A big black spider bite is an emergency
healthdirect says to treat a bite from any big black spider as a medical emergency: call 000 for an ambulance. Lie the person down and keep them still. Our funnel-web guide has the bandage and splint steps. Never handle the spider.
How the Shire is different
Towra Point
NPWS says Towra Point, near Cronulla, is the largest and most diverse estuarine wetland complex in Sydney, holding most of the region's remaining saltmarsh. NSW Health notes that sites near saltmarshes catch a bigger share of saltmarsh mosquitoes.
The Georges River traps
The local health district monitors mosquitoes at Alfords Point and Illawong, weekly from about November to April. NSW Health found Stratford virus in traps there in early 2025, and Barmah Forest virus at Alfords Point on 25 March 2025. A trap result isn't a human case.
Funnel-web habitat
The Australian Museum says funnel-webs mostly live in moist upland forest, particularly the Hornsby Plateau to the north and the Woronora Plateau to the south. The Southern Sydney funnel-web is one of three species common around Greater Sydney.
Next to the Royal
Royal National Park, established in 1879, sits on the Shire's doorstep. The Australian Museum says houses near natural bushland may often have termite nests nearby, though those may not be pest species.
Near the bush or near the bay
If you back onto bushland, keep firewood off the ground, keep garden beds clear of the walls, and fix leaks near the house. A termite inspection tells you what's actually going on with your timber, and it's worth repeating. If you find mud tubes, leave them undisturbed.
Near the bay, mosquitoes are partly a tide story. NSW Health notes that high tides over 1.8 metres could trigger saltmarsh mosquitoes hatching on the NSW coast, so a yard treatment can only do so much. Screens, covering up at dusk and removing water around the house are the steady wins.
Questions for the pest business
- What have you found, and where exactly?
- What do you recommend, and what happens if I do nothing for now?
- Which product will you use, and what's its full name?
- What should I expect afterwards, and what does any warranty cover in writing?
Our take on pests in the Sutherland Shire
Through summer and autumn, look before you reach into the pool skimmer or a shoe left outside. A regular termite inspection is the one booking worth making in advance. For the rest, tell us what you're seeing and where you are in the Shire.
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.
