Violin Spiders In Kettle

Fact or Fiction?

There is an email that appeared in 2013 regarding Violin Spiders creeping into a kettle and killing an entire family. The email contains the following photos and text:

The Email

If you slept with water in the kettle don’t use it the next day.

Please, ensure u re-rinse your kettle before using it in the morning. A family of 6 was found dead and a research was made that a deadly spider was found inside the kettle of which they drank tea from. Please, help and broadcast to all your contacts. This is serious guys, life can be taken by something so small.

Warn as many people as you can. Due to the good rain and hot climate the Violin Spider is moving into houses.
Please take note of this spider - it is very dangerous. Please warn kids & send to every one you know to alert them as well!

This spider is breading at a rate of speed and is found in more and more South-African houses!!!!

Fact or Fiction?

There are numerous hoax elements to this email.

Although the email claims to be from South Africa, the Violin Spiders in the photos are in fact the American Brown Recluse (Loxosceles reclusa) which is not found in Southern Africa.
The email suggests that Violin Spiders are common in houses in Southern Africa which is not true.
Violin Spiders live in dry places, gaining almost all of their water requirements from the prey that they eat. They are not attracted to water such as water in a kettle. Most kettles have a filter on the spout making it impossible for the spiders to creep in.
Even if the spiders crawled into the kettle and died, venom does not seep out of the dead spiders. Venom will only cause a reaction when injected into the human body. It's perfectly safe to ingest venom.
The toxins in the venom are portent based which are easily destroyed using hot water. Adding venom to water that is boiled destroy the venom rendering it harmless.

This email is a complete hoax with no facial information at all.

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