Spider Control

Want To Enquire About Your Pest & Termite Situation?

How to Prevent Spiders From Becoming a Problem at Your Place

• Repair cracks in outer walls with gap filler
• Cover vents and weepholes with mesh
• Ensure all windows have secure flyscreens
• Don’t leave external lights on at night for extended periods as these will attract insects that spiders are attracted to for food.
• Install weather strips under doors to stop spiders entering

How To Stay Safe From Spiders

Here are some simple tips on how to prevent spiders from causing serious harm.

• Do not leave clothes drying outside overnight
• Do not leave shoes outside in the garage or under the house uncovered.
• Wear gloves when working in the garden.
• Don’t stick your fingers under rocks or in crevices without checking for spiders first.
• Check children’s outdoor play equipment for spiders periodically and remove all spiders, webs and eggs with gloves.

Spider identification

Click Here For Spider Identification Chart

Redback spider

The adult female redback spider is about 1cm long and easily identified by her round black body with a red stripe on the upper side of her abdomen. The female redback is mainly nocturnal and usually lives in an untidy web in a sheltered location, commonly near human residences. It preys mainly on insects and other spiders. The redback is one of the few spider species that can be seriously harmful to humans. Interestingly Daddy Long Legged spiders prey on redback spiders.

Funnel web spider

The Sydney Funnel Web spider is medium to large in size, with body size ranging from 1 to 5 cm. They have a hairless body and some have long spinnerets.

Funnel-web spiders make their burrows in moist, sheltered habitats such as under rocks and under rotting logs or bark. They are commonly found in suburban rockeries and shrubberies, rarely in lawns or other open terrain. A burrow characteristically has irregular silk trip-lines radiating out from the entrance and their burrows do not have trapdoors.

Funnel web spiders are potentially deadly, however no fatalities have occurred since the introduction of modern first-aid techniques and antivenom.

White tail spider

White-tailed spiders have a distinctive whitish tip at the end of their abdomens. Their body size may be up to 1.8cm with leg-span of 2.8cm. These spiders occur mostly in south-eastern Australia and may be found inside homes in bathrooms or other moist areas including in cracks and crevices or inside cupboards. Outdoors, the white-tail spider can be found under bark, leaf litter and logs.

They are reported to bite humans and the effects include local pain, a red mark, local swelling and itchiness. If bitten seek medical attention as some bites may lead to ulcers and secondary infection.

Huntsman spiders

Huntsman are large, flat brown spiders that look fearsome with their hairy long legs however they actually quite harmless. Huntsman spiders usually prey on cockroaches and other insects. These spiders may be found under bark of trees during the day and may scuttle around your ceilings at night if they make their way into your home. Bites are not serious though may cause localised pain and swelling. To treat a huntsman bite apply a cold pack.

Mouse Spiders

Mouse spiders range in length from 1 to 3 cm. Their body is glossy black, and they have broad heads, with eyes spread out across the front of the head. Similar to trapdoor spiders, mouse spiders live in burrows covered with trapdoors

The bites of several species of mouse spiders in Australia have been found to produce serious symptoms similar to the funnel-web spider. Unlike funnel-web spiders, however, the mouse spider is far less aggressive towards humans, and may often give dry bites with no venom injected.