Aussie wildlife finally got me!

[MortonH]

Next month I'll have been living in Australia for ten years. When I first arrived I was rather apprehensive about the inordinate number of Australian creatures that might cause me pain, injury or death. But within a few months I had gotten used to most of them and come to realise that there really wasn't all that much to worry about (despite the incident very early on where a Huntsman happened to be sitting on a light switch as I fumbled for it in the dark).

Well, tonight I spent some time sitting on the balcony observing the Moon with my SV66ED. About 15 minutes ago I felt a sharp pain in my big toe, then a slight sensation of wetness. I went indoors and turned on the light to find a bee half squashed under my foot. I guess the bee was on the balcony floor and I accidentally stood on it.

The pain only lasted a couple of minutes but it was quite intense. I've removed the sting and the toe looks ok. Pretty sure I'm not allergic since I've been stung before, although only by UK bees and wasps.

So, ten years in Australia and I've finally been "got" :lol:

[omegacrux]

Good thing it was a bee and not a drop bear eh?
Those things are dangerous !

David

[sheeny]

The aussie wildlife isn't so bad is it? We don't have any bears, or big cats, rogue elephants, or hippopotami. OK, we have crocs up north, but in the scheme of things I think Australia is safer than most continents.

Shame about the bee... accidents happen. Bee stings never used to worry me so much as a kid, but each sting I've had has progressively been worse than the previous. I wouldn't say I'm allergic to them, but its not a good trend to have happening!

:)

Al.

[Camelopardalis]

A bee?!? Does that qualify :lol: :P

Surely you've been feasted on by the mozzies?

[MortonH]

:rofl:

[MortonH]

Yeah, wasn't counting the mozzies. They're more annoying than anything.

[PeterEde]

Was a European bee. They're all imports too.
Aussie native bee are small and most don't sting. So still not been got ;)

[Regulus]

Go for the blue-bottle next. If you thinking of starting a collection that is :-)

[LewisM]

Whinging POM :)

A bee.. oh dear, someone find me a hanky :P :P :P

Be wary of the Deep Sea Racing Mullet found only in Lake Eyre. They be PLENTY dangerous.

[Irish stargazer]

I did find this critter hiding behind my bicycle when we were packing up to move from Sydney to Ireland.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/7703127@N07/14093329779/

I have counted at least two spiders exported to Ireland in our shipment. Both European house spiders -must have been homesick I guess :lol:.
You got off lightly Morton ;)

[mental4astro]

Let me see... I've been:

* stung by a stingray (unbelievably painful.. :eyepop:)

* zapped a numd ray (most fascinating creature I've ever seen!)

* stung by a wasp (my fault too -was throwing stones at a nest as a kid. Never been bothered by or bothered them...)

* bitten by a tailor fish on the webbing between thumb and index finger (took hours for bleeding to stop & lucky not to have piece bitten off!)

* bitten by bull ants as a kid (not a mistake you do twice)

* had a 2" cactus thorn pierce through the sole of my boot & go out the top of my foot (and I still love camping)

* AND been kissed by a blue bottle...

AND you're complaining about a EUROPEAN honey bee!!!

Morton, Morton, Morton...

Have to say though, nothing thats 'got' me was ever going to EAT me. All just saying, in very strong term "piss off!". Well, I guess bull ants could eat me, but only after I'm dead from been stung by a million honey bees... :P

[MortonH]

Hey, I'm not whingeing or complaining. Just telling a story. If anything I feel sorry for the bee!

[LewisM]

We joking with ya Morton

Or maybe we need to call you Mortein :) :) :)

[PeterEde]

Wasp damn painful and they usually hit you twice to make sure you get the message

Blue bottle damn painful. The pain just keeps on giving

Bee nothing by comparison. Yep felt sorry for the bee

[Ric]

Hi Morton

Did you get the old swollen joint syndrome, just as well it wasn't something bigger and nastier.

As a bee keeper I've had a fair share of the bee stings on my hands and arms but there's nothing worse than the bee that makes it under the netting of my bee hat. :eek:

[julianh72]

I strongly encourage all visitors to Australia to read this paper:

https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&ei=5oIwVLePFovh8AWGwoCACg&url=http://eprints.utas.edu.au/15881/1/2012_Janssen_AusGeog_journal_versio n.pdf&cd=2&ved=0CCEQFjAB&usg=AFQjCNEB8r529lPYDcphZRwQJidMZ5B kQw&sig2=TgNKpxgpbtSYdyqiaFsXxg

The "Australian Geographer" is a well-respected academic Journal, and the paper really WAS published in the Christmas 2012 edition!

[TrevorW]

Bet you that was the bees knees of your Australian insect experience and it probably was a foreigner at that

[Ric]

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Brilliant :thumbsup:

[MortonH]

My toe is slightly swollen and stiff today, but no big deal. The bee, however, is bereft of life.

[pgc hunter]

Just the other day a Huntsman the size of my palm decided to casually stroll across the driver's side window of my car.

Lucky for me I was parked and it was on the outside, but then, it just disappeared... probably waiting for me under the door handle...

My pool has become a habitat for Redbacks, and I did find what looked like the remains of a Funnel Web spider floating in it once.

I also like to shove sticks down bull ant nests and watch 'em get PO'd and pour out like a volcanic eruption.

[Hans Tucker]

That Bee has mates...you are a marked man now.

[el_draco]

Drop bears a whimps... Now, "Pnorkles".... Vicious little ****es !:eyepop:

[el_draco]

Phewy..... I married a psycho first time round .... Top that !! :rofl::rofl:

[AstralTraveller]

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Wonderful, but how did they get it published? Some great pisstakes and 'in' jokes. NDBI instead of NDVI (normalize difference vegetation index) and megafauna remains have never been found in middens - despite some famous claims.

[big_dav_2001]

Huntsman spiders are cute, Funnel Webs are the ones you need to look out for... Come across one of these buggers barefoot and you're in trouble...

I've been keeping reptiles and spiders for a pretty long time, and I've had this one for about a year now. It's one of the most aggressive spiders I've ever had. It strikes at anything that comes anywhere close to it...

General rule for any creepy crawly; stay away from the pointy bit, and it won't hurt you...

Davin

[raymo]

I got done on the big toe by a whitetail spider about 2 yrs ago. The
whole toe went bright red, except for the actual bite site which went
sort of necrotic looking. The whole toe was, and still is, incredibly sensitive, and I still cannot wear a closed shoe without great discomfort.
raymo

[MortonH]

Thongs from now on as a minimum!

[GraemeT]

Absolutely brilliant paper, Julian.

[multiweb]

That's very unlucky. The only thing that ever stung me was a scorpion in my pants in south of France. Since in oz I've seen snakes, spiders, bees but no drama so far. Touch wood.

[GrahamL]

I worked with a fellow who got bit by a brown snake ,enraged he tried to stomp on it ,,and it bit him again :rolleyes: yes he survived .

Aside jellyfish ,crocodiles ,dingos and all the poisonous stuff kicking around
its still a good thing imo that we don't have any serious critters who can grab you while walking and chew ya to bits .

[Camelopardalis]

Yowie? ;)

[LewisM]

In my short 41 years on this rock, I have been envenomated or otherwise temporarily injured by the following:
1. Blue Bottles - MANY times. I am desensitised to them now, and only feel minorly itchy - not much pain and no swelling

2. Bees - a few. I am mildly allergic to bee venom, so it's something I avoid :)

3. Wasps - MANY times, and you never see the little bastiges first. Feels like a red hot poker or even a gunshot wound. Pain lasts but a few minutes for me - probably desensitised again!

4. Green ants - meh. No biggy

5. Bull ants. Bastiges. Biggy.

6. Click Beetles (not sure what their real name is). Smarts for HOURS.

7. Sandflies/Midgies/Mosquitoes. Gotten used to them. No longer a major itching problem as it used to be for me.

8. Dogs: 3 times. Once stitched. Every time was stupidly trying to seperate our 2 dogs during fights. A bucket of water hurts everyone less :)

9. Cats. Only one of the 3 cats I have had. Drawn blood, OFTEN. I still love her :)

10. Blue Tongue Lizard. More fright than anything, because the head looks like a snakes.

11. THe wife. All in good fun :D

[pgc hunter]

The other day after arriving at work, a Huntsman spider the size of my palm decided to casually emerge from freaking nowhere and crawl across my driver side window (on the outside thank you jesus) Then it disappeared. Upon returning from work, My paranoia convinced me that this bugger was hiding under the door handle.....

After work, I was too chicken to reach for the handle, so I lit up the flashlight on my phone and actually tried to peer under it, contorting like a gymnast, and only then, open the bloody thing.

But if it's not under the handle, that means there is a freaking huge spider living somewhere in my car... which could potentially fall on my face while driving down the freeway :help:

I was bitten by a juvenile bull ant while cleaning my pool one day. That was a sharp enough prick. I can't imagine a full-sized, pissed off speciman. Well, as a kid we were playing outside with some friends back in the day, one of my friends was stung by a full sized proper pissed off bull ant, she ran inside crying and screaming. I often come across their nests while on my walks, which look like Mt Kilimanjaro and like to shove sticks down 'em. The sight of dozens of huge venomous ants pouring out is a sight to behold lol. Once on a houseboat in Renmark I remember seeing a giant orange ant crawling along the deck towards me, this thing had to be a mutant, the thing was huge, bright orange, and I knew full well to get the hell away. Same trip we were swarmed by massive creepy-looking wasps with orange wings and black bodies one evening when we were having dinner outside. Googling it, they may have been Spider wasps or Tarantula hawks.

I've come across many 6 and 8 legged wild life while cleaning my pool, including Wolf Spiders, dozens of Redbacks, Black House Spiders on Steroids, huge armies of Pill Bugs, and the worst... I once found the remains of what looked like a Funnel Web spider floating in the pool.

I'm not even going to mention the Golden Orb Weaver civilisation I found in the woods at Yarra Bend Park while on my uni field days. FFS.

Never been stung by any of these satanic creatures before though, although I did fall victim to a blue bottle tentacle at Kangaroo Island when I was like 9. Yeah... Jelly Fish are evil. The entire population of these things need to die right now.

[MortonH]

Sell the car!

[Octane]

Sell? Burn it.

H

[Larryp]

[
I wonder how many unexplained car accidents are caused by spiders suddenly appearing inside cars?
I used to have a stand of Turpentine trees next to my carport, and they were a great breeding place for huntsman spiders. It was a common occurrence to pull down the sun visor in my car and find a Huntsman sitting on the other side of it!