The park is the sole supplier of funnel-web venom to produce the treatment.<\/p>\n
\u201cMale funnel-web spiders have short lifespans, and with approximately 150 spiders required to make just one vial of antivenom, we need the public\u2019s help to ensure we have enough venom to meet demand,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you spot an egg sac while collecting a spider, it\u2019s important to safely collect that \u2026 It can provide a robust supply of healthy young spiders to aid in our antivenom production.<\/p>\n
\u201cFunnel-web spiders can\u2019t climb up plastic or glass, so as long as you are sensible during the catching process, it can be quite safe.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cIronic when you see my surname, hey?\u201d she said. \u201cI started reacting with anaphylactic shock very quickly. I had sweats, double vision \u2026 Four rounds of that magic potion is why I\u2019m still here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Karen Wright also doubts her son Matthew would be alive if not for ARP\u2019s 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 \u201cmore lives will be saved\u201d.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The Sydney funnel-web is the most widely feared \u2013 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.<\/p>\n
They can\u2019t jump, but they can move quickly and make sudden lunges when striking, while they can also stay alive for at least 30 hours underwater.<\/p>\n
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 \u2013 with a particular penchant for laundry rooms and garages.<\/p>\n
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 \u201cbe cautious\u201d of adult spiders in the nest.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The largest male funnel-web, affectionally dubbed \u201cHercules\u201d, measured 7.9cm from foot to foot \u2013 comparable to a tarantula.<\/p>\n
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 \u201cMegaspider\u201d.<\/p>\n
Despite the availability of an effective antivenom, the Sydney Children\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n