Huntman spiders ... Should i pay for pest control ??

[smiles4u]

Hi all,

So sorry for the creepy title ... believe me i think i'm still jumping after tonights repeated spider episode

We purchased this house 4 years ago and the first three years we were lucky to see 3 or 4 huntsman spiders in those years ... Then comes the past few months and it's been spider-hell for us (or maybe especially me) - it's gotten to the point we are getting a huntsman inside the house at least one a week, arrrrrr ... do you hear me screaming

Tonight i nearly stood on this one on my way to the kitchen ... then it headed for my DD's doll pram in the loungeroom. This is the third time in about 6wks i have witnessed one run across the lounge floor (from different directions each time)

I said to DP tonight i've had enough freaking out and also worried DD will get bitten by one or get scrared by one at least (don't want to think about one getting in her bedroom at night) ... and i want to pay for a Pest Control person to come out !!!

Has anyone had a Pest Control person come out to fumigate the house for huntsman spiders (basically to stop anymore coming in for some time) ?

How long does it work & Approx how much did it cost ? (We have a 3brm weatherboard small house)

We always keep the trees cut back, not touching the house.

Any suggestions anyone ???? ... PLEASE

TIA from Lorelle xox

[krysalyss]

Sorry no real advice. I like them. It helps keep the mossies and other real nasties (eg. disease carriers) out of our house. Try to go for the most natural solution otherwise nasty chemical residue can harm your daughter far more than a huntsman.
Big hugs for the scare though.

[ubba82]

From what I am led to believe, huntsman spiders arent dangerous to humans and tend to come inside when it is going to rain. I know they look really scary and I am the first person to run and carry on if I see one, but I think it would be unnessecary to pay for pest control.

Can you use a broom and carry them outside on that?

FWIW- I paid $300 for pest control for mice and we have a 3 b/r house. Usually they charge by square metre.

[NaeNae]

Rather than paying for pest control there are natural alternatives.

I read somewhere that Huntsmen don't like citrus so make yourself a lemon/water spray and spray this around the areas where you see the huntsmen. If they are on the wall scratch up the rind and rub this where they hang out.

These spiders are harmless - just big hairy ugly scary looking things. They only bite if they are threatened and more often than not only come inside to escape heat or weather.

If you are brave enough you can usher then outside using a soft bristled broom.

While I hate spiders as a rule - I have got use to the hunstmen and can humanely get them back outside where they belong.

Another option is to get a cat!

We don't see huntsmen inside so much since Moe came along only remanents of legs. I actually try to save them from the cat when we see him toying with one

[Snacks]

Personally, I'd save the money and just go for the natural alternative Nae suggested. There are so many huntsmen around - for every 1 that you see there are several who are hidden, just hanging out and eating your mozzies and flies
I think you'd keep them away for a little while with the fumigation, but they'd just come back. They are prolific creatures.

[Lisa]

Urgh, I would pay for pest control.
Mine & my ex's house had ridiculous amounts of huntsmen and it scared the cr*p outta me and the kids whenever we saw one. I would have done almost anything to have been rid of them.
A friend of mine actually got bitten by one in his sleep and it made him really sick for close to a week, and he was a fit & healthy 40yr old man so I was worried about what they could potentially do to a toddler... I know it wouldn't kill them as their venom isn't deadly but it is still venom and can make you sick.
I'd say spray! We spent $200 spraying here for ****roaches where they did outside as well as inside and anything that crawls up to where they have sprayed outside dies.
Money well spent in my books

[Tanya]

OMG... I would never kill a huntsman!! I can't believe you would spray extremely dangerous chemicals aound your family in order to kill of a few little spiders!!
Sorry but I don't like the idea... it's just wrong! I think we need to learn to live with our environment istead of squashing every little crawling creature we see...

One thing I can say is that huntsman spiders prey on other spiders, they will kill and eat the spiders you may be even more fearful of.

I really hope you can learn to live with them.

[Lulu]

Try the citronella around the vents and doorframes first.

I hate them too, they scare me with all those long legs but the spray kills everything around and I don't want that either. Citronella has been working well here.

My parents used to get the spray people in, but it gave me a headache for weeks....

[*Belle*]

I would use the natural alternative, Pest Control not safe for children. We have never killed a huntsman we catch them and put them back outside.

[sneakysparkle]

I HATE huntsman spiders, and would kill them all if I could! (sorry guys!) but from what I know its not really worth spraying your house because they have to actually ingest the poison for it to kill them - which there is no guarantee (sp?) they will!
HTH

[bushmanpat]

personally i think huntsmen are cool. I still get a bit freaked catching one to throw them outside but i haven't killed one yet, although I did accidentally run one over with the paint roller. Not sure if he died, but he did turn a lovely off-white. I found him a little later on, pulling paint off his head and sticking it in his gob. It was water based, so not sure if it killed him or just gave him the runs

Anyway, here's a link to a pretty cool flash animation. If you get freaked by spiders, then you can make this spider look like the one that freaked you out, then drag him around by the leg! Good stress relief/revenge!

Play With Spider - Flash 3D - OneMotion.com

Enjoy

[Phteven]

I'm a huntsman fan too.
They help keep your home free of other creepy crawlies.
TBH the chemicals used for pest control scare me a whole heap more than a hairy spider does - they pose a greater danger to your family too.

OMG NaeNae our cat eats spiders too - the sound of the crunching turns my stomach. I run away if I see her small game hunting.

[tk1999]

I don't like spiders but have learnt to live with huntsmans... when DP and I moved in together he would get angry that I would squish them. I have learnt after many years that they keep lots of other annoying bugs and spiders out of the house so the huntsmans can stay but redbacks etc get squished... but we don't get that many anymore - not since I embraced the huntsmans!

My only rule is that they cannot go into my bed room... if they get caught in there then they get escorted out by way of soft bristled broom by DP

[AnyDream]

Ok I have a rule. Provided they stay up there in the spidey zone (ie hanging around on or near the ceiling) they are welcome to live in my house and eat all the other little critters that I don't want in my house either.

Step outside the spidey zone and well, that's just an invitation for me to whack them with a shoe.

[jackrose]

Another huntsman friend here!

Bushmanpat, I LOVE that link, I am clapping my hands with glee at having a little pet spider to play with and feed!

However, I do understand people who have a fear of them... try to keep in mind the good things they do and the fact that we look a hell of a lot scarier to them .

Great advice about the citrus or citronella, I would always try a less invasive and more conservative approach before jumping in to chemicals. (Plus home made sprays are a lot cheaper - v important in this GFC climate )

[Snacks]

Ok I have a rule. Provided they stay up there in the spidey zone (ie hanging around on or near the ceiling) they are welcome to live in my house and eat all the other little critters that I don't want in my house either.

Step outside the spidey zone and well, that's just an invitation for me to whack them with a shoe.

LOL, MD. My bestie has the same philosophy. They have "their" space and she has hers. If they stray into her space, they die

[briggsy's girl]

Fumigation doesn't guarantee to get rid of huntsman or daddy long legs spiders - sorry hun, you'd be paying out big bucks and not solving the problem!

try natural alternatives (like the citrus that was recommended) - but don't go the chemical option - it simply doesn't work! we've seen a few around home (gets worse at change of season) - if DH is home, he will usher them outside (where they usually get nabbed by the birds) - if it's just me, i do what i can to move them out, but if i can't get to them, i will trap them and let DH deal with them when he gets home. i'm not a fan (after waking with one on my face as a kidlet) but i can't bring myself to resort to chemicals...

[misty]

I am faced with a similar dilemna at the moment. Our house is invested with spiders; huntsmen, daddylonglegs, redbacks, white tips - you name it we got it. They are all baby ones atm. Our problem is you we leave it and risk spiderbite to our family or one of our pets. Or do we spray and risk the chemicals.

ATM we are leaving it because we are in a new construction area and even if we sprayed our place we have been told that the spiders would probably reinfest relatively quickly as they aren't coming from our house, just taking up residence there.
If it weren't for that I would probably spray.