Redbacks, Funnel-Webs and Huntsmans: A Sydney Spider Guide
Sydney has more medically significant spiders than most cities in the world, and they are perfectly happy living in suburban backyards. Knowing which species you are looking at tells you how worried to be.
Redback spider
Glossy black with the familiar red or orange stripe on the abdomen, redbacks build messy, tangled webs in dry, sheltered spots — under outdoor furniture, in letterboxes, in the lip of pot plants, behind sheds and under children's play equipment.
The bite is medically significant and painful, and antivenom exists. Redbacks are the number one reason we recommend a treatment for families with young children.
Sydney funnel-web
Large, glossy black, heavy-bodied and aggressive when disturbed. Funnel-webs are ground dwellers found in cool, humid areas — sandy soil, rockeries, garden beds and under logs. Males wander after summer rain and frequently end up in garages, laundries and swimming pools.
A funnel-web bite is a medical emergency. Never handle one; keep an eye on it, apply a pressure immobilisation bandage in the event of a bite, and call 000.
White-tail and huntsman
White-tails are slender, dark grey with a pale tip on the abdomen. They hunt other spiders indoors, so a white-tail problem is usually a symptom of a wider spider population in the house.
Huntsmans are large, fast and alarming but not dangerous. They are excellent at controlling other insects, and most huntsman call-outs are about comfort rather than risk.
Reducing spiders around the home
A residual treatment does most of the work, but the environment matters too.
- De-web eaves, window frames, fences and outdoor furniture regularly.
- Keep firewood, bricks and pavers stacked away from the house.
- Switch outdoor lighting to warm LEDs — fewer flying insects means fewer spiders.
- Shake out shoes, gloves and pool toys left outside overnight.
- Seal gaps under external doors and around weep holes.
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Common questions
How long does a spider treatment last?+
A residual external spray typically holds for 6–12 months depending on weather exposure. Heavy rain on exposed surfaces shortens that window.
Will a spray kill funnel-web spiders?+
A surface residual reduces wandering funnel-webs that cross treated areas, but because they are ground dwellers, treatment is combined with harbourage reduction around garden beds and rockeries.
When is spider season in Sydney?+
Activity climbs from October and peaks between January and April, with a spike in wandering males after warm, humid rain.