray down potential entrances. From time to time help may be needed.
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.
Use a container and a piece of cardboard
This is quite useful when the spider is on a flat surface such as a wall. Place the jar or container over the spider. Then, slip the piece of cardboard or paper between the container and the wall. Now, you can move outside, place the container down, and let the spider leave.
Huntsman spiders are a non-aggressive group of spiders. They are very timid and will try to avoid and when encountered can move at lighting-fast speed to escape human contact. However, a large individual can give a painful bite. Beware in summer when the female Huntsman Spider is guarding her egg sacs or young.
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.
As the Huntsman spider is so gentle, timid and most importantly, harmless to humans, some people do actually just let them be.
Why Do Huntsman Spiders Run At You? Hunstman spiders are not aggressive at all. They are often afraid and will flee if they feel threatened. Huntsman spiders are often afraid if they race towards you.
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.
The spiders are aggressive and can deliver one of the most toxic venoms to humans of any spider. Not all bites from the arachnids inject venom, though this is difficult to tell and so all bites are regarded as a medical emergency as the onset of symptoms usually occurs within the hour.
The results found that there was a peak in spider activity around 7:35pm. They also found that there was a peak between 6AM and 8AM, suggesting the creepy crawlies are hiding from you in drains and sinks overnight.
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.
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.
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.
Bills extolled the huntsman's speed: "They can often be quite large and very quick." In fact, the huntsman spider can move up to a yard (almost 1 meter) a second, she said. The spider typically lives under loose bark on trees, under rocks, in crevices and under foliage.
Males of Heteropoda venatoria, one of the huntsman spiders that seems to easily find its way around the world, have recently been found to deliberately make a substrate-borne sound when they detect a chemical (pheromone) left by a nearby female of their species.
A huntsman spider bite might be painful (they're big spiders with big jaws, after all), but generally the only other effects will be short term pain, and possibly some swelling, itchiness, and inflammation. In some cases, the victim might also suffer from nausea or headaches.