To the ones from OZ - spiders and snakes

Hi there,

Here comes a stupid question from a german, who's spoilt with not having any harmful things like spiders and snakes in the country:

How do you deal with them? Even though our local spiders aren't dangerous at all, they always scare the *** out of me, when I see them. Not the small or thin ones, but the big black hairy ones.

Do you come across them often or just now and then? Do you have to take care walking around the stables, taking stuff out of corners etc.?

I've been to Australia a few times (QLD) but never went to a farm/stable while being there...

Looking forward to your answers

Janine

Hi Janine! I live in Wisconsin, and our spiders and snakes are pretty harmless., so we don't have to worry about that kind of thing at the barn. Once in a blue moon we hear of a story of a dangerous spider being spotted, but it's very rare. Like you, I hate spiders too! They scare the heck out of me Phobias are hard to overcome. Snakes, on the other hand, I think are very cool. But I know not everyone shares my opinion

We also don't have any spiders that are really dangerous around here...so it's not a problem. Like Fresian, it's rare.
I don't like spiders either. Yuck! LOL I'm still scared of them...so I ask my mom to kill it. :P

I live in VA and we have all kinds of good things....

First off - my barn is full of spiders, I see them and I scream and I squeel and I shiver and shake and I jump around like a sissy girl and then my 4 year old steps on them and squishes them and I go back to work.... He does that for me in the house to.

EVERYTIME I clean my water trough I check for black widows. 99% of the time there is one under there. I find a big stick... and I squish them... I also have to check the outside toys and under the salt lick containers.... That is one spider I don't mind squishing!!!

The Copperheads luckily are semi-sluggish... they arent nasty creatures so usually we have time to find a shovel and chop their heads off, we also try to keep black snakes around because for whatever reason, when there are blacksnakes the copper heads try to stay away....also, supposedly if you have to be bit by a poisoneuos snake, they say the copperhead is the way to go... I geuss that's true because my dad got bit last summer when he was tryign to pose one for better pictures... he got his finger and it wasnt horrific, but painful....

I think the bobcats scare me more than the creepy crawleys, at night when they scream, they make the hair on the back of my neck stand up!!!!! LOL...

Here in Arkansas we have creepy crawlys all over.....

I kill whatever is see. I don't care if they are supposed to be good or bad... If I see a snake I become the snake warrior and chop off their head! LOL And spiders get a good squishin' or If I can't reach them I get the spray! We also have scorpions here but we don't see them often.

If I could ever catch that bobcat we have here I'd kill it too.... I think it is stalking our chickens....I'll find it one day!

Coyotes drive me crazy too... they get all howley and yippy then they sound like they are going to come tumbling and crashing thru our yard........ It completely gets me all jittery..... Though we have never actually seen any in the yard. I go get a gun and pop off a couple shots in the air and they tend to take off......

OMGOSH.... I sound crazy.......lol.......I'm really a nice person...honest!

Coming from the killer of turtle doves!!!!


We have coyote's and black bears and foxes too.... and bald eagles... one time we were in the pasture and a half a fish fell from the sky... Oh, and once we saw a hawk swoop down and kill a squirrel, then it's butt half dropped out of the sky and my hound picked it up and ran around w/ half a squirrel in his mouth..... Ick...

We have water moccosins but you don't see them much... and and and.....

LMAO!!!! IT WAS 1 TURTLE DOVE! And it was going the wrong way on the highway!

Oh dear, I'm glad I'M not the only one who is scared of spiders

But that's a lot that you guys have to deal with...

The most annoying thing at our stable is our chickens mating on the trees which are next to our outdoor arena, because sometimes they lose their balance and fall right in front of your horse while you're riding

And then there are the wasps... We have a nest right next to our washing stable, and as I'm allergic against them, I'm always very careful.

We don't have any snakes and only small spiders which you'll hardly ever see. Coyotes, scorpions etc - they don't live here.

Hi all , we have funnel web spider, red backs (black widows) can kill but no reported deaths for a good may years now, we have vaccine for the bits and a lot of hair spiders that are not as deadly We have Red Belly black snakes that would rather move on than bite you, they can make you very sick and if you don't get help you can die. Our brown snakes are the nasty mean ones, they chase you and will bite you a number of times , they also stand there bodys up to strike at you , the browns are , King brown ,Tiger ,Eastern brown ect. We like you keep carpet snakes around they keep the nasty ones away. Carpet and diamond are pythons, love them great for cleaning up problem rodants around the feed shed and barn. This summer we have killed about 5 browns, we have a big red belly black snake down near the dam, he will help keep the browns away too. The horses don't both him and he doesnt bother them.
I thinks its like all the diffrent bugs, creepy crawlys and bities we all live with , its a part of our life and we just do our best, but carring a big stick or shovel does impove our survival :P cheers simmo

I live in southern Australia and we certainly do have snakes and spiders but we don't worry about them too much. Snakes generally run lol slither? Away when the hear people coming so you don't see them that often. I am fascinated by snakes actually, I saw one in our hay shed in summer and I just like watching the way it moved. It slithered up a post, but then 'jumped' down. It reminded me of a rope falling to the ground. Ummm spiders... they are kinda freaky. Red backs are the main poisonous one to worry about - their bites aren't fatal except for little kids. I don't like the hairy, brown huntsman spiders... I was putting on my jeans one morning when I looked down and and saw a huntsman inside them. I screamed and threw my jeans to the other side of the room :roll: I can over-react at times lol. But yeah, you just get used to living with spiders and snakes, they arent THAT dangerous really. Hardly anyone gets bitten unless they trap or annoy the animal.