[ltd]

For those of us going in to our garages over the next few months we need to be extra specially cautious of Funnel Web spiders. Last year I came across about 8 of them in a 2 month period, I'd move a box or something and find the little bastards.
After having the garage sprayed with arachnocide I didn't see any more. Funnel Webs are ground dwelling spiders that need to remain moist otherwise they die. The reason they come in to your garage is simple; they are there to escape the heat and light of the day; conditions where they would otherwise dry out. Further, they are transient little buggers looking for a mate which is why most often encountered in and around the home are males.

Not known to many people are that funnel webs are resistant to Fly Spray and insect bombs. In fact, fly spray is a sure fire way to make them aggressive. So how to kill them? Petrol or Diesel is a good way as they evaporate moisture, but petrol takes a little time for the spider to die where it is now ****ed off and looking at you. Well, as I found out last summer there is a better way. In every weekend mechanics toolkit is the answer; Electrical Contact Cleaner. It is reknowned as the worlds best moisture dispersant. If you've ever sprayed any of this stuff on your skin, you know how quickly it dries it off as well as how cold it is. Spray some of this on the funnelweb and it literally cannot and will not move. It basically evaporates their moisture so quickly that they pretty much freeze.

Before my garage was treated with arachnocide I killed probably about 6 of the little bastards. I'd move an empty carton and bang, there one was. Got to be really annoying. Luckily, after clearing up leaf litter with welding gauntlets on, the arachnocide completely stopped their ingress into my garage. Funnily enough, before getting my place sprayed I discovered these little buggers just love being inside the cutting area of your lawn mower, where residual moist grass is and they can make a little burrow and prey upon little insects happening by. Ingenious really.

Anyway, I can put up with a few spiders but funnelwebs and humans do not mix.
Points are these;
Always wear closed shoes (ie not thongs) in your garage,
Always bounce your lawn mower back and forward before you put your foot near it to start it,
Always have a plan for what to do when you encounter one of them in a closed space,
Always be vigilant and expect to find one when moving stuff,
Finally, if you've seen signs of them around alert those living with you of the dangers; especially children. If you do have children don't play about, get your home treated with arachnocide (it's about $90.00 a litre undiluted, but it works).