Spider bite? First things
A bite from any big black spider is a medical emergency: call 000, keep the person still and follow the funnel-web first aid on our funnel-web page. For other bites, healthdirect's general first aid is to wash with soap and water and use an ice pack wrapped in cloth, never straight on the skin. Don't cut a bite or use a tourniquet. The Poisons Information Centre gives advice on 13 11 26, any time.
Which spiders actually matter
Almost every spider has venom, mainly for subduing insects, and plenty can't even pierce human skin. The Australian Museum says only male Sydney funnel-webs and redbacks have caused deaths in Australia, and none since 1979 from a confirmed bite.
Mouse spider venom may be highly toxic, so treat those bites seriously too. The Australian Museum doesn't count huntsmen as dangerous, and healthdirect says the same of white tails, while a black house spider bite can be painful and occasionally makes people feel sick. healthdirect also says it can be hard to know whether a bite is dangerous, which is why any big black spider gets the emergency treatment.
Which spider is it? Look at the web
| What you'll see | Usually found | |
|---|---|---|
| Redback | A funnel-like retreat at the top, with a forest of sticky vertical threads below | Dry, sheltered spots outside: letterboxes, under outdoor furniture, sheds |
| Black house spider | A lacy web with a funnel entrance | Window corners and wall crevices |
| Daddy-long-legs | A thin, tangled web and a tiny body on very long legs | Ceiling corners, behind doors, under furniture |
| Funnel-web | A silk-lined burrow with trip-lines fanning out from the entrance | Damp, shady ground: rockeries, logs, leaf litter |
| White tail | No web at all; a slim spider out hunting at night | Bathrooms and laundries |
| Huntsman or wolf spider | No web; a big spider moving fast | Walls, or coming in under doors |
Does spider spray work?
It cuts numbers where it's applied, for a while. It can't stop new spiders arriving: the Australian Museum says getting rid of spiders long term is almost impossible, because young spiders travel on the wind on strands of silk. And Better Health Channel warns that outdoor insecticides may drive spiders inside.
So a spider treatment makes sense around particular trouble spots, such as redbacks around a play area or funnel-webs near the back door, rather than as a blanket fix. Ask the pest business where they'll treat and why, and tell the technician about children, pets, fish tanks and veggie gardens so they can plan around them.
How to get rid of spiders without spraying
Better Health Channel's list is short and does most of the work: draught strips on doors, flyscreens on windows and vents, and shrubs and bushes cut back from doors and windows. Brush down old webs with a broom, clear clutter from sheds and under decks, and shake out shoes and clothes before you put them on.
Your job and theirs
You can
- Seal the gaps under doors and fix torn flyscreens.
- Wear gloves to move pots, timber and anything stacked outside.
- Brush away webs around windows and eaves.
- Leave huntsmen and daddy-long-legs alone; they eat other pests.
Leave to a pest business
- Redbacks or funnel-webs you keep finding around play areas or doors.
- Spiders under a deck, in the roof space or anywhere you can't safely look.
- A spider treatment, planned around what you tell them about children, pets and fish ponds.
How we'd decide
If it's the odd huntsman or daddy-long-legs, we'd leave the spray in the shop and seal the gaps instead. If redbacks or funnel-webs keep appearing where people walk or play, that's worth a treatment: tap Spiders or ants and say which spider and where. Our spider control page explains what the job involves.
Want someone to look at it?
Tell us what you've seen and your postcode, and a local pest business that handles exactly that calls you to talk it through.
