are the creepy crawlies really that bad in oz?

Answer 1

That bad? No. You learn to live with them.

Put it this way, we don't have many or any animals that will hunt you down and kill you in this country unless you go into the beach and meet a white pointer shark, oh, or unless you run into the odd crocodile up the top end of OZ.

As for the creepy crawlies, they won't hurt you until the BITE you. I'd prefer to have poisonous creepy crawly insects on my back doorstep than a hungry bear or lion for example in another country.

My rubber thong can defeat any creepy crawly.
Somehow, I don't think I'd have the same sort of success when it came to b*tch slapping a bear with my rubber footwear.

I'll take the creepy crawlies anyday.

Answer 2

Hi if coming from another country just assume that everything bites. I have friends from NZ and the centipedes in NZ do not bite. But in Oz even though they can not kill they hurt really bad and can cause localised painful swelling to the area. Snake bites occur usually when someone is trying to kill the snake and the biggest problem is that the brown snake bite is painless so a lot of people do not know that they have been bitten until it is too late. Hence why the biggest killer (snake wise ) is the Brown snake. Red back spiders are a problem. For our snakes and red back spiders there are anti venoms which can reverse the effects if you have been envenomated. Use common sense and you should be fine. Also if going into bushland areas might do some good to research first aid techniques. Just in case.

Answer 3

The short answer is definitely yes. Australia posseses 1) the 12 most poisonous snakes in the world (withe the Western Scaled snake or Western Taipan the most venomous in the world). 2) the Sydent Funnel Web spider, which is the most venomous spider in the world and 3) the Box Jellyfish, which, other than certiain species of cone shell, has the most lethal venom in the world.

But, snakes are very timid animals, adn will generally stay out of your way. Plus they are only really a big prpblem in the bush, and most tourists will see very few. Spiders can be dangerous, but a bit of common sense, such as staying well away from funnel-shaped webs and checking your boots and the underside of seats (especially outdoor toilet seat!) should keep you safe. Box Jellyfish are annoyig, cos they usually are found at the most tempting beaches and they move in thousands-strong swarms. But beach patrols keep an eye out for them, and there will laways be warnings on the beach.

we also has loads of mosquitos, which are more of an annoyance than anything, ticks, which can irritate and gross out those not use to them, and leeches in the wet season, which are also a bit gross, but not a big concern.

Answer 4

Don't know if a fly is classed as a creepie-crawlie, but if you are going anywhere like Ayers Rock or Alice Springs, you should buy a fly-net (you can get them there) as the flies can be very, very annoying when the weather is hot, which it usually is there, ie about 40 degrees C.

Answer 5

While Australia has some pretty nasty snakes and spiders here are some facts. The funnel-web spider lives mostly near Sydney. It is virtually unheard of in the rest of the country. The redback spider is more widely distributed. It resembles the American black widow and though it's bite can kill, you are more likely to just get sick for a while.

Snakes will mostly slide away from you. Nearly all cases of snakebite originate with people who bothered the snake.
Over the past 50 years effective treatments have been developed for spider and snake bites, mostly using antibodies.

My mother knew a woman who was bitten by a redback spider and was sick for weeks but survived. That was in the 1940s, before there were any real treatments. That is the only case of snake or spider bite that I have anything like a close acquaintance with.

However I have known six people who have died in car crashes, though none of them were in the past 20 years. Yet Australia has one of the lower road fatality rates in the world, only slightly higher than that of the USA.

Answer 6

Well my brother lives in Australia, Brisbane. When i went over there, outside seemed to be not as bad as i thought when it came to creepy crawlies. People always said there really bad, but there really not so bad. I'm not going to lie to you cus there are a few. If you go more into the forest areas, that's where you will have flies and alsorts flying and crawling around, but you don't really get them too often in your house etc.

Answer 7

YES and NO.

Aus has more deadly creatures than anywhere else in the world (both in and out of the water!). After all its a tough country and survival has been ratcheted up a notch to survival of the most deadly.

However we all live side by side with the deadlies and very few people are ever killed or injured becasue at the end of the day the nastiest are only doing one of two things (a) looking for dinner -Crocs and sharks or (b) defending themselves -everything else. If you live here you learn the basic rules:
Sharks hang out around seal colonies/schools of baitfish or where the water suddenly drops from shallow to dep water- so stay away from those places.
Never ever swim in the northern rivers as you will look like a nice main course to the local hungry Croc.Crocs can be territorial and are disturbed by us clomping around on river banks- so walk quietly. Crocs also are quick on land for short distances and lurk where the land slopes into the water so that they can launch themselves at a drinking victim- so dont go to animal drinking places, get water with a billy on a stick where the bank drop straight into the water and are a metre of the water, and if possible stand behind a tree/palm while you do it.
If walking through scrub/grasslands shuffle your feet a bit to make noise - this will warn the snakes of yur prescence and they will get out of your way.
Dont stick your fingers or feet into anything you cant see into unless you upturn it first and give it good whack on the ground to disloge any resident spiders. Same goes for picking up rocks/debris if you dont have gloves only grab the object by a visable area and turn it over and check for nasties before any further handling.

Really its nothing more than common sense. In our houses we are careful how we handle hot items and try to avoid stepping on our pet cat or dog as it may retaliate- our nasties are no different.. treat them with respect and they will happily leave you alone.

Answer 8

oh yeah. just watch out for the various large, venomous snakes and spiders. and then of course the box jelly fish and the stonefish. lol. no their not too bad u'll probably see a few spiders and maybe the odd snake or 2 but unless u bug them they wont bite. there isnt much u can do bout the jellyfish and stonefish, u wont know until u get stung. but seriously, there isnt a place here u can go to without there being sum sorta freakish thing sumwhere.

Answer 9

Having lived in Oz for 15 yrs. I rarely came across the bad one's. There are red back spiders anywhere there is a shed or other cool and dark places for them to hide and rear their young.
In general nearly everywhere is safe, and you have to be unlucky to get tagged by the odd one here and there.
Flies and mossies are more common than any other bug around.
so you can relax and enjoy a great country.

Answer 10

Not if your brought up with em. We breed em tough in Oz.

I am guessing that since you are calling them "creepy crawlies" you won't be able to handle them!! :o)