Whether you’ve moved to Australia or you’re about to head Down Under, the question has probably come up from concerned loved ones: aren’t you scared of THE #&#*in’ SPIDERS?

After all, Australia has an established reputation as the world’s foremost hub of creepy crawlies. But is all of the hype real?

We here at Leading Out want to put your mind at ease.

You Almost Never See Any, Ever

We’ve traveled all over Australia. We’ve stayed in apartment buildings in cities and camper vans in the Outback, we’ve gone on bush walks and nature hikes around the country, and across its gorgeous, scenic beaches. We’ve camped and swam and spent time indoors and outdoors.

We saw one spider. Ever. And it was when we were camping out in the middle of a jungle.

If you’re a Canadian, you might thing of the spider situation in Oz the way we think of bears here at home. Do we have them? Of course! Have they killed people? Sure they can, but when’s the last time you heard of a bear attack? Are you going to avoid cottage country up North forever because of bears? Heck no!

(True story: some Aussies think Canada is riddled with bears. We’ve met them.)

Don’t Believe ALL of the Bite Hype Either

Turns out a lot of the fear of dying from a spider bite is bombastic. According to Australian Geographic, more people die from allergic reactions to bee stings or car accidents.

Although someone did pass away from a bite in 2016, before that, the last recorded death was 1981, a difference for almost 40 years. 

In addition, there’s anti-venom available for all harmful bites. (Which again, almost never happen.) Whew!

Spider Fighting 101

Maybe this is a BIT extreme…

So let’s say you want to be hyper-vigilant about not finding any “bears” in your shoes. Here’s a few steps for the well-prepared.

1. You can shake out your shoes before you put ’em on, don’t leave clothes or towels on the floor, and wear shoes outside and at night.
2. If you do see a spider, DO NOT PANIC! (We know. Tough.) Trap them in a glass jar (or kill them, we won’t judge). If you can’t tell whether you’re dealing with a dangerous one or not, don’t approach, call pest control.
3. If you find one in your car, again, again, don’t panic. Slow down, roll down your window, and pull over. (The wind will keep it away.) Then you can set about getting it out.

For a more in-depth guide to Spider Prevention 101, check out Australian Geographic‘s article here.

So there you have it, some of Australia’s most wanted debunked. While there is need for caution, you’re more likely to get a serious case of the heebie-jeebies than anything else.

After all, trying to pack a preventative flame-thrower in your carry-on just probably isn’t THAT great of an idea. If you need a palate cleanser, you can always spend 20 seconds with the world’s cutest spider, Lucas.