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Aussies Are Reminding People Why It’s Important To Check Your Shoes In Summer

Aussies Are Reminding People Why It’s Important To Check Your Shoes In Summer

Spiders love to use footwear as a hiding spot.

Jessica Lynch

Jessica Lynch

The thought of shaking out your shoes before whacking them on might seem strange to people outside Australia.

One Redditor has shared an ominous warning, reminding us of the importance to always check your footwear in summer, because you just may find a spider taking residence in a dark, cosy space.

In a post to r/Australia, user xtremixtprime wrote: 'For all the naysayers who think the rest of us are paranoid.'

They then shared a harrowing image of what looks to be a redback spider hiding inside the shoe, surrounded by its web.

Other Aussies agreed with the idea, with one user commenting: "Us Aussie's (at least anyone who has grown up semi-rural) have our brains tuned to suss out danger without even realising. So much sh*t is out to get us in this country and we just know the common sense ways of avoiding danger without even acknowledging it haha."

Reddit

Despite how terrifying the potential situation may be, it's relatively common for Aussies to share their own stories of spiders in their shoes during the summer via social media.

YouTube user Modest Hyperbole also posted a clip back in 2016 that also demonstrates why you should suss out your shoes before you put them on when in the land Down Under.

The caption that accompanied the video read: "If you happen to leave your shoes outside overnight, always check them. Especially if you live in Australia."

Filming a trainer in his garage, the father explains: "My son left his shoes out over the weekend, and this is why you should always check them before putting them on."

He then sprays the shoe with insect spray many times before examining the footwear see if the spider has moved, only to find the creepy-crawly had refused to budge.

YouTube

A few seconds later, a black funnel web emerges from the shoe as the man declares: 'Welcome to Australia.'

While some of our local spiders are pretty much harmless (yet terrifying), certain species are highly venomous and have caused a handful of deaths in the past.

This includes the redback, which likes to hide away from the world in dark secluded spots like letterboxes, under ledges, outdoor furniture, around BBQs and, of course, shoes.

The most deadly of Australian spiders is the funnel web, which has a habit of hiding away in shoes, clothing or in a small web lined burrow and can become aggressive if disturbed.

The funnel web has been fatal in 13 cases, but since the development of the anti-venom in the 1980s, there have been no recorded deaths.

Either way, always remember to check your shoes.

Featured Image Credit: Reddit

Topics: Spiders, Australia