It’s that time of year when checking your shoes, clothing or towels may result in finding an unwanted guest: the funnel web spider. But this summer we might be seeing fewer funnel web spiders.

Jake Meney, head of reptiles and spiders at the Australian Reptile Park, said the funnel web spider was a secretive creature so could easily go unnoticed. Although this year there’s been less spider activity than in previous years, he said.

It could be because of the heavy rain and flooding that has hit much of NSW during the past three years, or that people are having fewer encounters with the venomous eight-legged critters. The reptile park relies on people bringing in the spiders to milk their venom and turn it into antivenom.

Due to the decreasing number of donations over recent years, the park resorted to breeding its own funnel web spiders to ensure a steady supply in 2019.

In some pockets, such as suburbs near bushland in Hornsby and Wahroonga on the northern beaches or in Newcastle, populations have remained high.

“The populations are pretty stable and have gone through many, many periods just like what we’ve had,” he said.

‘Once people move in, they encroach further and further on [bushland] which generally has poor consequences for the species.’

Jake Meney from the Australian Reptile Park on the problems facing the spider population

But Meney says as Sydney’s human population continues to grow, habitat destruction is hitting funnel web spider populations.

“That is a real threat for almost every species. Once people move in, they encroach further and further on [bushland] which generally has poor consequences for the species,” he said. “A lot of people don’t think spiders are much of a thing to care about or worry about, but spiders eat other insects that people aren’t too keen on, like cockroaches or crickets. If you remove something that can ruin the bigger picture.”