Australian homes plagued by deadly funnel-web spiders following fires and floods

vt-author-image

By VT

Article saved!Article saved!

Sadly, it is more bad news for Australian residents.

As a result of the recent bushfires, soaring temperatures, and this weekend's heavy rainfall, a public warning for a funnel-web spider "bonanza" has been issued to Australian residents.

Per ABC News, the rainfall and tropical temperatures have replicated the tropical conditions the funnel-web "thrive within", Australian Reptile Park keeper Jake Meney has revealed. These humid conditions are now coaxing the arachnids out of the bushlands and into residential areas for shelter.

Oh, and to make matters worse, it is also their mating season.

Posting on Instagram, the Australian Reptile Park posted the following warning: "WARNING! FUNNEL-WEB SEASON IS HERE! We are issuing a message of warning to the public as recent wet weather conditions followed by hot days have created perfect conditions for funnel-web spiders to thrive."

And people wonder why I'm so scared of spiders...

One resident who has already had a run-in with one of the arachnids is Haley Bella Rouge. Per the Daily Mail, the mom-of-two shared photographs after finding the world's most venomous spider in her mother-in-law's pool in Newcastle, north of Sydney.

The images were later shared by local MP Sonia Hornery:
[[facebookwidget||https://www.facebook.com/SoniaHornery/posts/3020857367948284]]

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, Rouge said: "I'm the spider catcher in my house. I didn't know the spider was in there until I emptied the pool net, but I've heard people say before to make sure to check leaf litter on the bottom of pools."

Rouge shared the images of the spider with the Newcastle-based pest control company BugStop, who later issued a warning to residents: "[Funnel web spiders] can survive underwater for 24 hours! Check your pool and filter every day before letting the kids in."

Per the Daily Mail, a spokeswoman from the Australian Reptile Park previously revealed the most likely places to find a funnel-web spider in the home:

"Funnel-web spiders don't like the heat, instead they like cool and damp areas – just like a pool. They adapt well to urban lifestyles and can often be found in shoes. Another place they tend to turn up is laundries because they're cool, damp areas. People leaving piles of laundry on the ground isn't ideal either."

Although, Mr Meney has asked that - as long as it is safe to do so - if any adults can collect the spiders, they can be used  to help bolster the Central Coast park's life-saving anti-venom program, which has successfully put a stop to bite-related deaths since 1981.

Check out the video below to see how the Australian Reptile Park milk their funnel-web spiders:

Meney added: "We rely on public donations of funnel-web spiders to build up our milking individuals."