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A woman is warning Aussies to check their swimming pools before diving in them after discovering not just one but four venomous spiders in the water of her pool.
Lynda Smith, who lives on NSW‘s north coast, checked her swimming pool after the area was hit with heavy rain.
To her surprise, she spotted four eastern mouse spiders lurking at the bottom of her pool, similar to funnel-web spiders in venom and appearance.
Ms Smith urged Aussies to check their swimming pools because venomous spiders such as the eastern mouse and the funnel web are ‘not to be messed with.’
‘Please always check your pools before jumping in, especially after rain,’ Ms Smith wrote on Facebook.
NSW north coast woman Lynda Smith found four mouse spiders at the bottom of her swimming pool (pictured)
Experts explained the male mouse spider commonly falls into swimming pools while searching for a females and can be seen wandering during the day especially after heavy rainfall
‘We haven’t had any for a while, but all the rain we’ve had up here of late has obviously resurrected them,’ she added.
Anyone who finds a spider submerged in a pool should not assume it is dead, as experts warn some of the state’s most venomous spiders are capable of living for up to 30 hours under water.
Australian Museum arachnology collection manager Helen Smith explained spiders can survive underwater for long periods of time as they breathe different to humans.
‘Spiders do not breathe in the same way as we do, so it takes much longer for them to drown,’ Ms Smith told 7NEWS.com.au.
‘Also, hairs on the underside can trap an air bubble. They can survive for several hours and sometimes a thoroughly dead-looking spider can suddenly twitch or come back to life slowly.’
Ms Smith said spiders commonly fall into swimming pools while searching for a female mate especially after heavy rainfall.
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The mouse spider (pictured) is considered to be potentially as dangerous as a funnel-web spider. However, unlike funnel-web spiders, the mouse spider is believed to ‘use less venom’
She added that the mouse and funnel-web species can bite while underwater despite being unable to swim.
‘But to bite, they need to grip onto something — so don’t poke them,’ Ms Smith said.
‘If you needed to get these spiders out of the pool… do not handle it, scoop it out with something that keeps it at a safe distance, (like) a net or maybe an empty flower pot.’
Mouse spiders vary from 10mm to 35mm in body length and are characterised by their distinctively bulbous head and jaw regions.
Found all over Australia, Mouse spiders inhabit a range of environments – including open rainforests to arid shrublands – and live in deep underground burrows covered by a hinged top or trapdoor.
There are no recorded deaths due to mouse spider bites, however, there have been cases where patients have suffered severe reactions after being bitten.
Mouse spiders live in deep underground burrows covered by a hinged top or trapdoor and inhabit a range of environments all over Australia (pictured)
According to the Australian Museum, the mouse spider is considered to be potentially as dangerous as a funnel-web spider.
However, unlike funnel-web spiders, the mouse spider is believed to ‘use less venom’ and even ‘dry bite’.
The same first aid recommendations as a funnel-web spider bite should be applied to anyone bitten by a mouse spider – pressure bandage the affected area and immobilise the person and get medical assistance.
If symptoms worsen, funnel-web antivenom has proven to be effective.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk
