Native Spider Bites

[SP1986]

I wondered how many people have ever been bitten by a native spider. It's largely a myth that no spider in the UK bite, and this is often confused with th fact that only one native spider is poisonous 'Steatoda grossa' (False Widow, not to be confused with Steatoda nobilis, also known as false widow, from Mediterranean)

If anyone was bitten by the native spider what reaction did they have, and which spider was it, if known..

Would be interesting to find out people's experiences

[A.J]

I wondered how many people have ever been bitten by a native spider. It's largely a myth that no spider in the UK bite, and this is often confused with th fact that only one native spider is poisonous 'Steatoda grossa' (False Widow, not to be confused with Steatoda nobilis, also known as false widow, from Mediterranean)

If anyone was bitten by the native spider what reaction did they have, and which spider was it, if known..

Would be interesting to find out people's experiences

my sister was bitten on her toe a couple of years by a rather nasty looking critter, she said it hurt like hell for a few hours, and her big toe swelled up...She caught the spider and described it as about the size of a 2 pence coin(including leg span) shiny jet black in colour with a white hourglass marking on its body...Is this a false widow spider?

[SP1986]

Possibly although False widows are usually fairly small, more like the size of the 5p piece (including legs), may have been a male black widow spider, which is not poisonous but can cause irritations.

[Harry]

Possibly although False widows are usually fairly small, more like the size of the 5p piece (including legs), may have been a male black widow spider, which is not poisonous but can cause irritations.

Can't say I have been bitten by a native spider, to my knowledge anyway - have a whopping mozzie bite on my arm from Monday night...who'd have thought, almost October and mosquitos are out in abundance...I'm certainly not the only one to be bitten either in the last few days.

This is also a bumper year for house spiders too! If you haven't seen one before...they are HUGE! lol - but rather off topic as they are not poisonous.

[MR EXTREMES]

Can't say I have been bitten by a native spider, to my knowledge anyway - have a whopping mozzie bite on my arm from Monday night...who'd have thought, almost October and mosquitos are out in abundance...I'm certainly not the only one to be bitten either in the last few days.

This is also a bumper year for house spiders too! If you haven't seen one before...they are HUGE! lol - but rather off topic as they are not poisonous.

they are infact one of the most dangerous spiders in the world but there unable to pierce the skin to inject toxins well thats what i herd anyway,

imagine if they mated with another spider and grow skin piercing fangs omg i would not sleep lol.

I wondered how many people have ever been bitten by a native spider. It's largely a myth that no spider in the UK bite, and this is often confused with th fact that only one native spider is poisonous 'Steatoda grossa' (False Widow, not to be confused with Steatoda nobilis, also known as false widow, from Mediterranean)

If anyone was bitten by the native spider what reaction did they have, and which spider was it, if known..

Would be interesting to find out people's experiences

ive seen a real black widow spider at a airport it crawled out of someone suitcase i remeber seeing sercurity rushing over.

it jumped onto the floor and started to run but was captured in a tube it was a blackwidow from australia.

but i can honestly say i sh*t myself not huge thing but when i looked in the tube i could see its fangs,

i had nightmares for months even checking under the bed behind wardrobes and checking in shoes clothing.

im ok now as talk of global cooling has eased my mind llolololol:yahoo:

but yeah was very scary.

[Moomin]

I wondered how many people have ever been bitten by a native spider. It's largely a myth that no spider in the UK bite, and this is often confused with th fact that only one native spider is poisonous 'Steatoda grossa' (False Widow, not to be confused with Steatoda nobilis, also known as false widow, from Mediterranean)

If anyone was bitten by the native spider what reaction did they have, and which spider was it, if known..

Would be interesting to find out people's experiences

At the risk of being harranged for being a pedant do you mean venomous or poisonous? A poisonous creature is one that would do you harm if you eat it, a venomous creature is one that will do you harm if it bites you.

Sorry I learnt that from some program on Discovery a while ago (so it must be true!)

M

[Just Before Dawn]

I've been bitten a couple of times, once by Nuctenea umbratica, which is one of the orb-weaving spiders - It was like a sharp nip and nothing else. The other time was by the woodlouse spider Dysdera crocata and that hurt, but then if you see the jaws on them, it's no real surprise. Both times I was doing an invertebrate survey, sticking my hands where I couldn't see, so I had it coming.

I've been bitten more times by centipedes than spiders - and that hurts too!

[SP1986]

Sorry yes I meant venomous.

Interesting to see some reports of native spider bites. Until the other day I though they generally didn't bite at all, but I looked up report from some people and it appears that they actually do, and some have irritable side affects. I thought I'd ask some people on wider range because it's interesting and I have developed a fascination with venomous insects in the UK.

There are a large colony of Steatoda nobilis in many train station shelters which have set up web in the walls.

It's true that House Spiders are some of the most venomous spiders in the world, however this is the common house spider. The Giant house spider is different it can puncture human skin, but doesn't have any venom, which is odd - but then given its size it probably doesn't need it.

We found a wandering spider in work once which was quite scary and now I work with bananas at work so one day I imagine I'll come across a black widow, huntsman spider or some other aggressive spider but I hope not!

[karyo]

We found a wandering spider in work once which was quite scary and now I work with bananas at work so one day I imagine I'll come across a black widow, huntsman spider or some other aggressive spider but I hope not!

Actually I found a spider in a bunch of bananas a couple of months ago. It was at my local tesco store but the spider was dead and dried up. I'd say it had an average size but because it was dry with its legs curled didn't look impressive at all!

You need to be careful but don't worry much as the supermarkets are so cold (to prolong the life of fruit and veg) that the spiders even if they are alive, they will be quite sleepy. I captured a house spider when I was a teenager and put it in a bottle for observation. I noticed that the temperature had a significant effect on how active and fast the spider was!

Karyo

[masheeuk]

I wondered how many people have ever been bitten by a native spider. It's largely a myth that no spider in the UK bite, and this is often confused with th fact that only one native spider is poisonous 'Steatoda grossa' (False Widow, not to be confused with Steatoda nobilis, also known as false widow, from Mediterranean)

If anyone was bitten by the native spider what reaction did they have, and which spider was it, if known..

Would be interesting to find out people's experiences

I haven't been bitten by a spider. I did have one jump at me in Tobago which freaked me out a little bit

[SP1986]

Many have been found dead Karyo as they have to come in in a chilled (+2C or +3C) environment, there are a few that survive those temperatures though. Surprisingly once the banana boxes are on the shop floor it can get very warm and humid inside those boxes.

[James M]

I've been bitten by a House Spider (Tegenaria species) and the Woodlouse Spider but no ill effects just a sharp nip. Almost all spiders are venomous, just a small number lacking venom glands, however in most of these the venom wouldn't be strong enough to effect humans, unless you were unlucky enough to have an allergic reaction. I believe there are only around 12 species of spider native to Britain that are capable of piercing human skin and none of them are deadly unless you have an allergic reaction, the same goes for Steatoda grossa, the worst effects are blistering/swelling and nausea for a while in most people.

As for the House Spider, there are lots of species around the world that are called that but I don't think any of the ones in Britain (Tenegaria) are harmful to humans even if they did manage to pierce the skin (which some can). TBH it kind of sounds like the myth surrounding "Daddy Long-legs" in that they have the most powerful venom but can't use it because they have no mouth parts.

[Methuselah]

When I was twelve, I was bitten, in the free-kick protection zone, by a spider. It wasn't nice, as I was in a heated swimming-pool at the time!

[Wynn D Woo]

Wow interesting thread. I have never knowingly been bitten by a spider, nor do I know anyone who has, looks like my, 'I dont mind them in the house except in the bedroom', might need to be revised a little and best not mention it to our two littles ones.

[James M]

Wow interesting thread. I have never knowingly been bitten by a spider, nor do I know anyone who has, looks like my, 'I dont mind them in the house except in the bedroom', might need to be revised a little and best not mention it to our two littles ones.

There really is no reason to worry about British Spiders, none of them are dangerous and though some might bite, it's mostly only if they are picked up or feel threatened. But I understand if you have young children, though it's damned near impossible to completly get rid of spiders from your house and besides they are beneficial!

[Methuselah]

Wow interesting thread. I have never knowingly been bitten by a spider, nor do I know anyone who has, looks like my, 'I dont mind them in the house except in the bedroom', might need to be revised a little and best not mention it to our two littles ones.

But, don't worry about them. They can nip, but they're essentially harmless...

[MR EXTREMES]

There really is no reason to worry about British Spiders, none of them are dangerous and though some might bite, it's mostly only if they are picked up or feel threatened. But I understand if you have young children, though it's damned near impossible to completly get rid of spiders from your house and besides they are beneficial!

yes indeed your right some do have venom but wont hurt you.

i have a habit of not looking into things correctly lol.

[BARRY]

A friend of mine was bittan on he hand, his hand and arm swelled up like a balloon it was painfull for days.

[Fozfoster]

We have not been biten, but we do have a lot of small bodyed long legged spiders around any ideas?

[James M]

We have not been biten, but we do have a lot of small bodyed long legged spiders around any ideas?

Could you be seeing Harvestmen (Opiliones)? not spiders but they are arachnids, they look like this

Funnily enough I've been bitten by one of them too.

Edited October 1, 2009 by James M

[Fozfoster]

Could you be seeing Harvestmen (Opiliones)? not spiders but they are arachnids, they look like this

Funnily enough I've been bitten by one of them too.

Hi james, No its not them critters, the body is a lot slimmer cheers thou foz

[James M]

Hi james, No its not them critters, the body is a lot slimmer cheers thou foz

How about Cellar Spiders? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pholcus_phalangioides

[cyclonic happiness]

We've noticed a big increase of orb spiders this year, but 3 years ago at work, we had to call in a lady from Twycross Zoo to pick up a whopping great Huntsman spider that had arrived ALIVE and kicking in a box of hanging baskets!

Scared the living daylights out of me when I opened the box!! had a 5" legspan and the lady from the zoo said "aww it's only half grown...poor thing"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huntsman_spider

not me in photo

Edited October 1, 2009 by cyclonic happiness

[James M]

Sorry yes I meant venomous.

Interesting to see some reports of native spider bites. Until the other day I though they generally didn't bite at all, but I looked up report from some people and it appears that they actually do, and some have irritable side affects. I thought I'd ask some people on wider range because it's interesting and I have developed a fascination with venomous insects in the UK.

There are a large colony of Steatoda nobilis in many train station shelters which have set up web in the walls.

It's true that House Spiders are some of the most venomous spiders in the world, however this is the common house spider. The Giant house spider is different it can puncture human skin, but doesn't have any venom, which is odd - but then given its size it probably doesn't need it.

We found a wandering spider in work once which was quite scary and now I work with bananas at work so one day I imagine I'll come across a black widow, huntsman spider or some other aggressive spider but I hope not!

Just noticed on wiki it says this about Cellar Spiders on wiki

An urban legend states that Pholcidae are the most venomous spiders in the world, but that because their fangs are unable to penetrate human skin, they are harmless to humans. However, recent research has shown that pholcid venom has a relatively weak effect on insects.^[2] In the MythBusters episode "Daddy Long-Legs" it was shown that the spider's fangs (0.25mm) could penetrate human skin (0.1mm) but that only a very mild burning feeling was felt for a few seconds.

Sounds like the myth on House Spiders, maybe it came from something similar?

[Fozfoster]

How about Cellar Spiders? http://en.wikipedia....s_phalangioides

Thats the little fellas, or is it pholcus phalangioides! james cheers, foz

We've noticed a big increase of orb spiders this year, but 3 years ago at work, we had to call in a lady from Twycross Zoo to pick up a whopping great Huntsman spider that had arrived ALIVE and kicking in a box of hanging baskets!

Scared the living daylights out of me when I opened the box!! had a 5" legspan and the lady from the zoo said "aww it's only half grown...poor thing"

http://en.wikipedia....Huntsman_spider

not me in photo

Thank god its not them !