Redback Spiders in Melbourne: Identification, Bites and Control

Redback spiders are one of the few spiders in Melbourne that can make you genuinely unwell. They love sheds, letterboxes, outdoor furniture and anywhere dry and sheltered close to the house. This guide covers how to recognise them, where they hide, what to do if someone is bitten, and how we keep them away from your home.

Female redback spider: shiny black body with a red or orange stripe on top.

How to identify a redback spider

• Female: a shiny black, pea-sized round body (up to about 1 cm) with slender legs and a red or orange stripe down the top of the abdomen. There’s also a red hourglass mark underneath. The female is the one that bites people.
• Male: much smaller (around 3–4 mm), light brown with white markings. Males are rarely noticed and aren’t a bite risk.
• Web: a messy, tangled web, usually with sticky threads running down to the ground and a funnel-shaped retreat in a dark corner.

Look-alikes such as the black cupboard spider are often mistaken for redbacks. If you’re unsure, take a photo from a safe distance and send it to us.

Where redbacks hide around Melbourne homes

Redbacks prefer dry, sheltered spots near people, which is why they turn up so often in suburban backyards. Common places include:

• Sheds, garages and carports, especially under shelves and in stored boxes
• Letterboxes, meter boxes and the underside of outdoor furniture
• Pot plants, garden edging, rockeries, woodpiles and pavers
• Kids’ play equipment, sandpit covers and outdoor toys
• Gaps in fences, brick vents and around downpipes
• Outdoor toilets and rubbish bin storage areas

Numbers build up over the warmer months, so late spring and summer is when most Melbourne families notice them.

First aid for a redback bite

Redback bites are painful but rarely serious for healthy adults, and an antivenom is available in hospitals. Follow current health advice from healthdirect:

• Wash the bite with soap and water.
• Apply a cold pack or ice wrapped in a cloth to ease the pain.
• Do not use a pressure bandage for a redback bite (that’s for funnel-web bites).
• See a doctor if pain is severe or spreading, or there’s sweating, nausea, headache or weakness.
• If a child is bitten, seek medical help straight away.

For advice any time, call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26. In an emergency, call 000.

How we get rid of redbacks

Our spider control treatment targets the places redbacks actually live, not just the walls you can see:

• A free entry-point inspection, with photos of where pests are getting in
• A long-lasting residual spray outside: eaves, window and door frames, fences, decking, pergolas, sheds, garages, letterbox, meter box, bins and garden edges
• An inside spray along skirting boards, cornices and window frames
• Roof void dusting and, where accessible, subfloor dusting

An average home takes about 1.5 hours. Everyone, including children, babies and pets, can come back inside 2 hours after the indoor treatment. Our spider treatment comes with a written 14-day and 12-month pest-free guarantee, subject to our guarantee terms.

Keeping redbacks away

• Wear gloves when gardening, moving pot plants or reaching into the shed.
• Shake out shoes, gloves and clothing left outside before putting them on.
• Keep woodpiles, rubbish and stored items off the ground and away from the house.
• Check play equipment and outdoor toys before the kids use them.
• Book a spider treatment before summer, when numbers peak.

Redback spider FAQs

Are redback spiders dangerous?

A redback bite can be very painful and can cause sweating, nausea and headaches, but it’s rarely life-threatening for healthy adults and an antivenom is available. Bites to young children are more serious, so seek medical help straight away if a child is bitten.

Should I use a pressure bandage on a redback bite?

No. Pressure bandages are for funnel-web and snake bites. For a redback bite, wash the area, use a cold pack and see a doctor if symptoms are severe. You can call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 for advice.

When are redbacks most active in Melbourne?

They’re around all year but numbers build up in the warmer months. Late spring and summer is when most people find them in sheds, letterboxes and outdoor furniture.

Is the treatment safe for my kids and pets?

Yes, when the re-entry time is followed. Everyone, including children, babies and pets, can come back inside 2 hours after the indoor treatment. If you’re pregnant or have a medical, allergy or breathing condition, talk to your technician first.

How long does a spider treatment last?

Our spider treatment comes with a written 14-day and 12-month pest-free guarantee, and we recommend a yearly treatment in spring or early summer. See how long does a spider spray last for what affects it.

Seeing redbacks around your home? Call 1800 38 66 55 or request a free quote. We service all of Greater Melbourne, 7 days.