Hi! My name is Gary and this is my home and garden improvement blog. My passion for working on my home and garden began when I bought my first house. It was a run down little place in the suburbs of Sydney. Even though the place was in a bit of a state, it was in a fantastic location. I spent many hours reading up on DIY and gardening tips before setting about improving the place. It was a lot of hard work but it was also a lot of fun. I learnt a lot during that time so I decided to start this blog.
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Funnel-web spiders are very dangerous spiders, and they're found throughout Eastern Australia. If one of these large black spiders bites you, you could be in serious trouble. Here's what you need to know.
How do you identify a funnel web?
Funnel-webs are black, shiny, and up to 5 cm long. They have over-sized jaws and large fangs. Australia is home to many large black spiders, and to the untrained eye, many of them look exactly like funnel-webs. If you're not an entomologist, you should treat any large black spider as if it were a funnel-web, and keep your distance.
Where are funnel-web spiders found?
Funnel-webs are found throughout Eastern Australia. They usually live in underground burrows, but they sometimes build their burrows inside trees. Others can be found hiding inside crevices or underneath rocks or logs. When you work in your garden, make sure to wear thick gloves and boots, and keep an eye out for burrows.
What happens if you get bitten?
If a funnel-web spider bites you, you'll experience serious pain. Some of this pain is from the size of the spider's fangs, but the venom is also quite powerful. A single drop is enough to kill you! Many funnel-web spider bites are dry, meaning that no venom is injected, but you need to assume that you were envenomated, since you don't have much time.
The venom gets to work quickly and causes tingling in the lips, double vision, high blood pressure, trouble breathing, severe muscle spasms, and other serious symptoms. You need to go to hospital immediately after being bitten, since people have died in as little as 15 minutes.
Can they hurt your pets?
Are you worried that your pet will get too close to a funnel-web and get bitten? Funnel-web spiders can kill a fully grown human, so it seems like common sense that pets would be in serious danger as well. Fortunately, this isn't the case. Their venom has no affect on smaller mammals like dogs and cats. Even mice and guinea pigs are safe. As long as your pet isn't a small lizard or a frog (the spider's preferred prey), you don't need to worry.
Funnel-web spiders are found throughout Eastern Australia, and there's a good chance that some are living near you. While these spiders can't hurt your dog, they can kill you, so you need to be careful when you work in the garden. If you're bitten, get medical help right away. If you see these spiders often, you should call a pest control service, such as Impact Pest Control, to help you deal with the problem.
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