‘Learn how to safely catch funnel-webs’: Sydneysiders tasked with hunt for venom as spiders’ breeding season begins

Hunting for potentially deadly, silky spider burrows in the back yard may not be on every Sydneysiders’ bucket list.

But that’s the request of the Australian Reptile Park (ARP) as breeding season begins for funnel-webs, encouraging residents to search shoes, piles of laundry, pools and garden debris for spiders and their egg sacs.

A social media post from the park listing the world’s most venomous arachnid as “wanted” generated hundreds of likes – and some bemusement – this week, with one poster jesting they’d put the “fun” back in “funnel-web”.

But the yearly callout, which ARP stresses is “quite safe”, is likely to have saved hundreds of lives.

The post advised people to scan a QR code “to learn how to safely catch funnel-webs and their egg sacks”.

The collected little spiders are raised at the ARP for their venom, which has been used to create vital antivenom for the species since 1981. Thanks to the program, no deaths have been recorded from a funnel-web spider bite in four decades.

Spider keeper at the ARP, Emma Teni, said this year’s breeding season had arrived with perfect conditions for increased sightings, after rainy weather and rising temperatures as male funnel-webs left their burrows in search of mates.

The park is the sole supplier of funnel-web venom to produce the treatment.

“Male funnel-web spiders have short lifespans, and with approximately 150 spiders required to make just one vial of antivenom, we need the public’s help to ensure we have enough venom to meet demand,” she said.

“If you spot an egg sac while collecting a spider, it’s important to safely collect that … It can provide a robust supply of healthy young spiders to aid in our antivenom production.

“Funnel-web spiders can’t climb up plastic or glass, so as long as you are sensible during the catching process, it can be quite safe.”

Nicole Webber is one such Sydneysider who cites ARP and its antivenom program with saving her life when she was bitten by a funnel-web that had nestled into her shoe in Gosford in 1994.

“Ironic when you see my surname, hey?” she said. “I started reacting with anaphylactic shock very quickly. I had sweats, double vision … Four rounds of that magic potion is why I’m still here.”

Karen Wright also doubts her son Matthew would be alive if not for ARP’s antivenom program. He was bitten by a funnel-web in 1995, and she still collects spiders at her workplace and sends them down to Sydney so “more lives will be saved”.

There are 36 species of funnel-web spiders in the east coast and highlands of Australia, with several renowned for their highly toxic and fast acting venom.

The Sydney funnel-web is the most widely feared – found from Newcastle to Nowra and as far west as Lithgow. It is generally accepted to have been responsible for all 13 deaths recorded from a funnel-web bite.

They can’t jump, but they can move quickly and make sudden lunges when striking, while they can also stay alive for at least 30 hours underwater.

Teni said funnel-web spiders typically sought out cool, damp areas like gardens with dense foliage and rockeries, but they could also find their way into homes – with a particular penchant for laundry rooms and garages.

To collect the sac, which can contain up to 150 spiderlings, she advised using a spoon with a long handle and a container with a secure lid, while making sure to “be cautious” of adult spiders in the nest.

Though often mistaken for the Sydney brown trapdoor spider, mouse spider and black house spider, the most obvious identifying features of the funnel-web are closely grouped eyes and a glossy body.

The largest male funnel-web, affectionally dubbed “Hercules”, measured 7.9cm from foot to foot – comparable to a tarantula.

The biggest funnel-web spider donated to the ARP was a female measuring 8cm from foot to foot. It was found in 2021 and given the name “Megaspider”.

Despite the availability of an effective antivenom, the Sydney Children’s Hospital Network advises residents that immediate first aid remains essential for any bite, with a combination of pressure and immobilisation to stem the flow of venom.

This article by Caitlin Cassidy was first published by The Guardian on 15 November 2024. Lead Image: Thanks to the Australian Reptile Park’s program, no deaths have been recorded from a funnel-web spider bite in four decades. Photograph: Australian Reptile Park.

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