Denise Joy discovered the large creepy-crawly while clearing out her backyard and chopping firewood on Sunday, April 14.

Ms Joy said she has seen plenty through the years on her property, but it was the first "big female" she has to evict. The spider is as wide as the seven-centimetre jar, Ms Joy is storing it in.

Ms Joy posted to social media, asking for a contact who could milk the spider for anti-venom. She was directed to contact Australian Reptile Park, which accepts funnel-webs for its venom milking program

Experts from the Australian Reptile Park confirmed it was a female Sydney funnel-web spider. However, Ms Joy's spider was not needed for the anti-venom program as male funnel-webs have more potent venom.

Ms Joy was asked to release the spider into some local bushland or native reserve, of which she plans to do.

Their natural habitat is rainforests, but shaded areas of well-vegetated private gardens are also readily colonised.

Ms Joy reminded residents to look for holes with a web-lining. The burrows may have more than one entrance and will not have a circular piece or dirt or grass that can close.

According to the Australian Museum Sydney Funnel-web spiders are found in New South Wales. They do better in areas of sandy clay, shale or basaltic soils that can retain moisture more effectively.

Male funnel-webs are known to wander into backyards and can fall into swimming pools where they survive many hours. Males leave their burrows and wander over summer and autumn to find females and mate.

The venom of juvenile and female spiders is much less toxic.

According to the Australian Reptile Park, males reach sexual maturity at four-years-old, females a year later. Males usually die some six to eight months after reaching maturity, while females may continue to breed for several more years.

For details on milking or spider collection, visit https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/questions/funnel-web-spider-collection.

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