Remove Harmful Redback Spiders from Your Home

It may be natural to have a few spiders around the home to keep troublesome flies and mosquitoes at bay; however some species are not at all welcome. The Redback is certainly a prime example of a harmful spider. This venomous species demands that you are constantly on guard and alert to their presence.

To effectively remove Redbacks from your property is it important to know a little more about them: their appearance, their feeding habits and hiding preferences.

Redback Spider Basics

The notorious species feature in the folklore of many songs and poems and there's even a variety of beer that bears the name.

They are endemic and likely to be found in any Australian backyard, particularly in highly populated urban areas.

Appearance

Redbacks are a close relative of the renowned Black Widow Spider and are very similar in appearance except for their characteristic stripe. Clearly the name derives from their distinctive dorsal band of red colour on the black body.

The female is usually about the size of a large pea with a diameter of about one centimetre.

 In comparison the tiny male counterpart spans a mere 3 or 4 millimetres with less distinctive red markings.

Preferred Hiding Places

Redbacks may be found almost anywhere around the home where they can find shelter and food. However their preferred hideouts are in verandas and sheds, hollow logs or garden wood heaps, underneath steps, holes and crevices around swimming pools and in litter piles.

  • Always take care when removing garden rubbish and carefully check boots and shoes that have been left at the back door for any length of time.

  • Be sure to make a thorough inspection under the outdoor garden chairs and kid's bikes for signs of webs.

It only takes a few days for the Redback to make the most of any new opportunity for a comfortable shelter.

Redback Bites

The majority of severe cases of spider bites in Australia can be attributed to Redbacks.

A reaction to the toxin causes the victim to experience severe pain, sweating, nausea and vomiting and muscle weakness.

The best treatment is to apply an ice-pack and seek medical assistance. Anti-venom is available and no deaths from Redback spiders have occurred since its introduction.

 Fortunately, the venom is slow to act and some lucky individuals have no reaction to the toxin aside from acute itching.

Steps You Can Take to Remove Redbacks

You need to make regular inspections of all the likely Redback territories on your property.

  • Search for signs of spiders and their webs wearing gloves and enclosed shoes or boots.

  • Remove the webs by using a stick and twisting it into the web which may contain the spider and egg sacs.

  • Be alert as the spider will react very quickly. It will try to escape to its nest or drop to the ground.

  • If you are not able to kill it on your fist attempt, don't despair, it will return to the same location and you can then try again.

By following this procedure on a regular basis you will be able to quickly spot any new arrivals by the presence of fresh webs and eliminate them promptly.

A Comprehensive Solution

Completely eradicating Redbacks from the home can be rather challenging and time consuming. They have very well-developed survival instincts.

A single spraying with pesticides is not enough to remove them. Their hiding spots need to be properly identified and their life-cycle and breeding habits understood.

A thorough inspection of the property to discover all the likely hiding spots and a systematic plan for their removal needs to be developed.

To ensure that your Redback problem is properly managed,  professional pest control services--through a company like Promaster Group--are really the best solution. A specialist service will use their knowledge and expertise to devise a plan which will fully eliminate the problem and make your property completely Redback free.


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