Spider Control

Spiders belong to Class Arachnida (which also includes scorpions, mites, ticks and harvestmen).   They have eight legs, two main body parts, fangs, and silk spinning organs.   So they are not insects, which have six legs, three main body parts and chewing jaws.   But like insects, spiders moult periodically to allow them to grow.

There have only been two spiders that have caused deaths in Australia in the past, Redback spiders and the Sydney Funnelweb.   There have been no deaths in Australia from a confirmed spider bite since 1979.   Redback Spider anti-venom was introduced in 1956 and one for funnel-web spiders in 1980.

COMMON SPIDERS

Redback Spiders – found all over Australia, these spiders are black and shiny, with a red or orange marking under the abdomen.   Most have a stripe on the upper abdomen too.   The females are larger than the males and may produce several thousand offspring during their lifetime.   Hundreds of bites are recorded each year with symptoms including pain, sweating, nausea and vomiting.

Whitetailed Spiders – found all over Australia, these spiders often find their way into homes.   They are often most active at night when they are hunting.   Usually grey to black in colour with a cigar shaped body and a white mark on the tip of the abdomen.   These spiders are not aggressive but can inflict a poisonous bite.

Huntsman Spiders – generally found living in the garden under rocks and bark, on the ground or on foliage, these spiders sometimes enter houses or cars.   Usually brown or grey in colour, Huntsman spiders can measure up to 15 cm across the legs.

Black House Spider – these spiders are commonly found in the bark of trees.   Between 9 – 18mm, with black legs and a large abdomen, these spiders bites can be quite painful with swelling, nausea and vomiting recorded in cases.