Funnel-web spiders in Canberra: what you really need to know
Funnel-web spiders in Canberra: what you really need to know
Every summer, a version of the same question pops up in my first aid classes:
“Do we actually have funnel-web spiders in Canberra… and how worried should we be?”
Short answer: yes, funnel-webs do occur in and around Canberra, but they’re not hiding under every rock in your backyard. The risk is real enough to take seriously, but with good first aid knowledge and Australia’s excellent antivenom, the odds are firmly in our favour.
This article breaks it down in plain language and finishes with the exact first aid steps you’ll use if you ever suspect a funnel-web bite.
Quick answers for busy Canberrans
If you’re skimming, here’s the gist:
Australia has a few dozen funnel-web species along the east coast and in the high country.
Funnel-webs are native to the ACT and nearby NSW, and occasionally turn up in suburbs, often linked to firewood, rock walls and bushy gardens.
They’re not common, but they do occur around Canberra.
If you suspect a funnel-web bite, treat it as an emergency, apply a pressure-immobilisation bandage, keep the person still and call 000.
If you’d like the “why” behind this – and the what-to-do – read on.
How many funnel-web species are there?
Funnel-web spiders belong to a family of spiders found only in Australia. Depending on which research paper you read, there are roughly 35–40 known species, and scientists are still describing new ones.
Only a small number of these have venom that is highly dangerous to humans. That’s the “headline” species, like the Sydney funnel-web, but they’re not the only ones we care about from a first-aid perspective.
The good news is that since the funnel-web antivenom was introduced in the 1980s, there have been no recorded deaths from funnel-web spider bites. Fast first aid + modern treatment is a powerful combination.
Do we have funnel-web spiders in Canberra?
Yes – Canberra and the surrounding region do have funnel-web spiders.
You’ll see them mentioned in ACT and NSW guidance as one of the potentially dangerous spiders in our area. They tend to be more common around bush fringes and in the nearby high country, but they can and do show up in Canberra suburbs from time to time.
You’ll also hear stories from older locals that Sydney funnel-webs hitched a ride up here during building booms – travelling in timber, soil and equipment. Whether that’s the whole story or not, it’s certainly true that:
Funnel-webs like cool, damp, sheltered spots, and
They’re sometimes found in firewood piles, rock walls and gardens around Canberra homes.
From a first aid point of view, the exact species isn’t essential. If it looks like a big, shiny, ground-dwelling spider and someone is bitten, we treat it as a funnel-web bite and act fast.
Where are you likely to find them?
Funnel-webs usually live in a silk-lined burrow in the ground. They don’t spin a classic “orb” web – instead, the burrow entrance may have messy silk “trip-lines” radiating out across the ground.
Around Canberra and the ACT, you’re most likely to encounter funnel-webs:
In rock walls and rockeries
In piles of firewood or rubble
Under logs, boards or junk left on the ground
Around tree roots, stumps and ferny beds
Near bush corridors, reserves and creek lines
You’re more likely to see wandering males on warm, humid nights, especially after rain, when they leave their burrows to go looking for females.
Simple safety habits at home and in the garden
You don’t need to be scared of your garden, but some simple habits make sense in the Bush Capital:
Wear gloves for gardening – especially when moving rocks, timber or pot plants.
Shake out shoes and boots left on the porch, in the shed, or under the house.
Lift objects with a tool first, not with your bare hands.
Teach kids not to poke fingers or sticks into burrows or holes with webbing around them.
If you find a suspected funnel-web indoors, stay calm. A good option is to:
Place a jar or container over the spider.
Gently slide stiff cardboard underneath.
Carefully flip it and secure the lid.
From there, you can call a local pest controller, or (if there’s a collection program running) arrange for it to be passed to a venom lab or reptile park.
First aid for a suspected funnel-web bite
This is where your first aid training really matters.
Current Australian guidelines all agree on the key steps if you suspect a funnel-web bite:
Call 000 immediately.
Keep the person still and lying down. Movement pumps venom throughout the body more quickly.
If the bite is on an arm or leg, apply a pressure-immobilisation bandage:
Apply a firm elastic bandage directly over the bite site.
Then bandage the entire limb from fingers/toes up as far as possible.
The bandage should be about as tight as for a sprained ankle.
Splint the limb to keep it still if you can.
Mark the bite location on the bandage or take a quick photo, and note the time of the bite.
Stay with the person, keep them calm and wait for the ambulance.
Do not:
Wash the bite site — the hospital may use venom traces for testing.
Cut, suck or squeeze the bite.
Apply a tourniquet.
Try to catch a live spider to take to the hospital – a photo is fine if it can be taken safely.
With quick first aid and antivenom, people generally recover sufficiently, even from serious bites.
Want to feel confident handling spider and snake bites?
Reading about funnel-webs is one thing. Staying calm and doing the right thing when it’s your child, partner or mate on the ground is another.
In our Gungahlia First Aid courses in Crace and across Canberra, we cover:
How to recognise dangerous bites and stings (spiders, snakes, bluebottles and more)
Hands-on practice with pressure-immobilisation bandaging
When to call 000 and what information paramedics need
The latest Australian first aid guidelines – not myths from social media
We run small, friendly classes in our Crace home studio and can also come to workplaces around Canberra, Yass and the surrounding region – and we never cancel a class just because there’s only one student booked.
👉 Ready to feel more confident this “spider season”?
Check upcoming CPR and first aid dates here: gungahlia.com.au/courses