During autumn, homeowners across Australia begin to notice the presence of funnel web spiders. These spiders often live in garages, basements and roof spaces, but they will go wherever there are food and shelter.
If you keep finding funnel web spiders in your garage, they could be attracted there for several reasons.
Your garage is dark and cluttered
Female funnel web spiders prefer to build their webs in dark areas. A garage provides lots of dark nooks and crannies for a spider to build its web. And if, like many garages, yours is cluttered with your possessions, then this is the ideal location for funnel web spiders. One way to prevent funnel web spiders from building webs in your garage is to declutter.
Your garage is infested with pests
During the autumn and winter months, insects are more difficult to find. Many insect species also retreat indoors during the colder autumn and winter months. As a result, funnel web spiders have to build their webs in infested indoor locations where insects are abundant.
If your garage has an insect problem of some kind, such as an infestation of carpenter ants or stinkbugs, for instance, then this could be a good reason for your funnel web spider problem.
Your garage is easily accessible
Both insects and funnel web spiders need cracks and crevices to gain access to your garage space. If your garage is tightly sealed, there should be no issue with insects or spiders. But if you have noticed several funnel web spiders living in your garage, you should examine the exterior to identify how the spiders are getting in. Once you seal your garage fully, the spiders won't be able to get in.
It's mating season
Autumn and winter is mating season for funnel web spiders. This means that if you have at least one funnel web female living in your garage, then you'll probably see funnel web spider males prowling around, looking for females.
You have an infestation
If you have found multiple webs and wandering spiders in your garage, then you probably have an infestation. Before you can begin to declutter and seal your garage, hire a spider exterminator to eradicate the spiders. Otherwise, you could risk being bitten by one of the spiders. Funnel web spider bites can make you very ill.
If your garage has a funnel-web spider infestation, hire a spider exterminator. Once the spiders are gone, you can then seal your garage and remove the clutter. Contact a spider exterminating company for more information.