How to Get Rid of Spiders
Sydney is spider country, and most of the ones you meet are harmless and even helpful, quietly eating other pests. The trouble is the webs, the numbers, and the two genuinely dangerous species we share the city with. Here is how to keep spiders in check, safely.
It helps to start with some perspective. The vast majority of spiders around a Sydney home are not dangerous, and they do a useful job keeping insect numbers down. For most people the goal is not to wipe out every spider but to reduce the webbing and the numbers around the home, and to stay safe around the few species that genuinely warrant caution.
Sydney's Most Common Spiders
Knowing what you are looking at takes a lot of the fear out of spiders, and tells you whether you can relax or need to be careful.
Huntsman Harmless
Large, flat and fast, and alarming to find on a wall, but harmless and a great hunter of other pests. More startling than dangerous.
Black house spider Low risk
Makes messy, lacy webs around window frames, eaves and brickwork. A bite is unpleasant but not dangerous, and they are not aggressive.
Garden orb weaver Harmless
Builds large round webs across garden paths and between plants at night. Harmless, though walking into a web is never fun.
Daddy long-legs Harmless
Thin-legged spiders in the corners of ceilings and garages. Harmless, and they even prey on other spiders around the home.
Sydney funnel-web Dangerous
A ground-dwelling spider found in gardens that can wander into homes. Among the most venomous in the world. Never handle one.
Redback Dangerous
Black with a red stripe, webbing in sheltered dry spots like sheds, furniture and letterboxes. Venomous and best left to a professional.
You may also come across white-tail spiders, which are common indoors and have a bad reputation. It is worth knowing that the widespread belief that white-tail bites cause flesh-rotting ulcers is not supported by the evidence. A bite is usually just a painful, itchy spot. It is still no fun, but the scary stories are largely a myth.
DIY Web Removal and Exterior Treatment
For the common, harmless web-building spiders, a good deal of control comes down to simple, regular maintenance around the outside of the home.
- Knock down webs regularly from eaves, windows, corners and the verandah with a broom or web brush
- Vacuum up indoor webs, egg sacs and the occasional spider in quiet corners
- Clear away clutter, woodpiles and debris near the house where spiders shelter
- Manage outdoor lighting, since lights attract the insects that spiders feed on
- Keep gardens tidy and trimmed back from the walls
Removing webs and reducing the insects that feed spiders makes your home much less appealing to them. DIY surface sprays around the perimeter can help too, though their effect tends to be limited and short-lived, and they do little for ground-dwelling spiders like funnel-webs. For a persistent webbing problem, a professional exterior treatment around the home lasts longer and works better than repeated trips to the shop.
Never DIY with dangerous spiders: Web removal and tidying are fine for the harmless species, but you should never try to catch, squash by hand or otherwise deal with a funnel-web or redback yourself. With those two, keep your distance and get professional help.
When to Call About Funnel-Webs and Redbacks
These are the two species where caution really matters, especially in homes with children or pets. If either is turning up around your property, a professional treatment is well worth it for peace of mind.
Funnel-webs
Sydney funnel-webs live in moist, sheltered spots in the garden and can wander, particularly in summer and after rain. They sometimes fall into pools or end up in shoes and garages left open. They are highly venomous and can be aggressive when threatened, so never attempt to catch or kill one by hand. Keep children and pets well clear and have the area treated professionally.
Redbacks
Redbacks prefer dry, sheltered places such as sheds, under outdoor furniture, in letterboxes and around children's play equipment. They are not aggressive but will bite if disturbed against the skin. Check these spots carefully, and if redbacks are common around your home, a professional treatment of those sheltered areas is the safest fix.
If Someone Is Bitten
A funnel-web bite is a medical emergency. Call 000 immediately, keep the person as still and calm as possible, and follow the operator's first-aid instructions. Effective antivenom is available at hospitals.
For a suspected redback bite, seek medical advice and see a doctor, particularly for children, older people or anyone who becomes unwell. Antivenom is available if needed.
Worried About Dangerous Spiders?
If funnel-webs or redbacks are showing up around your home, we will treat the areas they shelter and give you back your peace of mind.
See our spider control serviceWhy Do I Suddenly Have So Many Spiders?
Spider numbers are not constant through the year, which is why it can feel like they appear all at once. In Sydney, the warmer months see far more activity, and autumn in particular is when many spiders reach full size and males go wandering in search of a mate, which is when you tend to notice big huntsmen indoors and more webs around the garden.
Weather plays a part too. Heavy rain and storms can drive ground-dwelling spiders, including funnel-webs, out of waterlogged burrows and into homes, sheds and pools, while a warm, insect-rich spell gives all spiders plenty to eat. None of it means your home is overrun, it is usually just the season, and a bit of extra web-brushing and caution sees you through the peak.
Prevention
Keeping spiders down is an ongoing job rather than a one-off, but a handful of habits make a real difference and double as good safety practice around the dangerous species.
- Brush down webs regularly so spiders do not get established
- Clear clutter, timber, bricks and debris from around the house and shed
- Seal gaps around doors, windows and vents to reduce entry points
- Keep outdoor lighting modest, or use globes that attract fewer insects
- Wear gloves when gardening or reaching into dark, sheltered spots
- Shake out shoes, gloves and items left outside before using them
- Always check under outdoor furniture and around play equipment for redbacks
For homes that get a heavy spider season every year, or where dangerous species are a regular worry, an ongoing exterior treatment program keeps numbers down with far less effort than constant web-brushing. It is also the most reliable way to keep funnel-webs and redbacks in check around a family home.
Most spiders are harmless housemates that earn their keep, and a bit of regular web removal and tidying handles the nuisance ones. Save your real attention for funnel-webs and redbacks, never handle them, know the first-aid steps, and get professional help when they appear. That balance keeps your home comfortable without the fear.