Funnel web spider expert lists five things Australians need to know about the deadly creature

A funnel web hunter has revealed details and tips to protect you from one of the world’s deadliest spiders.

Scott Johnson, who collects venom from the venomous spiders, warned that they can survive five hours in Aussie’s backyard pool water and will “walk” on bug spray unfazed.

Male funnel webs, responsible for Australia’s 13 bite deaths, are regularly found on dwellings as they prey on females.

Mr Johnson told Daily Mail Australia they don’t have great eyesight and so can stumble into household swimming pools, dog bowls and ponds.

He said the spiders can survive in the water for up to five hours because of the “book lungs” on their abdomens.

Unlike other spiders such as huntsmen and redback spiders, funnel webs cannot climb on smooth, non-porous glass and plastic surfaces

Mr Johnson (pictured), who collects venom from the venomous spiders, warned they can survive five hours in backyard pool water and ‘walk’ unfazed on bug spray

“It’s like a book filter, the air goes through the pages of a book and it filters through, sooner or later it gets soaked and they drown.”

The moderator of the online Australian spider identification page said they can drown in just 2mm of water.

Unlike other spiders, such as huntsmen and redback spiders, funnel webs cannot climb on smooth, non-porous glass and plastic surfaces.

Usually they die because they can’t climb the walls of the pool ‘because they don’t have a grip’.

But he warned against pulling any spider out of the water with your hands.

They may look dead, but they may not be. Sometimes people take a funnel web out of a pool and put it aside and in five minutes it comes back to life,” he said.

“It’s almost dead, but if they dry out they can resuscitate and be fine.”

The critters hate the sun, so after roaming around at night, they often head home at dawn to seek shelter from it.

“So they go under refrigerators, wall cabinets, wall cabinets, lounges, loose clothing that people leave behind,” he said.

“They seek dark, cool cover when the sun rises. A good precaution is always to shake your clothes when you pick them up off the floor.’

The spiders are found in the wetter forest areas of Australia’s east coast and highlands, from Tasmania to northern Queensland.

There are several types of funnel webs in the country, but only the male species in Sydney have caused the 13 recorded human deaths.

No funnel web female fatalities have been recorded, as the male is five to six times more venomous when mature.

Mr Johnson said the first aid needed after someone has been bitten is the same people used to treat venomous snake bites in Australia.

‘Pressure, bandage and immobilization technique. Have the patient lie down, stay calm and let emergency services come to you,” Johnson said.

“If you get up and run around, it will increase the flow of the venom, and depending on how much venom the spider puts in you, it will depend on how bad the symptoms get.”

Funnel-web spiders (pictured) hate the sun, so after roaming at night, they often enter homes at dawn to seek shelter from it

There are a few preventative measures to keep the dangerous creatures from entering your home, but surface sprays won’t work.

“Because it’s a wandering spider, surface sprays and sprays don’t work on them, they just walk right over them,” Johnson said.

But for those who want top-notch protection, he recommended erecting physical barriers where the spiders have been seen — such as a Bunnings-style garden border.

“If it’s smooth, non-porous plastic that’s at least four inches high, the funnel webs can’t climb over it,” he said.