Spider identification
On a dewy September morning the lawn and the foundation shrubs are covered in flat silver sheets of web, each with a funnel at one end. Those belong to grass spiders. They are not dangerous and they are not the Australian funnel web, despite the shared name.
Striped brown and tan, 1 to 2 cm, long legged and fast, with two long spinnerets sticking out the back like a short tail, which is the quick tell. The web is a flat horizontal sheet with a silk funnel at one edge where the spider waits; it is not sticky and the spider runs out across it to grab prey. Webs show up best when wet with dew.
Lawns, ground cover, foundation plantings, the bottom course of siding, window wells, woodpiles, the base of a deck and along the foundation. Rarely higher than a metre off the ground.
Webs build through summer and become obvious in August and September. Wandering males turn up on walls and indoors in September looking for females, which is when most calls about a large fast brown spider come in. Egg sacs are left in sheltered spots in fall and the adults die with the frosts.
Very rare and mild. It runs when disturbed and is not inclined to bite. Most "spider bites" in Ontario are never confirmed; see the bite section of our guide to common spiders in Ontario for what a real one looks like.
We vacuum the sheet webs and funnels along the foundation, the bottom of the siding and around window wells as part of every visit, and sweep the webbing out of the foundation plantings as a courtesy. Where funnels are built into the siding gaps or the foundation line we treat those sites. Keeping grass and mulch away from the siding and trimming shrubs back from the wall removes most of what they need. Every visit ends with a written summary of what we found and where product was applied, if any. Our spider control service and 60 day guarantee pages have the details and pricing.
Wolf spider, Barn funnel weaver, Dark fishing spider. Wolf spiders are similar in colour but build no web and carry their egg sac. The barn funnel weaver is a close relative that builds the same funnel web indoors in basements and garages. The dark fishing spider is much larger and lives near water. The full list with photos is in the common spiders in Ontario guide.
Good to know
They are funnel weavers, but not the Australian funnel web spider, which is a different family and does not live in Canada. Ontario grass spiders are harmless.
Those are usually male grass spiders or wolf spiders wandering to find mates. They are not building on the house and they are gone within a few weeks.
Wandering males sometimes do in September. The related barn funnel weaver is the one that lives in basements and garages year round.
Related guides: Preparing your home for spider season, Keeping spiders away from windows, eaves and lights. Service areas where this spider is found: Sarnia and Bright's Grove, Port Elgin, Kincardine.
