Knowledge is the antidote to fear.

according to ralph waldo emerson.

I decided that I would try to make peace with spiders by learning more about them. I have been buying clearance perennials for the yard and while planting them, I have become rather well acquainted with the spiders in our yard. There is the BIG MAMA that lives in the corner (unfortunately she must have been hunting this morning - instead I got this picture from here.) she is at least 1 inch big.


Then there is the big daddy that lives by the window.....


Big brother has a fantastically large web (hard to capture with my photo skills).

Then there are the 3 sisters who live near the house. One is real skinny that lives by the door. She's the supermodel spider.



They haven't moved their webs for at least a week, must be good hunting (except for anorexic super model sis of course).

I wanted to learn about this little family..... - so of course I did a google search and came up with the following from THIS neat website.

Orb-Weaving Spiders ...low risk - non-aggressive

Venom toxicity - the bite of Orb-Weaving Spiders is of low risk (not toxic) to humans. They are a non-aggressive group of spiders. Seldom bite. Be careful not to walk into their webs at night - the fright of this spider crawling over one's face can be terrifying and may cause a heart attack, particularly to the susceptible over 40 year olds. Spider Identification - an adult is about 2/3 to more than 1 inch in body length - has a bulbous abdomen - often colorful - dark to light brown pattern. The common Golden Orb-Weaver Spider has a purplish bulbous abdomen with fine hairs. Habitat - often found in summer in garden areas around the home - they spin a large circular web of 6 feet or more, often between buildings and shrubs, to snare flying insects, such as, flies and mosquitoes.

My fear basically disappeared until I looked at the FIRST AID for orb spider bites (on the same website).......and now I would say knowledge is the poison of fear and.......ignorance is bliss.

FIRST AID...for Funnel-Web Spider Bite

The patient should be kept calm and rested; all undue movement should be avoided. Reassure the patient - their life is not in danger - an anti-venom is available at the hospital. A pressure/immobilisation bandage should be firmly applied (but not tight) wrapping the entire limb bitten - similar as for a sprained ankle. This compresses the tissue, thus reducing the flow of venom along the limbs - as illustrated by the pictures below. A second bandage can be applied to immobilise the affected limb using a splint. This will minimise movement of the muscle of the affected limb in order to reduce the rate of blood flow and venom therein to the vital organs of the body. Seek Medical Aid immediately. Call the AMBULANCE phone 000 rather than transport the victim. If safe to do so, collect the spider for identification.

Symptoms of a Funnel-Web Spider Bite

Unlike snake bites, the person feels great pain at the site of the bite.

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Nausea and abdominal pain follow.

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The person will also experience difficulty in breathing and a general weakness or numbness of the muscles.

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The body also secretes heavily in several areas.

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Profuse sweating is usually obvious, along with excessive saliva production.

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Heavy coughing is also common.

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Virtually all major hospitals in "Funnel-web Country" carry an effective anti-venom.

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Provided a pressure/immobilisation method has been applied soon after the bite and medical attention sought quickly, a few days in the hospital is the usual outcome with complete recovery.