Funnel Web Spider – Family, Habitat, Facts, Remedies

The Funnel Web spider, also commonly known as the Sydney Funnel Web Spider is an Australian native and one of the deadliest spiders in the entire world. It is different from the American Funnel Web Spider which is not as deadly and common. It’s the world’s most dangerous arachnid since it can cause death to a person within 15 minutes. Their one bite can have devastating effects on a human, and around 15 deaths have been caused by these spiders in the period of 1927-1981. The male funnel spiders are even more dangerous than their female counterparts having a highly poisonous bite.

Funnel Web Spider – The Deadly Critters

Scientifically known as Atracinae and belonging to the Arachnida class, these spiders have 30 different species, each having a deadly poison. The males are more deadly but have an average lifespan which is 8 years less than the females. There are many more amazing facts about these spiders.

Funnel Web Spider Facts

• The Funnel Web spiders are mostly found in a range of 160kms in the state of Sydney in Australia. They can be found under houses, in holes in the trees or even in the crevices between rocks. Other areas such as Tasmania and North Queensland are also inhibited by this spider.
• The Funnel Web spiders commonly bite humans rather than any other living beings. It has been known that humans are more susceptible to a Funnel Web spider bite than other creatures like a dog or a cat.
• The size of these spiders varies from medium to large. These spiders range from around 1cm to 5cm. Their body color can also vary from brown to black. They are very light and rapid, although the males are much light in build as compared to the females.
• Their activities increase, especially in the rainy season. Their burrows get filled with water and hence they reach out which makes them even more dangerous. Also, the funnel-webs are very vulnerable in terms of drying out and hence they like to reach high humidity areas in such cases. So gardeners or those who dig soil are under major threat.
• Although most funnel-webs are ground dwellers i.e. have their burrows in grounds, there are some who have their dwellings in trees and live in the barks of the trees and the holes in them. The Funnel Web Spider habitat is generally a dark dense place with access to food, i.e. other insects and various pests.
• They are the only spiders who have been recorded to have caused deaths. But after antivenom was discovered in the year 1981, not a single death has been recorded due to the bite of the funnel-web spiders. This antivenom is made from the Funnel Web Spider venom itself by milking them. But still, the danger hasn’t reduced as the victim can go on to have serious medical conditions despite getting the antivenom.
• Many times these Funnel Web spiders can wander and fall into the backyard swimming pools. Although they can’t swim, they can still stay alive in water for many hours. They are known to trap a bubble of air in the hair which surrounds their abdomen. This bubble helps them to breathe and float. One should never mistake a funnel spider in the pool as being dead, as it can well be alive and can hurt really badly. One should be aware of Funnel Web spider bite even inside water.

How to get rid of Funnel Web Spiders – Efficient Home Remedies

There are some important things which must be taken care of to get rid of Funnel Web Spiders and keep yourself safe from them.

1. Try to minimize the food for Funnel Web Spiders. Their basic food is other insects and similar pests. So if you minimize the existence of these pests in your surroundings, then there is a great chance that due to lack of food, the Funnel Web spiders stay away from your surroundings.
2. Identity their potential dwellings and block those places. Places such as holes, cracks as well as cracks in the doors, windows, ceiling and even the foundation of the home should be properly covered and sealed so that there is no space for these venomous spiders to exist around you.
3. The ground litter usually serves as harborage for these Funnel Web spiders. So one should remove the ground litter frequently and maintain cleanliness to avoid the existence of these spiders in their surroundings.
4. If you are facing a severe problem of spiders, then do not hesitate in calling up the pest management department and asking them to have an inspection. They can conduct a thorough inspection and hence come up with a pest management plan which can help you to get rid of Australian Funnel Web spiders.

The Bottom Line

The Funnel Web Spiders are most venomous spiders on this Earth that have even cause death. They generally live under the ground but may be found in the houses that are around greener areas. Follow the above-mentioned home remedies to get rid of Funnel Web spiders.