Nobody likes having spiders in their home and the brown house spider (known as the Steatoda grossa or cupboard spider) is no exception. It’s found all over the world and it’s often confused for the redback as it has a very similar body shape and colour but lacks the distinguishing features of the redback in that it’s missing the red hourglass markings on the back of its abdomen.

If you’re unlucky enough to be bitten by a brown house spider it’s unlikely it will have any long-lasting effects however the bite site can blister along with causing fever, sweating pain and a feeling of sickness for several days after being bitten.

If you see a brown house spider in your home, it’s likely there’s going to be more hiding around the place so it’s worthwhile talking to us and organising a pest inspection right away.

What are brown house spiders?

These spiders are very common across Australia and can also be found in America, Europe and Asia. The males are typically smaller than the females and they measure between 4-10mm in length so they’re quite small and can be hard to spot. Females can lay three or more egg sacs a year which will contain anywhere between 40 and 100 eggs and will typically hatch around a month after being laid.

Female brown house spiders can live up to 6 years whereas the males usually only live to around 1-1.5 years of age.

Diet and habitat

Brown house spiders, like many other web weavers, will eat a range of different insects, including other spiders. Their webs are typically a messy tangle of spider silk and they rely on vibrations from their webs to let them know prey is close by as they have pretty terrible eyesight.

They love hiding out in dark places like under furniture and pot plants or in sheds and wood piles or other undisturbed areas.

Pest control options for brown house spiders

The thing about these types of spiders is that they often go unnoticed as they are great at hiding in little nooks and crannies under furniture, tables, chairs, etc so it’s often people don’t realise they’re in their home until they move things around or are unfortunately bitten.

Remember that spider bites are the second most common cause of hospitalisations for venomous animals and plants in Australia so don’t risk your family's safety – talk with us today about Abolish Termite and Pest Management conducting a pest treatment in your home today.