The Rain Spiders are one of the common species of spiders in South Africa.
Knowing the prime facts about the said spider is an advantage.
Read on to know everything about rain spiders.
Image: flickr.com, Therese PekelharingSource: UGC
This implies that there is a high possibility of finding them in your house during the rainy seasons.
Is a huntsman spider poisonous?
However, aggression is always the main determinant if they will bite or not.
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A mere glimpse at a rain spider can inspire much fear in someone who is not familiar with them.
Their hairy and bulbous features can easily drive chills down your spine.
It even gets worse once you consider their total leg span and visible fangs.
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However, those are different.
Their bites heal on their own after two or three days.
The truth is that they do not jump but can move at high speeds especially when threatened.
Image: facebook, @Shaun Fishingcrazy DoustSource: Facebook
Their body structure, particularly the legs, do not allow them to jump.
Usually, Huntsman spiders have large bodies compared to their cousins.
Their bodies can grow to lengths of15-36 mm, and the legs span up to 110 mm.
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The long legs are structured to aid movement.
Like their relatives, the Huntsman has eight legs that may be banded depending on the species.
Most of them have a flattened body shape.
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This body shape is built to help them be compatible with their habitats.
You may also notice that they have legs, which do not bend vertically but forward and laterally.
This posture correlates with the shape of the body, hence enabling them to hide in narrow spaces comfortably.
Image: unsplash.com, Stephen HockingSource: UGC
This means that you might hardly find them in the open.
It is, therefore, possible to see them under couches and other furniture.
In this process, she develops a nest that will accommodate her eggs until the hatching period comes.
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The egg sac is round in shape and usually large enough to accommodate all the eggs laid.
After constructing the egg sack, she aggressively guards it until the hatching takes place.
During this period, they tend to get very aggressive and ready to strike at the slightest provocation.
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The rain spider nest accommodates the young spiders until they can move out.
The lifespan of a rain spider is approximated at two years.
During this period, the females can hatch three times.
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The primary method of getting rid of them is by first alienating them from food.
In other words, killing the insects around your house first will automatically keep them away.
They have the tendency of dwelling in places that provide them with ample food supply.
Besides, you’re able to get rid of them by spraying the spider nest with pesticides.
While doing this, do not come too close to the nest.
Spiders running out of the nest may attack you if you keep a close distance when spraying.
you could stay at least seven feet away from the nest.
This includes wood cracks, under the rocks, and behind tree barks.
Doing so will ensure that there is little possibility of attracting them to your residence.
Applying Sevin dust around the house is also a way of getting rid of these creatures.
Doing so will create a barrier that will limit entry of the rain spiders to your house.
She has a Bachelor of Commerce & IT from the University of Nairobi and joined Briefly.co.za in November 2019.
The writer completed a Google News Initiate Course.
you’re free to email her at perisrodah254@gmail.com.
