Hi, I found this guy on my bike mirror this morning. What kind of spider is this? Is it dangerous? How can I remove it safely? What should I do to prevent it from coming again?
Looks almost like a flattie, but interesting folding pattern and likely too much webs. Good news is that it is not one of the dangerous ones. The people who get bit are the people who try to kill or injure the spider. Killing spiders is unlucky anyhow. Gently help it leave with a broom or brush with a long handle. Let it escape into a plant is best, like a hedge on the side of the road.
To prevent more spiders, keep the place you keep the bike free of webs. Don’t keep it in a bunch of plants, or in a place that is well lit at night; Lights and plants attract insects, and insects attract predatory spiders. Encourage spider-eating wasps (they don’t sting you, they sting spiders) with a “solitary bee hotel” in your garden. Encourage birds. The grey thrush and the magpie both eat spider. Or keep a cat. Cats love taking out spiders…
Instigate@aussie.zone 8 months ago
Well the good news is it’s neither a Redback nor a Funnel Web Spider, so it’s extremely unlikely to have a serious effect if you’re bitten. I can’t tell exactly what it is, but it’s not a deadly spider. You can use a stick and ice-cream container to get it off and reposition the spider in your yard. If you want to prevent spiders from nesting on your bike again, use a residual crawling bug spray (you can find these at Bunnings or Colesworth) every six months or so in the affected areas. That should keep them at bay.