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What Should I Do About Funnel-Web Spiders?

Written by PestMan Editorial TeamTechnical review pendingPublished Updated

Quick answer

Funnel-web spiders live in parts of NSW and South East Queensland, and a bite is a medical emergency. Apply a pressure-immobilisation bandage, keep the person still and call 000. Around the home, wear gloves and shoes outdoors, check shoes and pool filters, and keep ground-level gaps sealed. Don’t try to catch one with bare hands.

Why this happens

Funnel-web spiders are large, glossy, black to brown spiders that live in burrows in moist, sheltered ground — under logs, rocks, rockeries and dense garden beds. The Sydney funnel-web is the best known, but related species occur along much of the east coast, including parts of South East Queensland.

Males leave their burrows to search for females in the warmer months, especially on humid nights after rain. That is when they wander into garages, laundries, shoes left outside and swimming pools, where they can survive underwater for some time.

Antivenom has been available since 1981 and, with prompt first aid and treatment, deaths from funnel-web bites have become extremely rare. Speed matters, which is why first aid and calling 000 come first.

What you may be seeing

  • A large (up to about 5 cm body), shiny black spider with a raised, rearing posture when disturbed.
  • Silk-lined burrows with trip-lines radiating from the entrance in garden beds or under rocks.
  • Spiders in pools or pool filters on summer mornings.

What you can do

  • Wear gloves and closed shoes when gardening, moving rocks or timber.
  • Shake out shoes, boots and clothing left outside or in garages.
  • Check pool filters and skimmer boxes carefully, using a scoop rather than your hand.
  • Fit door seals and keep laundry and garage doors closed at night in summer.
  • If you are in the Sydney region, the Australian Reptile Park runs a program that collects funnel-webs for antivenom; check its website for drop-off points and safe-catching guidance.

What not to do

  • Do not handle a funnel-web spider, alive or apparently dead.
  • Do not wash the bite or cut it, and do not remove the bandage once applied.
Safety first

Funnel-web bite first aid: apply a firm pressure-immobilisation bandage over the bite and along the whole limb, splint the limb, keep the person completely still and call 000 immediately. Poisons Information Centre: 13 11 26.

When professional help may be needed

Pest managers can advise on reducing harbourage around the home, but no treatment reliably prevents wandering males arriving from nearby gardens and bushland. Personal precautions are the main protection.

Spiders

Eight-legged predators that feed on insects. Most household spiders are harmless and useful, but a few Australian species, such as redbacks and funnel-webs, need to be treated with care.

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Sources & further reading

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