Australian Black House Spiders As Pets

By Sophie Kininmonth · 3 Nov 2025 (updated 21 Jul 2026) ·7 min read

The Australian black house spider (Badumna insignis, sometimes called a window spider) is one of the most familiar spiders around Australian homes, known for the messy lacy web and funnel-shaped retreat it tucks into window frames, brick holes and rough bark. It is not medically dangerous in the way a funnel-web is, and it earns its keep by eating insects. Most people meet one after spotting it in a window corner or shed and wondering whether to keep it, remove it, or leave it be. It is a wild, sedentary web-builder with specific needs that are easy to get wrong in a tank, and it can still bite. This guide covers what it is, whether keeping one makes sense, and the legal side in Australia.^{1, 2, 3}

Quick Facts

Scientific name: Badumna insignis (family Desidae)²
Size: females about 12 to 18 mm body length, males about 9 to 15 mm^{2, 3}
Appearance: dark brown to black legs and carapace, charcoal-grey abdomen with pale markings that can be faint, and a velvety look^{2, 3}
Where you will find it: crevices on rough-barked trees and, very commonly, around buildings, including window frames, brick holes, rock walls and sheltered cracks^{1, 2}
Web: a messy sheet with a cone or funnel retreat where the spider waits^{1, 2}
Typical lifespan: around 2 years, varying with conditions^{1, 3}

Is a Black House Spider Right for You?

For most people, honestly, no. That is not because the spider is dangerous or unusually aggressive. It is because it is a sedentary web-builder that does best when it can pick a sheltered crevice and settle in undisturbed. In a tank you can easily end up with a stressed animal, a poorly ventilated setup, or a surprise escape through a gap you did not notice. If you simply want to observe one, the easiest option is often to leave it where it is, provided it is not in a high-traffic spot, and treat it as backyard wildlife. If it needs to go, relocating it outdoors to a sheltered crack or rough bark is usually safer than trying to handle it.

Temperament and Handling

Black house spiders mostly keep to their web and retreat, and they do not roam looking for trouble. They can move quickly when disturbed and may bite if pressed, trapped or handled. These are not animals that benefit from, or reliably tolerate, routine handling.^{1, 2}

The practical rule is simple: do not use your hands. Use a container and a stiff piece of card, and keep your fingers away from the spider and the web funnel. Gloves help, but distance is better.

Venom and Bites

Like almost all spiders, black house spiders are venomous to their prey. A bite to a person is usually a local injury, with pain, redness and swelling being the common themes in first-aid guidance for spiders that are not highly venomous. Medical review is advised if symptoms are severe, or if the person is a child, unwell, or allergic.⁴

If a spider bite is suspected:

Wash the area gently with soap and water.
Use a wrapped cold compress for pain and swelling.⁴
Seek urgent help (call 000) if severe symptoms develop, if you suspect a funnel-web bite, or if the person is having trouble breathing or shows signs of a serious allergic reaction.⁴

Care and Housing

In the wild, this spider's life is built around a fixed retreat: a narrow, fairly dry shelter with a web spread across the entrance. That tells you what an enclosure needs, which is secure walls, plenty of anchor points, and a quiet corner it can claim. If you are keeping a spider legally (see below), general Australian guidance for pet spiders stresses researching the species' needs and making the enclosure escape-proof while still well ventilated.⁵

Ventilation and security matter more than size. A small, well-sealed container with cross-ventilation is often safer than a large tank with gaps.
Give it structure. Pieces of bark, a cork slab, or a rough wall surface encourage web attachment.
Keep it simple and on the dry side. Constantly wet substrate can promote mould and mites. Offer a small water source or light misting only if the enclosure is drying out, and make sure airflow is good.

Diet and Nutrition

Black house spiders are predators of insects and other arthropods. They wait at the funnel retreat and rush out when prey hits the web.^{1, 2}

Offer appropriately sized live insects, small enough that the spider can subdue them.
Remove uneaten prey if it is harassing the spider or wandering for days.
Skip wild-caught insects from gardens where pesticide exposure is possible.

Grooming and Care

Black house spiders need no grooming, and they are not trainable in any meaningful way. At most they may settle into a stable light and dark cycle and to disturbance patterns near the web, but that is not learned behaviour you can rely on. Most health issues seen in captive spiders come down to husbandry rather than the animal itself.

Mites and mould: often linked to damp substrate and poor ventilation.
Dehydration: can happen in very dry indoor conditions if there is no water source and no chance to drink from droplets.
Injury: from falls, especially in tall smooth-sided enclosures, or from prey that is too large.

Legal Considerations in Australia

This is the part to sort out before anything else. Rules vary by state and territory and they change, so if you plan to keep any native wildlife, check your local regulator first.

Northern Territory: spiders are protected and you must have a permit to keep one as a pet. You may need additional permissions to take one from the wild or to import or export.⁵
New South Wales: NSW regulates keeping native animals through a licensing system, with penalties for illegally trapping and keeping wildlife. Whether a spider is covered depends on the relevant species lists and rules at the time.⁶
Victoria: Victoria regulates keeping wildlife via schedules in the Wildlife Regulations and associated licence types. Whether a species can be kept depends on how it is listed.⁷
Queensland: Queensland has a licensing framework for keeping native animals and also lists exemptions for many invertebrates, with some groups regulated. You must check whether your intended species is exempt or requires a licence under current Queensland rules.⁸

Do not collect from the wild unless you are clearly permitted to do so. "It was in my house" is not automatically a legal pathway in every jurisdiction.^{5, 6}

Safer Alternatives if You Want a Spider Pet

If the goal is a calm animal you can observe without frequent worry, look for captive-bred invertebrates sold legally in your state or territory, and choose species that are commonly kept and well understood in captivity. Keep the enclosure secure, ventilated, and out of reach of children and pets.

A Few Things Worth Knowing

Are they aggressive? They are defensive when disturbed, but they do not go looking for trouble and usually stay in the web's funnel retreat.^{1, 2}
Will one kill me? They can bite, and any bite can be serious for someone with an allergy or other complications, but they are not treated as medically dangerous the way funnel-webs are. If you are unsure what bit you, or symptoms are severe, follow first aid and seek urgent help.⁴
How big do they get? Females are typically around 12 to 18 mm body length, males smaller at around 9 to 15 mm.^{2, 3}
Can I just move it outside? Often, yes. Use a container and card, then place it into a sheltered crevice, rough bark, or a protected corner away from heavy foot traffic.

The Bottom Line

The black house spider is a common, useful, and not especially dangerous part of Australian backyards, but it makes a poor pet for most people. It is a wild web-builder that wants a quiet crevice, not a tank, and in several states you need a permit to keep one at all. If you want the appeal of watching a spider up close, sort out the legal side first and consider a captive-bred species suited to life in an enclosure. Otherwise, the kindest option is usually to leave it where it is or relocate it outdoors.

References

Sophie Kininmonth

Dog lover and writer at My Pets Australia, sharing practical breed guides and care advice for Australian pet owners.