Spiders
Latin NameAraneae
Length 0.37 mm (0.015 in)
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Spiders in Melbourne

There are around 2,000 species of spiders in Australia with varying degrees of risk to humans. Some, such as Redbacks are very poisonous, while others are relatively harmless. Whether poisonous or not, they are unsightly and most people fear them. Therefore their presence in your home or place of work is a very serious concern from both a staff and client point of view.

Spiders are arachnids, a class of animal that includes scorpions, harvestmen, ticks and mites. Spiders have two main body parts, eight legs, simple eyes, piercing jaws (fangs) and silk-spinning organs. Arachnids are different to insects. Insects have three main body parts, six legs, compound eyes, antennae and chewing jaws (mandibles). However, like insects, spiders have an exoskeleton that is shed periodically to allow the spider to grow, a process known as moulting.

The most common spiders that people want removed live indoors as they enjoy the shelter provided by domestic and commercial buildings. Outdoor spiders are more a nervous nuisance, mostly due to the large webs they spin. No one likes that thick white web often seen around outdoor lighting and in the corners of a window.

In Melbourne and throughout Victoria, the most common spiders that EPC – Enviro Pest Control find in homes, offices and commercial buildings are the White Tail Spider, Black House Spider, Huntsman, Redback Spider, Wolf Spider, Trapdoor Spider and the Orb-Weaver Spider.

What to do if you have Spiders

The best advice when dealing with spiders is simple, leave them alone! The feeling is reciprocated and they are likely to stay away from you too. However, this does not resolve the problem.

If you think you have a spider infestation, then its best to get professional help. An EPC – Enviro Pest Control qualified technician can investigate, identify and provide an IPM, (Integrated Pest Management), solution for you, particularly if your problem is found to be a poisonous species of spider.

EPC’s IPM (Integrated Pest Management) services include spiders and we will get rid of them quickly for you. Below are ways to aid in the prevention of spiders.

  • Vacuum regularly
  • Remove webs from in and around the property
  • Fill in gaps around pipes and other areas
  • Deter other insects from loitering as these are their number one food source

EPC’s most commonly found spiders species in Melbourne are;

Please note the information below is general and we do not intend it as medical advice. If a spider has bitten you, seek medical advice/attention immediately!

  • Redback Spider (Latrodectus hasselti)
    The infamous Redback Spider is a highly venomous and dangerous spider. They have a distinctive red or orange stripe on the back. It is very rare that a Redback Spider bite is fatal; however, it is definitely unpleasant. They can also cause more trouble for pets. The Redback spider is very reclusive and is most often found in piles of wood and other building materials, empty drums and containers, under outdoor furniture and the rims of pot plants and bins, among overgrown vegetation, and within outdoor sheds.

    • Females approx. 14mm long, males approx. 3 mm
    • Shiny black colour with a distinctive red/orange stripe along their pea-shaped abdomen
    • Females lay up to 300 eggs in a single sac and lay 3- sacs each year
    • Webs are loose and untidy
    • Nocturnal
    • Prefers dark and dry, undisturbed locations
    • Non aggressive unless disturbed
  • White Tail Spider (Lampona cylindrata)
    White-tailed spiders get their name because of the whitish tip at the end of their abdomen. They are roaming hunters, often found hiding beneath bark, seeking to prey on other spiders and insects. However, they also attack humans with their venomous bite that causes localised pain. EPC – Enviro Pest Control find most encounters occur in summer when the spiders enter buildings to shelter from hot conditions outdoors.

    • Females approx. 20 mm long, males approx. 12 mm
    • Dark reddish brown/black to dull grey cigar-shaped body with dark orange banded legs and a distinctive white patch at the end of their abdomen
    • Females lay up to 90 eggs in a single egg sac
    • Nocturnal
  • Black House Spider (Badumna insignis)
    Black house spider webs form untidy, lacy sheets with funnel like entrances. The black variety are also quite venomous. Their bite can be agonizing and cause localise swelling. Often mistaken for Funnelwebs because of the funnel in their web.

    • Females approx. 18 mm long, males approx. 9 mm
    • Dark brown/black with a large abdomen
    • Females never leave their web unless forced to, but keeps on repairing it, meaning old webs can look grey and woolly from the constant additions of silk
  • Huntsman Spider (Delena spp., Holconia spp., Neosparassus sp., Olios spp.)
    Often found wandering around homes and gardens to hunt for prey, the Huntsman Spider got its name because of their speed and mode of hunting. There are over 100 species of Huntsman spiders in Australia. They are not considered dangerous, but there are reports of Huntsman Spider bites on humans, which are painful.

    • Females’ approx. 45 mm long (some species have a leg span over 160 mm)
    • Grey or brown with large long legs and may have banded legs
    • Legs fan out sideways which allows them to walk sideways. The front two legs are significantly longer than the back two
    • Females lay up to 200 eggs in a single egg sac
    • Fast and agile
    • Nocturnal
  • Wolf Spider (Trochosa ruricola)
    Robust and agile hunters with excellent eyesight, wolf spiders are usually found in the garden in leaf litter or burrows. Their bites cause swelling, mild pain, and itching.

    • Females approx. 35 mm long, males approx. 20 mm
    • Mottled grey-brown with fine pale gold hairs
    • Distinctive eye pattern of two large eyes at the front with four small eyes in a line beneath them. The other two eyes are set back on the sides of the front segment (or cephalothorax)
    • Females carry their egg sacs around with them attached to spinnerets under the abdomen.
    • Newly hatched spiderlings hatch, live on their mothers back for their first few weeks
    • Spiderlings can disperse on air currents (ballooning)
    • Shallow burrow dwelling
    • Fast and agile
    • Nocturnal
  • Trapdoor Spider (Misgolas rapax)
    The ground dwelling Trapdoor spider is one of the most venomous spiders in the world. Their bite can lead to localised pain and swelling. The Melbourne trapdoor spider is common in our backyards. It is a ground dweller and builds burrows that have no trapdoor. They can be distinguished from Funnelweb burrows by the absence of silk triplines around the entrance.

    • Female’s approx.35 mm long, males approx. 23 mm
    • Chocolate brown colour and covered with fine hairs
    • Have a long lifespan 5-20 years
  • Orb-weaving Spider (Araneidae)
    This common spider comes in many size variants, shape, and colour and they change their colour to better match their environment. The common name comes from the web-spinning behaviour of these spiders – they make the classic, round “orb” web that most people associate with spiders but there are also many exceptions. Their bite causes mild, local pain, redness, and occasionally swelling for a period of thirty minutes up to three to four hours.

    • Females approx. 25 mm long, Males approx. 17 mm
    • Wide colour range for off-white through to almost black
    • Leaf shaped pattern on the top their abdomen
    • Non-aggressive
    • Nocturnal
  • ‘Daddy Long-Legs’ (Pholcus phalangoides)
    Daddy longlegs is a common name used for a group of spiders, but it is also used for a different group of arachnids called harvestmen. Unlike spiders, harvestmen bodies do not have a ‘waist’ and do not produce silk. Daddy longlegs spiders are often found inside houses whereas harvestmen are not.

    • Introduced accidently from Europe, now one of the most common spiders in Australia
    • Pale brown to cream with extremely long slender legs and relatively small bodies
    • Females approx. 20 mm long, males approx. 15 mm long
    • Build tangle webs
  • Funnelweb Spider (Hadronyche)
    Over 40 species in Australia. Of these only the Sydney Funnelweb have been responsible for recorded deaths. Sydney Funnelwebs are not found in Victoria. The two Victorian Funnelweb spider species are relatives of the Sydney Funnelweb spider. However, their venom has been reported to cause only general symptoms such as headaches and nausea. Trapdoor spiders, mouse spiders and black house spiders are commonly mistaken for Funnelwebs.

    • Females approx. 35 mm long, males approx. 30 mm
    • Shiny black head and legs, black to brown abdomen covered with fine hairs

Breeding and Life Cycle of Spiders

With more than 38,000 different spider species there are many different courtship and mating rituals. Regardless of this they all share the same life cycle which is divided into four stages; Egg, Egg sac, Spiderlings, Adult

Spiders give off a very powerful type of chemical when they are ready to mate. The males go in search of the females in order to be able to mate with them. They are able to tell not only if the female is ready to mate but if she is of the same species by the chemicals she gives off.

The spider lifespan can vary as much as the spider life cycle. Most spiders live about two-three years, but some have been known to live up to 20 years in captivity.

EPC’s Fun facts about Spiders

  • Spider silk is extremely strong. The silk in a spider’s web is actually five times stronger than a strand of steel the same thickness
  • Spiders have blue blood (due to the presence of haemocyanin dissolved in the lymph)
  • Spiders have claws at the end of each leg
  • There is one species of spider in Central America that has been found to be mostly herbivorous

Why hire EPC – Enviro Pest Control to remove spiders?

  • EPC – Enviro Pest Control staff are Trained Specialists and are very experienced at identifying and eradicating spiders
  • EPC – Enviro Pest Control understand peoples’ fear of spiders
  • Offer IPM (integrated Pest Management)
  • We use chemicals that are HACCP compliant when required
  • We arrive on time
  • EPC – Enviro Pest Control staff are discreet, friendly and professionally presented
  • Fairly priced service with advice to help prevent spiders coming back
  • EPC – Enviro Pest Control’s pest control services, including for spiders are effective

EPC – Enviro Pest Control spider control solutions are effective and we are committed to keeping your home, office, or commercial building spider-free! If you need to speak to a professional about Spider Treatments in Melbourne, call 03 9988 5066 now.