The Problem With White Tail Spiders

[bellbird]

They are just too damn fast. I noticed a largish one in the living area today, reached onto the counter top for a container, turned back to find it gone. I get a bit freaked when they are in the house. I searched for an hour and couldn't find it so I think it dropped down the wall, ran along the edge of the carpet and disappeared behind the wall unit but it could be anywhere.

[piroska]

There are spiders that resemble them and are not, in fact, white tails. And the myth of a slow horrible rotting death from them is much exaggerated anyway.
I prefer the spiders to flies.

[bellbird]

Easy to identify and they can give a nasty bite so I prefer to not give them the opportunity. From Te Papa: "It’s also worth noting the daddy long-legs is one of the white-tail’s more formidable opponents. That’s because the daddy long-legs is incredibly attuned to what’s happening in its web. No matter how careful it is, it’s virtually impossible for the white-tail to avoid being noticed. Once detected, the daddy long-legs will rain sticky silk down on it. In no time at all, the white-tail is wrapped in silk and is being hauled up by the daddy long-legs for lunch". I live in harmony with daddy long-legs and house spiders in my home, but not white tails.

[piroska]

Our garage and shed are stuffed with the "daddy long legs" and have seen what looks to be white tails too...whether they actually are, I don't know nor care. They seem to live happily together, along with wolf spiders, garden spiders and grey house spiders. I leave them be, and they don't attack us.

[B.M.]

I wouldn’t take any risks with them.

I know a lady who got bitten by one and wound up with the skin rotting and eventually they had to chop a bit out of her leg, about the size of a standard envelope, and then skin-graft more in to cover the hole.

Oh, all this drama took about 6 months.

[SKT174]

what would you do?

[allblack]

Easy to identify and they can give a nasty bite so I prefer to not give them the opportunity. From Te Papa: "It’s also worth noting the daddy long-legs is one of the white-tail’s more formidable opponents. That’s because the daddy long-legs is incredibly attuned to what’s happening in its web. No matter how careful it is, it’s virtually impossible for the white-tail to avoid being noticed. Once detected, the daddy long-legs will rain sticky silk down on it. In no time at all, the white-tail is wrapped in silk and is being hauled up by the daddy long-legs for lunch". I live in harmony with daddy long-legs and house spiders in my home, but not white tails.

I used to kill every spider in sight, but not D L-L's anymore, just for this reason.

[B.M.]

what would you do?

Seeing them in the wild certainly gets your attention.

I came across the first I’ve seen in the Glasshouse Mountains (Sunshine Coast) and only me and my laundryman know what a fright I got.

Apparently they enjoy small birds and frogs for lunch, but I’m told they are harmless.

Mate suggested I put a saddle on it and ride it down to the local, but I figured it might get peckish on the way home, so gave that a miss.

[user]

They are just too damn fast. I noticed a largish one in the living area today, reached onto the counter top for a container, turned back to find it gone. I get a bit freaked when they are in the house. I searched for an hour and couldn't find it so I think it dropped down the wall, ran along the edge of the carpet and disappeared behind the wall unit but it could be anywhere.

They will always be in the house even if you can't see them. I will kill these on sight as they can and do bite. I have been bitten on 3 occasions although I have never actually seen them each time but there is nothing else which can cause 2 puncture marks on the skin and they do like to get into clothing. The bites itch badly for several days and swell slightly, otherwise no real problem.
Most other spiders have pincers which operate by closing together when biting so most cannot bite through human skin. Those that can bite humans generally have pincers which pierce downwards into the skin and stay parallel, like a snakes fangs. This includes the trapdoor spiders found in NZ.

[piroska]

what would you do?

Like the Avondale spider I had once, leave it alone and leave it there.