Beware when this spider comes in from the cold

How to avoid contact with household spiders:

MOST people don't think twice when they encounter one of these creepy crawlies in their home.

It doesn't matter if you know it as the white-tailed spider or as a member of the Lampona genus, the creature is usually lying flat underneath the nearest shoe.

The white-tailed spider is common in Tasmanian households, especially during the winter months when it will come indoors for warmth - but what's known about the 2.5-centimetre beastie is usually subject to rumour and myth.

It's common knowledge that skin-bubbling and ulcerating necrosis can occur after being bitten by one of these spiders.

What's not so commonly known is that it is not a reaction to the spider's venom - it's also not the only spider that can cause it.

Queen Victoria Museum natural sciences collection officer Craig Reid said there were several other spiders that could carry the necrotic infection.

``Wolf spiders, some of the huntsmen - there are six or eight species at least that have been known to cause this condition,'' Mr Reid said.

``What it is is an infection, it's picked up from a bite just like we pick them up from anywhere else . . . it's believed it occurs when the spiders have been in contact with dirt.''

He said it was unusual for people to solidly confirm a white-tailed spider bite.

``The difficulty with this is that most people don't notice when they have been bitten . . . they'll go back to the area where they think they were at the time, see a spider and decide that's what did it,'' Mr Reid said.

If you are bitten by a white-tailed spider wash the area and apply ice to prevent swelling. See a doctor if signs of ulceration or necrosis appear.

A study of 130 white-tailed spider bites conducted by New South Wales clinical toxicologist Geoffrey Isbister showed no direct link to necrosis or infection.