What you need to know about white tailed spiders

​There are two common species of white tailed spiders and both are found across Australia, including Adelaide. So what do you need to know about them?

What do white tailed spiders look like?

​You will know you’re looking at a white tailed spider if its body is cylindrical and 1-2cm long, grey-brown, glossy legs and a light grey or white spot at the ‘tail’. The spider may have two white spots on the abdomen, but these are less noticeable in adult white tail spiders. 

Where do white tailed spiders live?

White tailed spiders like to live where their favourite food is, other spiders. This means that they can be found out in the garden, in sheds, or even in our homes.
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In Summer time, white tailed spiders come inside our homes to hunt their favourite food, the common black house spider. Inside, the white tailed spider will live in bedding, things left on the floor, and other little nooks and crannies. 
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What do white tailed spiders eat?

Other than their favourite black house spiders, white tailed spiders have also been known to eat daddy-long-legs and redback spiders.
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White tailed spiders prefer to hunt at night. 

White tailed spider bites

White tailed spiders are not poisonous and most bites happen inside our homes at night, especially in Summer & Autumn, and on arms or legs.
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While their bites can hurt and have been known to cause some small irritation, the common belief that their bite causes necrosis (skin infection & death) has recently been disproven. ​

Controlling white tailed spiders

The two key things to controlling white tailed spiders are:
- keeping floors, including under beds, clean
- removing their prey from inside your home, including their webs.

MD Pest control offers specialised spider sprays to control spiders both inside and outside your home. Call us to find out how we can do this in your home, or use our online booking system to book your spider spray now.