How to get rid of Redback Spiders
Redback Spiders are attracted to the warmer weather and that is why we see so many in the Summer months on the Gold Coast.
The Redback is identifiable by the distinctive red stripe on its back and the female stripe is more prominent than the male stripe. The female Redback spider usually has a body length of about 10mm compared to her much smaller male counterpart, who is only about 3–4 mm in length.
It is rare to be bitten by the male Redback Spider due to its smaller abdomen and fangs and the pain is generally short lived compared to the female bite. The bite can be harmful to humans especially young children, the sick, pregnant women and the elderly.
Redback spiders like to set up home, by spinning a messy web, in warm, dark and dry sheltered places such as weepholes, roof void, under outdoor furniture, kid’s toys and play equipment. Other places they reside include, trampolines, cubby houses, letterboxes, garden sheds coping of pools, wood heaps, trees, bushes, leaves and garden mulch. They also like to inhabit shoes, clothing, garden gloves and so on.
It is always a good idea to check for Redback Spiders before donning your shoes, gardening gloves and using outdoor equipment and toys.
A client, who recently moved onto a property in Nerang, contacted us concerned with the amount of Redback Spiders they were seeing. The spiders were entering the house through the downlights and were located everywhere outside, including under the eaves, along the brickwork and under the outdoor furniture on the veranda.
A thorough inspection of the property located several Redback Spiders in each weephole around the exterior walls of the dwelling, in the corners of the veranda, under the outdoor furniture and an infestation was discovered in the roof void, hence why they were seeing so many coming into the house via the downlights. Roof voids are a very common place for Redback’s to nest.
Although we are all fearsome of the Redback Spider they are generally non-aggressive unless they are disturbed and come into contact with people. Below are a few simple steps that can assist you to control a Redback Spider infestation on your property.
- Clean your outdoor furniture regularly
- Remove spider webs and egg sacs. A quick and effective way to remove them requires pushing a stick into the back of the web and twisting the web.
- Don’t leave shoes, gardening gloves, etc., lying around outside
- Pack away children’s toys
- Remove unwanted storage, wood heaps, tyres, etc.
- Clean up leaves, branches and sticks from garden areas
- Carry out regular general pest controls especially leading into the warmer months.
When booking in for a general pest control, always let the Pest Technician know if you have spotted any Redback Spiders and they will assist to eliminate them whilst on site.
If you are worried about Redback Spiders contact Tommy Termites Pest & Weed Management on 0407751513 or go to our Contact Us page, leave your details and we will be in touch.