Facts About Redback Spiders

Facts About Redback Spiders (Latrodectus hasseltii) is a species of highly venomous widow spider found throughout Australia, Southeast Asia and New Zealand. Although the male of the species is harmless, the female is responsible for fatalities and serious illness, earning this spider a place with the world’s most dangerous species. This is unsurprising as the redback’s method of envenoming and killing is dramatic! Injecting her prey with venom through her two fangs, she wraps her victim in silk before sucking out its liquefied insides.

Luckily, the striking characteristics of the female redback spider are very unique: a bold, red stripe strikes down the upper side of her 10 mm black abdomen, and an hourglass shaped orange streak can be found beneath her. However, the small size of the redback means that she is not always easy to spot, especially when lurking in hidden or dark spaces. It is therefore important to understand where you might find redbacks on your property, as this species is common to homes across Melbourne’s suburbs.

Coming out at night, the female redback chooses a warm, dry, sheltered location to cast her web, often near a water source such as a swimming pool or pile of rubbish. The web itself is messy, and the spider hides in a funnel-shaped area at its top; below this, the web is made of usually vertical, sticky threads. Unfortunately, this is very often near, or inside, human homes and properties, where she preys on other spiders and small vertebrates that become ensnared in her web. The redback most commonly feeds on insects, like trapdoor spiders and fruit flies; however, these spiders have been known to feast on small lizards, mice and even snakes!

It is therefore important to maintain a clean home and garden space to avoid redback spiders taking up residence. Right Pest Control suggests cleaning up rubbish around the home and garden as an important precautionary measure. This includes avoiding stacking things against the outer walls of the house, as this species love to hide behind items such as boxes and rubbish. As redbacks enjoy dark and quiet areas, pay special attention to garages and garden sheds, as any build-up of unused containers make the perfect home for this species. This also includes removing other pests, as redbacks feed predominantly on insects. It is therefore important to wear gloves and boots when cleaning up around the home. Last but by no means least, it is vital to teach children to never touch spiders, no matter what species, and for them to wear shoes when walking outside after dark.

A professional assessment and treatment will control redbacks in your home. Right Pest Control will: inspect your property for redback spiders and devise a programme to get rid of them if necessary; spray affected areas with a safe and effective insecticide spray; use repellent spray to protect the perimeters and surrounding areas of the building; and find out how and where these spiders are entering your home and advise you how to prevent this in the future.Call Right pest Control for all your pest control requirement.0478308361