Warm weather prompts influx of spiders — and bites

Spiders are weaving their way into suburbs in rising numbers and experts have warned of a surge in bites, with hundreds of calls for spider bites so far this year.

Spiders are weaving their way into suburbs in rising numbers and experts have warned of a surge in bites.

Victorian Poisons Information Centre data shows there have been 310 calls for spider bites so far this year.

And centre manager Jeff Robinson said the busiest period was yet to come.

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He said warmer weather meant more spiders were crawling into crevices in homes, garages and backyards and taking refuge in shoes and gloves.

“Summer is the peak period. So if the trend continues it will be a big year,” he said.

Charli-Ashe, 15, gets a close look at Australian tarantulas at Wild Action Zoo in Macedon. Picture: Jay Town

Mr Robinson said calls to the centre’s helpline represented only a fraction of total bites, with many unaware they’d been bitten and others going directly to a GP or emergency department.

“Realistically, there’s no way of knowing the overall figure,” he said.

Melbourne University School of Biosciences professor Mark Elgar said the warm weather after a relatively dry winter created an ideal environment for spiders.

“It’s a great time of year for arachnologists (people who study spiders), maybe not as much fun for arachnophobes,” he said.

Prof Elgar said all species of spiders were more active in summer as they hunted food and searched for mates.

He said people should be wary of approaching spiders, particularly redbacks and white-tailed spiders.

Huntsman spiders are often found in newer estates.

But he said the creatures were generally not a threat: “if they do bite, the spider will be simply defending itself”.

The number of spider sightings has added to demand for pest controllers.

Dawsons pest control general manager Troy Dawson said that in October they had performed 494 spider treatments, compared to 376 in October 2017.

“Our busier months are yet to come,” Mr Dawson said.

Mr Dawson said their jobs stretched from Geelong to Mornington Peninsula and across Melbourne, with suburbs on the city’s fringe tending to be the busiest.

“We get a lot of huntsmans and white-tailed spiders often in the newer estates where they’re disturbing a lot of soil, places like Melton or Cranbourne.”

IF YOU ARE BITTEN

• Wash the area

• Apply an ice pack

• Take a painkiller, such as ibuprofen

• Monitor the bite area

• If that doesn’t control the symptoms or if you become nauseated or experience swelling, particularly around the lips, tongue or throat, call an ambulance

Source: Victorian Poisons Information Centre

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