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<blockquote data-quote="Marguerite" data-source="post: 205913" data-attributes="member: 1991"><p>Just to reassure you - people get stung by bees and wasps because they fly. Ants don't, as a rule. When the queens fly, their main interest is in finding a nesting site, so they're not going to attack. They only attack to defend themselves or defend their nest. OK, they get really aggressive then, but if you know the signs you will know to avoid the nests. And unlike ants in other parts of the world, these ones bite individually, not altogether in one group, the entire nest attacking and biting in some pheromonal communication to assault the person disturbing their nest.</p><p></p><p>A bull-ant nest (aka "bull-joes") is a rounded dome-shape, the dome not really obvious but if you notice a granular look to the ground and THEN notice there's a gentle dome under you - get off it FAST!</p><p></p><p>With pesticides so commonly used, you don't get these nests anywhere near as commonly as we did when we were kids. Have you noticed, husband? We had one in the paddock next door where we kept our sheep, but eventually we sprayed it to wipe out the nest. They're such big nests they're sitting ducks. So now you'd only find them in national parks, or on very isolated farms where the farmer personally isn't bothered by the ants. The animals would learn to avoid the nest areas.</p><p></p><p>Biting through a sock is no big deal - it's the funnelweb spider biting through a leather gauntlet that always worries me, especially during mating season when the males go nomadic.</p><p></p><p>The Cairns spider - seriously, she would have been maybe hand-sized (I include the fingers here). Mind you, I have small hands. Ours are about palm-sized (minus the fingers). difficult child 3 got interested in this thread also, he said he hates walking into orb-weaver webs because they're so sticky and he can never get it out of his hair. I hate it because I can never be sure I haven't also got a spider up there somewhere...</p><p></p><p>We've got to print that photo and stick it up in the "reading room" (aka behind the toilet door).</p><p></p><p>We Do get hand-sized spiders down this far south - they are the huntsman spider, a bloody great hairy brown thing that can terrify you at the sight but are also harmless. So I'm told - I won't touch them. We had one on the bedroom ceiling last week, I HAD to evict it to get it outside or I would never have been able to go to sleep. Then after I finally got it outside (it was a bit the worse for wear by then; so was I) I had to wait until my pulse went back to normal before I tried to go to sleep.</p><p></p><p>It was a big male, the weather outside was cold and windy, so I suspect it was sheltering plus looking for a mate. I don't think much of its chances by now - he'll get eaten by the first female he meets, after what I did to him!</p><p></p><p>Got to do - time to head into the city for difficult child 3's research study. husband, see you at 5 pm.</p><p></p><p>Marg</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Marguerite, post: 205913, member: 1991"] Just to reassure you - people get stung by bees and wasps because they fly. Ants don't, as a rule. When the queens fly, their main interest is in finding a nesting site, so they're not going to attack. They only attack to defend themselves or defend their nest. OK, they get really aggressive then, but if you know the signs you will know to avoid the nests. And unlike ants in other parts of the world, these ones bite individually, not altogether in one group, the entire nest attacking and biting in some pheromonal communication to assault the person disturbing their nest. A bull-ant nest (aka "bull-joes") is a rounded dome-shape, the dome not really obvious but if you notice a granular look to the ground and THEN notice there's a gentle dome under you - get off it FAST! With pesticides so commonly used, you don't get these nests anywhere near as commonly as we did when we were kids. Have you noticed, husband? We had one in the paddock next door where we kept our sheep, but eventually we sprayed it to wipe out the nest. They're such big nests they're sitting ducks. So now you'd only find them in national parks, or on very isolated farms where the farmer personally isn't bothered by the ants. The animals would learn to avoid the nest areas. Biting through a sock is no big deal - it's the funnelweb spider biting through a leather gauntlet that always worries me, especially during mating season when the males go nomadic. The Cairns spider - seriously, she would have been maybe hand-sized (I include the fingers here). Mind you, I have small hands. Ours are about palm-sized (minus the fingers). difficult child 3 got interested in this thread also, he said he hates walking into orb-weaver webs because they're so sticky and he can never get it out of his hair. I hate it because I can never be sure I haven't also got a spider up there somewhere... We've got to print that photo and stick it up in the "reading room" (aka behind the toilet door). We Do get hand-sized spiders down this far south - they are the huntsman spider, a bloody great hairy brown thing that can terrify you at the sight but are also harmless. So I'm told - I won't touch them. We had one on the bedroom ceiling last week, I HAD to evict it to get it outside or I would never have been able to go to sleep. Then after I finally got it outside (it was a bit the worse for wear by then; so was I) I had to wait until my pulse went back to normal before I tried to go to sleep. It was a big male, the weather outside was cold and windy, so I suspect it was sheltering plus looking for a mate. I don't think much of its chances by now - he'll get eaten by the first female he meets, after what I did to him! Got to do - time to head into the city for difficult child 3's research study. husband, see you at 5 pm. Marg [/QUOTE]
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