The last thing you have to worry about is spiders, lol!! Really, since I've come to Oz I've only had one in my house when we first moved in and that was only because it had stood empty for a few months.... and I have seen a couple in the garden. They are really not that bad. It's not like they are on the prowl searching for humans to scare. They keep to themselves pretty much....just staying in their webs catching flies which is a good thing ; -). If you do the usual pest control thing (where you have your house sprayed every six months) then hardly any beasties come inside. Also all houses are fitted with fly/insect screens so even when you leave the doors and windows open nothing comes in. I just thought I'd put you out of your misery. To me the nesting of hundreds of caterpillars outside next to my geyser was much more frightening...they were cold and came to gather around the warm geyser in winter. Also the ants are rather large, bull ants I think they're called...mind that the kids don't sit down among them...or try to pick one up like my little one did. They bite and their bites seem to burn for a while afterwards...at least that's what the kids claim. But they are NOT scary. Insects are the least of my worries. I really am hard-pressed to think of anything truly bothersome about Australia. Maybe if you put a gun to my head I'd say that once in a while the hoons on the road make a bit of noise squealing around the round-abouts and that's late at night.