Watch Out for These Deadly Spiders—Scientists Want to Milk Them

Deadly spiders are breeding in Australia—and officials want you to collect them.

We all know that Australia is notorious for its massive spiders. In fact, it’s one of the only things stopping me from moving there. But now, officials are warning residents of a deadly spider species: the funnel-web spider. 

This spider species is one of Australia’s deadliest. And with summer approaching in the Southern hemisphere—aka mating season—a reptile zoo is advising residents to be on the lookout for this dangerous creature, FOX Weather reported.

The disturbing part of this warning is that officials are requesting residents to capture the spiders and donate them to the Australian Reptile Park so experts can create an antivenom of their milk. I mean, I get it: “no deaths have been recorded since the introduction of an antivenom in 1981,” according to the Australian Museum. So, yeah, this is a pretty important initiative.

Risking a spider bite in the process of aiding in this enterprise feels quite heroic to me. As the Australian Reptile Park advised, if you don’t receive proper medical attention following a funnel-web spider bite, you can die within just 15 minutes.

Nevertheless, “With breeding season upon us and the weather creating ideal conditions, we rely on spider donations more than ever,” Emma Teni, a spider keeper at Australian Reptile Park, told FOX. “Male Funnel-web spiders have short lifespans, and with approximately 150 spiders required to make just one vial of antivenom, we need the public’s help to ensure we have enough venom to meet demand.”

Another terrifying fact about these spiders is that they often hide in dark places, like shoes or piles of clothing. Imagine slipping your foot into your shoes before work in the morning and only realizing a deadly spider is hiding there when you feel the sharp sting of its fangs…Nope.

If you are unlucky enough to encounter one of these critters, don’t kill it. Instead, experts recommend using a jar with a lid to capture it and bring it to one of the Australian Reptile Park drop-off locations.

Or you could just, you know, burn your whole house down.