Spider Pest Control

Redback – Huntsman – Funnel Web – White Tail – Mouse – Brown House – Trapdoor – St Andrews Cross

Need Help with Spiders?

Spiders are one of the most feared insects worldwide and Australia happens to be home to some of the world’s deadliest spiders!

Not all spiders are dangerous, and many are essential to main a healthy environment.

Spiders can be divided into two main groups:

Ground/crawling or Hunting spiders
Webbing Spiders

What spiders can be found in Sydney?

Redback Spider

Found across all parts of Australia and will live anywhere there is adequate food, a sheltered area for its web and is warm enough for breeding. The Red Back Spider is easily recognised by its black body with a prominent red hourglass shape on its abdomen. Its webs are mostly close to the ground and are easily recognisable by its messy web.

What does a redback spider look like?

The size of the female is about 1cm in length
The size of the male can range from 3-4mm in length
The female is black (but can sometimes also be brown) with a clear red or orange marking on its back
The markings may be broken into spots
White lines can sometimes also be seen
Males are smaller in size than the female
The male has more markings than the female
White and yellow markings may also be seen on the male

Where does the redback spider live?

Found in logs or under rocks in dark, dry areas.
They have also been found to reside in roof eaves floorboards, toilets, shelves, flower pots, garages or sheds
Their web is a triangle shape of dry silk
Trap lines are sticky which assist in catching prey
Red back spiders are
Known to eat skinks and even juvenile mice, snakes and frogs
The red back spider rarely leaves its web

Huntsman Spider

Huntsman spiders are known as the “hairy tarantulas”. Often seen inside, on the walls or from coming out from behind curtains.

What does a huntsman spider look like?

Mostly brown, black and grey in colour
Male is approx. 1.6cm in length and the female approx. 2cm in length
Their legs can span up to 15cm
The back legs are shorter than the front legs

Where does a huntsman spider live?

Found on tree trunks, under stones, under bark, on the windows and walls inside your home.
Can also enter cars & run across the dashboards
Can live between hairline cracks, sandstone and granite outcrops
Feeds on a variety of insects, small lizards and frogs
Stalks and run down its prey
Poisonous to humans but not fatal

Funnel Web Spider

One of the deadliest spiders in the world. When the Sydney funnel web spider is threatened it raises its front legs high off the ground and points its fangs forward ready to strike. When it strikes, it drives its fangs down with force and speed.

What does a funnel web spider look like?

The cephalothorax is hairless and appears smooth and glossy black
Black, brown or purplish abdomen
Body and legs are covered with fine hairs
The male has more slender legs
The male has a spur on the 3rd part of the 2nd leg
The male is 20mm in length & Female is 30mm in length

Where do Funnel web spiders live?

Prefer forested areas
Private gardens
They build silk-lined burrow under a rock or log
The burrow can be up to 60cm long
The burrow has 2 entrances
The burrow entrance has thicker lines of silk radiating from the entrance to form trip-lines
They are attracted to water
Can be found in your swimming pool

White Tail Spider

Found all over Australia and its bites cause severe skin ulceration in humans. White-tailed spiders hunt their prey instead of waiting to catch it in a web. Their preferred diet is other spiders

What does a white tail spider look like?

Medium sized spider
Male body length is 12mm & Female body length is 20mm
Long cigar-shaped dark grey abdomen
The abdomen is grey and has two pairs of faint white spots
A distinct white or cream spot can be seen at the tip of the abdomen just above the spinnerets.
The legs are brown or reddish brown in colour.
They are slow moving spiders
They travel great distances looking for prey
Mostly active at night.

Where does a white tail spider live?

Cool dark areas
They often come into houses
They are sometimes found in the folds of clothes, towels and shoes.
They live beneath bark and rocks
In leaf litter
Logs
Detritus in bush
Gardens
Houses

Mouse Spider

There are 11 known species of mouse spider in Australia. They are closely related to the trapdoor and the Sydney funnel web spider. Mouse spiders should be considered dangerous and treated with caution as they can be aggressive and will bite if provoked.

What does a mouse spider look like?

Dark brown or black in colour
medium to large spiders located at the rear of the abdomen
Their size varies between 10-35mm with the male being smaller than the female
High, bulbous heads and jaws
The carapace is smooth and shiny
The eyes are spread across the front of the carapace
The spinnerets are short, the last segment domed and button-like
Male spiders have long slender pedipalps
Male spiders have no mating spurs on the legs
Males of some species have distinctive colour markings, but others are black overall

Where can mouse spiders be found?

Can be found in both coastal and drier habitats throughout Australia
Live in burrows in soil covered with a hinged top
Large, silk-lined burrows can vary from 20 cm to 55 cm deep
They create two surface trapdoors, at right angles to each other
Difficult to see as the silk and soil trapdoors merge well with the soil
Heavy rain often forces them out of their burrows

Brown House Spider

Easily mistaken for the red back spider as it has a similar body shape and webbing. They are often be found in dark places inside your home, externally commonly found in sheds, under empty plant pots or among general rubbish.

What does the brown house spider look like?

The female can grow up to 1.2cm and the male being slightly smaller
Mottled cream to brown in colour
The legs are reddish brown and are shiny and thin
Legs can span up to 25mm
Spider but does not inflict a dangerous bite.
Web may include a curled leaf as a retreat for the spider.

Where can the brown house spider be found?

Builds untidy, tangled webs
Webs can be found on walls, under eaves, around garage doors and among leaves on trees and shrubs.
Undisturbed dark areas are ideal for this spider
In a cupboard signs of a brown house spider could be white specs of spider droppings

Trap Door Spider

Most trapdoor spiders are misleadingly named, as not all species make a door for their burrows. Their camouflaged entrances are almost undetectable, unless the door is open. Brown Trapdoor Spiders are often mistaken for Funnel-web spiders, but their bites are not dangerous. Local pain and swelling may occur.

What does the trap door spider look like?

Medium to large spider
female larger than the male
Female size 35mm and the male is 20mm in length
The female has a stocky build
Short, blunt spinnerets
There are often pale bars across the abdomen
Dull brown to black in colour
Males have boxing glove shaped palps at the front of the head
Hairs cover the body and legs

Where does the trapdoor spider live?

Spends most of the time in their burrows
They wait for food by the front of their burrows
Burrows are lined with silk
The burrow can be as long as 25cm and approx. 25mm in width
Silk trip lines radiate from the burrow entrance
Burrows are used for protection and raising young
The burrow is made wider and longer as the spider grows

St Andrews Cross Spider

Found across Australia and is named because of the silky bluish white cross pattern it creates on its web, like that of the St Andrews Cross on the flag of Scotland.

What does the St Andrews Cross Spider look like?

The Female is 10 – 16 mm in body length
The male is 3-4mm in body length
Females abdomen is banded silver, yellow, red and black with 2 yellow stripes below
Sits with its legs in pairs
The males are brown and cream coloured
The web is a medium-sized orb
The spiderlings are cream-coloured

Where does the St Andrews Cross Spider live?

Can be found on Low shrubby vegetation both during the day and night
Suburban gardens
Rainforest margins
Males build smaller webs close to the female

How can spiders be controlled?

Controlling insect populations inside and around the exterior of your home will help reduce attractiveness of spiders to your house.

A professional barrier treatment, which include treatment to the internal, external, roof cavity and sub floor will help maintain total insect control.

There are steps that you the homeowner can take:

Keep garages, attics and basements clean and clutter-free.
Seal any cracks or crevices around the home.
Inspect items such as boxes of decorations and grocery bags before bringing them indoors
Keep gardens neat and tidy
Trim back over hanging trees & bushes
Keep lawns mowed

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