Out of all the crawlies that make their homes in your house, Spiders may be the most feared, and it is no wonder why. Often found perched in a corner, creepily observing everything below. Or it might be their eight spindly legs, multiple eyes, and creepy movements. There are many reasons why you might find spiders terrifying. Whether it is the tiny yet deadly red back or creepy, hairy and huge yet harmless huntsman, Australia is home to a large range of spiders.
The Tiny yet Deadly Red Back (Latrodectus hasselti)
The Harmless yet Terrifying Hunstman (Sparassidae)
Australia has a terrible reputation for having deadly animals that are out to get you. However, the truth is unless you antagonise these creatures most of them are way more scared of you then you are of them. In fact spiders can be helpful in removing some of the annoying pests such as flies, mosquitoes, and cockroaches. But like all bugs that live in your homes they can become problematic, especially if they are a dangerous venomous type.
At Inner West Pest Control we specialise in removing all types of pests from your household in a safe and effective manner.
This blog will teach you about some of the common spider species we see in the Sydney area, and where and why they might be in your homes.
1. Cellar Spider (Pholcusphalangioides)
Known colloquially as 'daddy long legs', this spider is known unsurprisingly for its long spindly legs. They are often light brown in colour. These spiders make their homes in sheltered spaces under furniture, in cupboards or corner of a ceiling.
These spiders pose extremely low risk to humans, despite being known to hunt RedBacks!
2. Huntsman Spider(Sparassidae)
One of the most recognised spiders in Australia. The Huntsman spider poses a threatening figure, they can reach up to 15cm in length and are often brown to grey. They are called Huntsman due to their frightening speed and hunting prowess. When startled they will scuttle across walls at incredible speeds. Relatively harmless to humans they are shy and will scurry away at first sight usually, however if they feel threatened they can inflict a painful bite.
You can find these spiders in narrow spots such as under logs or bark, however, you may also find them in your homes and even your car! They do not build webs like other spiders.
3. Redback Spider (Latrodectus hasselti)
One of the most notorious spider species worldwide, the Australian Redback is the down under counterpart of the North American Black Widow.
These spiders are found all through out urban areas. The iconic black and red colouring is actually just the females of the species, males are light brown with white markings. These spider are tiny measuring only about 10mm. These spiders can be found anywhere in urban areas, mainly in dark and sheltered spaces.
The macabre breeding habits of this spider is perhaps what they are best known for. The female spider will squirt digestive juices onto the male during the mating process, most males do not survive this process. Redbacks have a painful bite, however unless you put your hand directly into its web it will be unlikely to bite you.
4. Sydney Funnel-Web Spiders(Atrax robustus)
Perhaps the most notorious of spiders. The Sydney Funnel Web is a shiny dark brown to black spider with large fangs. They can reach up to 10cm in length. This spider is mainly found in NSW, particularly in the Sydney region. Whilst these spiders may wonder into homes, they prefer to live outside in gardens or forest areas. They live in burrows and spring out at the first sign of prey. You can find these spiders hidden under leaves, logs and holes in the ground.
Unlike most spiders Funnel Webs deserve their reputation. Their venom is incredibly potent and bites can be extremely painful and even life threatening for humans. Fortunately an anti-venom has existed for several decades now.
Spiders may give you the heebie jeebies, but most of the time as long as you leave them along they are harmless. However, if you find yourself suffering from a spider infestation or are worried about the presence of a dangerous spider such as the Funnel Web around your pets or children. The professionals at Inner West Pest Control are experts in Spider removal and control.