A word of caution when working on our cars

sleek7 · 02-11-2010, 04:37 PM

Hey Guys,
So I had blown my drivers side fog light last week and thought today being a day off would be a good day to replace them.
Got the car up on stands and took off the air direction blocker thing to get access to the rear of the light. As I glanced at it I noticed a few cobwebs hanging around in there, I had a quick look and couldn't see anything but thought id just give it a quick check with my little LED torch I keep in my car before putting my hand in there.
Upon having a better look with some light I then spotted a decent size redback spider sitting with its egg sack not far from where my hand would have gone. A little Mortein sprayed in there and shortly after the spider dropped out.

Anyway, just a reminder as we head into summer to take a little extra care when getting your hands into the nooks and crannies of your car as there can easily be unwanted nasties as I discovered today

Riksta · 02-11-2010, 04:45 PM

Thanks for the heads up, I'm almost scared at what I might find in parts of the LTD when I start to pull it apart, there seem to be cobwebs made on certain parts of it, that as soon as you get rid of them, they appear again! Mainly right between the passenger side front & rear doors where the door meets the window, and on the rear corners where the tail lights meet the bumper. There's got to be a critter living there somewhere, haven't found him/her yet though!

grandpa_spec_F6 · 02-11-2010, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Riksta

there seem to be cobwebs made on certain parts of it,

I would have thought that's all that would be holding a 1984 LTD together?

(fyi I'm just having a lend

)

Quote:

Originally Posted by fiery

On a strange side note, I also discovered that setting the bombs off actually seem to kill cane toads too

Where's the fun in that? There is oh-so-much fun to be had with golf clubs and a piece of wood + 9" nails / lawn mower / firecrackers (where legal)

Riksta · 02-11-2010, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grandpa_spec_au

I would have thought that's all that would be holding a 1984 LTD together?

(fyi I'm just having a lend

)

Is that why my back bumper fell off when I removed the cobweb that was hanging from the back tailight attached to the bumper!!!

3vXT · 02-11-2010, 04:52 PM

Spiders are ken2903's kryptonite.

Melz · 02-11-2010, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ken2903

Spiders are ken2903's kryptonite.

Do you run screaming from the shed like a little girl aswell????

fiery · 02-11-2010, 05:18 PM

This is the reason I set one of those bomb thingo's in my garage every 3 months, any nasty creature living anywhere near or under my cars die, and considering I have been driving home from work with a spider or two before, this has become part of the normal routine..

On a strange side note, I also discovered that setting the bombs off actually seem to kill cane toads too

galaxy xr8 · 02-11-2010, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fiery

This is the reason I set one of those bomb thingo's in my garage every 3 months, any nasty creature living anywhere near or under my cars die, and considering I have been driving home from work with a spider or two before, this has become part of the normal routine..

On a strange side note, I also discovered that setting the bombs off actually seem to kill cane toads too

I have allway's wondered about them, do they actually work well ?.

mrbaxr6t · 02-11-2010, 05:37 PM

you should see my brothers' new girlfriend flip out so bad over any kind of insect, got freaked out hardcore and ran away from a "slater" freaked out and fell over at the sight of a danny long legs, went ballistic when one of those neck click bugs (that jump) was on her clothes, demanded a shower immediately it is funny as watching my 11 year old daughter show her a bug in her bug catcher thinamebob its priceless

fiery · 02-11-2010, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by galaxy xr8

I have allway's wondered about them, do they actually work well ?.

Yes they do, haven't had a nasty creature in doors for ages and it must linger for quite a while cos have found a few toads on their backs not breathing

Quote:

Originally Posted by grandpa_spec_au

Where's the fun in that? There is oh-so-much fun to be had with golf clubs and a piece of wood + 9" nails / lawn mower / firecrackers (where legal)

I am not getting close enough to whack one with any form of weapon but I have been known to look like a crazed woman chasing whilst mowing

:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quick 5.4L

FIERY you have the right idea about puttin a bomb in the shed or under the car

yep for sure, works without dramas and it seems to kill for quite a while after the fact which is always good.

I honestly don't care if they are harmless or can not kill, I hate creepy crawlies so they are not allowed in my house, garage or cars

3vXT · 02-11-2010, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Melz

Do you run screaming from the shed like a little girl aswell????

...and then the crying starts.

I'm probably not that bad really. I'm not scared of the harmless looking ones but the 'angry' ones freak me out a bit.

nstg8a · 02-11-2010, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ken2903

Spiders are ken2903's kryptonite.

lol, im the same...

my garage has two automatic flyspray dispensers in there, plus i bomb it every 6 weeks or so.

the garage also seems to be the point of entry for any unwanted 8 legged guests getting into the house, so a lot of defence there saves the stress of waking up to a huntsman doing laps of the bedroom walls.

Bucknaked · 02-11-2010, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ken2903

Spiders are ken2903's kryptonite.

I'm with ya on that one. I can spot them a mile away, and by then I'm usually another mile away

DBourne · 03-11-2010, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bucknaked

I'm with ya on that one. I can spot them a mile away, and by then I'm usually another mile away

I'm with you

Valid8 · 02-11-2010, 04:57 PM

Yeah, after I had the ZC brought down from Sydney every morning new webs would appear from underneath. So I got fed up and sprayed heaps of insect spray under there and lots of redback looking spiders absailed down in agony, big females tiny males. Glad I didnt have reason to reach under.

2002au · 02-11-2010, 05:18 PM

happened to me aswell-was putting diesel in our old hilux. any way open the little door flap thing, then went to open the fuel cap and there was a HUGE spider sitting in there.

frightened the crap out of me lol

sleek7 · 02-11-2010, 05:38 PM

slightly off the main topic, but if someone could PM me explaining how to get access to the fog light bulbs that would be great. Tried following the steps in the tech guide but just cant for the life of me get the assembly away from the bumper :/

TheZHLANE · 02-11-2010, 06:07 PM

LOL, every morning when i go to work i notice cobwebs on my rear bumper overider, i brush it off and its always back the next day. My lane must be home to a spider

kinksta · 02-11-2010, 06:17 PM

It is amazing how something so small can frighten so many people...

galaxy xr8 · 02-11-2010, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kinksta

It is amazing how something so small can frighten so many people...

It's amazing how something so small can KILL so many people....

**TUF_302** · 02-11-2010, 06:35 PM

YuK!! Spiders!!

**data_mine** · 02-11-2010, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by galaxy xr8

It's amazing how something so small can KILL so many people....

Yeah they're killers alright.

"Redback spider bites rarely cause significant morbidity, and deaths are even more rare. On Australian record only 14 deaths from redbacks have been recorded. A significant proportion of bites will not result in envenomation or any symptoms developing. It is believed that thousands of people are bitten each year across Australia, although only about 20% of bite victims require treatment. Children and the elderly or those with serious medical conditions are at much higher risk of severe side-effects and death resulting from a bite. No deaths have been reported since the introduction of antivenom in 1956." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redback_spider

"There have been 27 recorded deaths in Australia in the last 100 years from funnel-web spider bites. Bites from Sydney funnel-web spiders have caused 13 deaths (seven in children). Since the antivenom was developed in 1981[5], there have been no recorded fatalities due to this species."

Be careful (don't go playing with them), but don't be needlessly scared of them.

kinksta · 02-11-2010, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by data_mine

Yeah they're killers alright.

"Redback spider bites rarely cause significant morbidity, and deaths are even more rare. On Australian record only 14 deaths from redbacks have been recorded. A significant proportion of bites will not result in envenomation or any symptoms developing. It is believed that thousands of people are bitten each year across Australia, although only about 20% of bite victims require treatment. Children and the elderly or those with serious medical conditions are at much higher risk of severe side-effects and death resulting from a bite. No deaths have been reported since the introduction of antivenom in 1956." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redback_spider

"There have been 27 recorded deaths in Australia in the last 100 years from funnel-web spider bites. Bites from Sydney funnel-web spiders have caused 13 deaths (seven in children). Since the antivenom was developed in 1981[5], there have been no recorded fatalities due to this species."

Be careful (don't go playing with them), but don't be needlessly scared of them.

Thank you for that, plenty of people think all spiders kill, so they all must die. Which is sad.

fmc351 · 03-11-2010, 12:17 AM

+1 for the bombs. Although foggers work better IMO. Before I start playing around on any older car I havent touched for a while, or unknown to me, I set off a fogger inside it. We get those monster bird spiders (whatever theyre called) along with the nastier 'littlins'.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kinksta

Thank you for that, plenty of people think all spiders kill, so they all must die. Which is sad.

Oh no, they must die. Spider, big shoe, STAIN! I hate when my Mrs would make a noise, or lift her feet on the couch with that deer in the headlights look, I knew there was a large spider running over the floor. So I ask her to grab me a shoe, she is right next to the shoes rack ...and she gets my boys shoes, they were like size 3 or something. Id prefer my size 11 dear.

On a side, in Victoria I knew a lady when I was a kid (maybe 8), she was driving an old ?XY? wagon, she jumps hard on the skids screaming her head off (horror film screaming, with the hands flailing) in the middle of the road, then abandons her car, door open before its stopped, kids still in the car, shes freaking right out. She had just checked her speed, the speedo was full of one big hunstman. So much for a mothers instinct, a psycho could come through the door and she'd be at him with a toothpick, but a spider, youre on your own kids.

I had a similar experience some years later. Was driving a Laser hirecar, I parked at my folks next to a tree just before dark. An hour or two later we all hopped back in, drove off about 15 km away, when my Mrs opened the door, I looked across and a massive grey orb type spider was just above her head. Hey bub, look up.

Nup, I bloody hate spiders.

kinksta · 02-11-2010, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by galaxy xr8

It's amazing how something so small can KILL so many people....

Not true mate. Speaking from personal experience (bitten by a white tail and redback) their bites are not always fatal, in fact rarely fatal. Alot of people can have bad reactions to the bite, but rarely die (here in Oz).

Mind you getting bit by a Funnel Web may be a little diff out in the bush alone...

**data_mine** · 02-11-2010, 06:35 PM

I've got a huntsman living in the external part of the passenger side door frame.

It's safe as long as it stays outside.

**Mechan1k** · 02-11-2010, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by data_mine

I've got a huntsman living in the external part of the passenger side door frame.

It's safe as long as it stays outside.

So did I ... until he crawled up my arm the other evening in the Territory while doing a ton on the M7 ... man was that interesting. Bugger was the size of my hand as well.

**data_mine** · 02-11-2010, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mechan1k

So did I ... until he crawled up my arm the other evening in the Territory while doing a ton on the M7 ... man was that interesting. Bugger was the size of my hand as well.

I had one 'attack' me on a trip to the tip years ago (I was driving a XF). couldn't see it, was crawling on my back/shoulder/neck. I brushed it off (thinking at the time it was some vegetation). Not til I got to the tip did I notices, a few legs left on my shirt. Never did find the spider, and never saw it again. figure it ended up in the tip.

TheInterceptor · 02-11-2010, 07:25 PM

Mm, just swapped some doors (that were out in the bush for a week), removed the underdash and layed out wiring that navigates through the deep dark parts of the body and trim...not a single eight legged bastard in sight which was quite amazing. Probobly have one sneak up while driving....but the eight legged ones are better than the zero legged ones.

NFURY8 Ute · 02-11-2010, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sleek7

Hey Guys,
So I had blown my drivers side fog light last week and thought today being a day off would be a good day to replace them.
Got the car up on stands and took off the air direction blocker thing to get access to the rear of the light. As I glanced at it I noticed a few cobwebs hanging around in there, I had a quick look and couldn't see anything but thought id just give it a quick check with my little LED torch I keep in my car before putting my hand in there.
Upon having a better look with some light I then spotted a decent size redback spider sitting with its egg sack not far from where my hand would have gone. A little Mortein sprayed in there and shortly after the spider dropped out.

Anyway, just a reminder as we head into summer to take a little extra care when getting your hands into the nooks and crannies of your car as there can easily be unwanted nasties as I discovered today

thats lucky, i was washin the ute the other day n i shoved the hose between the body and the tray out wash a redback the size of a 50c coin onto my wifes shoe, lol natural reaction was to stomp on her foot.

FIERY you have the right idea about puttin a bomb in the shed or under the car