Deadly Funnel web spiders infest Hunter Region suburbs

[depakid]

Funnel web spiders are being found all over the Hunter.
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The Hunter is facing an unseasonal infestation of deadly funnel web spiders that experts blame on the region’s suburban sprawl. Raymond Terrace mother of three Nadia Pedri was shocked to uncover a nest of more than 30 highly venomous arachnids while digging in her garden on Sunday.

Making the incident even worse was the fact that Ms Pedri’s three children, aged 10, 12 and 14, were cleaning the yard the day before. ‘‘It’s a bit worrying – if we knew that they were around I wouldn’t have had them anywhere near there,’’ she said. ‘‘We were pulling up a tree stump under a lilly-pilly and we saw one and thought ‘oh, there’s one’. Then we’ve got 30 of them.’’


Nadia Pedri with one of the found funnel webs.
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It is the third large-scale funnel web encounter this month. Landscapers pulling out pipes in Wangi Wangi found several last Wednesday, and an irrigation trench dug in Dudley disturbed a nest of 15 early this month. Hunter Reptile and Vermin Control’s Peter Bryant said the sightings were unusual for July, prompting a warning for people to be extra careful.

‘‘It seems that more people are digging and that’s where you’ll find them – if you’re digging up old pipes and roots you’ll come across them. ‘‘Normally we find one or two, but we’re talking lots, the whole family, the whole town of them.’’ Funnel webs are one of the world’s deadliest spiders, generally living in underground burrows, stumps and tree trunks.

Males usually look for a mate in warmer months, making the encounters out of character, Australian Reptile Park general manager Mary Rayner said. ‘‘But it’s kind of indicative of suburbia spreading, more buildings going up, bush being cleared and more people digging, they’re being dug up.’’

Ms Rayner said it was crucial that people who caught the spiders to get them to the reptile park quickly for research and venom milking. ‘‘It’s life saving, I can’t make it much clearer than that,’’ she said.

More: http://www.theherald.com.au/news/local/news/general/funnel-webs-infest-hunter-suburbs/1883196.aspx

[htuttle]

1. They need to distribute some robots.txt files around the region

In addition to the disruption of natural habits causing mass infestations, changing climate will cause many species to migrate to areas without natural population controls (since bioregions don't spread/move all at once, but a species at a time).

Just like 'bug night' on the Sci Fi channel.