Do UK house spiders bite?
Do UK spiders bite? And if so which ones should we look out for? We take a look at all the most venomous British creepy crawlies. Do UK house spiders bite? All spiders can bite – that’s how most subdue and kill their prey – but only a small number have fangs that are strong […]
Do UK spiders bite? And if so which ones should we look out for?
We take a look at all the most venomous British creepy crawlies.
Do UK house spiders bite?
All spiders can bite – that’s how most subdue and kill their prey – but only a small number have fangs that are strong enough to pierce human skin.
Spider bites are quite rare, so there is generally no cause for concern if you see spiders in your home.
Of the 650 species of spider found in the UK only about 12 species have been recorded as being able to bite us and these are larger spiders.
Of these, only two or three have been known to give a significant or unpleasant bite.
Symptoms have usually been described as localised pain and swelling.
In the rare event of symptoms more acute than these, medical advice should be taken.
If you pick up a spider, as with any living creature, you should remember that it is delicate and handle it with care and respect.
Which spiders bite in the UK?
False widow spider
In the UK, the false widow spider is known as being most dangerous.
False widows are sometimes confused for black widow spiders as both have a similar dark-coloured, globular body.
The false widow spider is increasing its range from the south of Britain as more sightings are reported as far north as Scotland, to which a milder climate may be responsible for.
This summer, a young boy was hospitalised after being bitten on the bum by a false widow spider that left him hallucinating and vomiting and a few years ago, a dad was left unable to walk for the last two months after he and his son were ravaged by venomous bugs.
But despite the bad reputation of the false widow spider, there are actually around a dozen species of spiders native to the UK that are capable of inflicting a painful bite.
The woodlouse spider
The woodlouse spider has many names, including “sowbug killer”, “woodlouse hunter” and “slater spider”, which all refer to the fact that it feeds on woodlice.
This spider is a colourful one, with three pairs of eyes, a dark red body and a yellow stomach. Males grow to 15mm but females can reach twice that.
You’d have to come in pretty close contact with one for it to want to bite you and thankfully, it would only cause you a bit of itchiness.
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The tube web spider
The tube web or cellar spider gets its name because of its tube-shaped web.
These are actually largest species of its kind in Europe, with male cellar spiders growing to around 15mm and females surpassing 20mm
Its bite is quite painful and will hurt for five to six hours and they can be quite aggressive, so they’re more likely to bite than other species.
The cardinal spider
The cardinal spider is one of the largest house spiders in the country, as its leg span can be of more than 12cm.
These arachnids have a bad reputation on account of their massive size and predatory nighttime behaviour, but although the cardinal spider is technically venomous, its bites are rare and quite painless.
These guys get a bad rep because they’re so leggy, but they’re pretty harmless.
The money spider
The money spider is not a species, but a family. It includes more than 4000 species, many of which are widespread across the UK.
They’re pretty small, usually less than 3mm or so.
They paralyse their prey by biting them, but don’t worry the most they can do to a human will just cause redness and swelling but not much else.
Their bites rarely penetrate human skin and they’re considered a lucky symbol, so if you find one on you it’s supposed to be mean increased luck and money.
The walnut orb-weaver spider
The walnut orb-weaver spider is located in North Africa, some regions in Asia, and most of Europe, including the UK. Males reach 8mm but females can grow to double that.
They’re one of the most venomous spiders in the UK, behind the false widow.
They’re not deadly, but their bites are far from pleasant.
A nibble from one of these will leave a burning pain from finger to below, swelling and a numb arm.
The black lace-weaver
As it goes, the black lace-weaver is a pretty venomous. Around 11 to 15mm and almost black, they’re found across Europe all year long.
If you see one of these guys, don’t pick it up.
The bite will cause pain, three days of swelling and a sea of nausea.
The wasp spider
The wasp spider is new and rare to the United Kingdom.
They are black, yellow and white with a stripe pattern that gives them their name. Females can reach 15mm but males barely grow to 5mm.
Like the wasp, they can be angry little creatures and although a bite won’t be fatal, bizarrely, the pain from the bite will spread to your groin.
What do spider bites look like?
Spider bites vary hugely depending which species is responsible for the deed.
Thankfully, generally speaking, for most bites you won’t be able to tell immediately that it’s a spider, and could be confused with bed bugs, mosquitoes or any other small critter.
However, if you are bitten by a false widow for example, you could have a small hole or the sting itself may also be visible.
The lump may have an inflamed, red and swollen area around it that may be filled with fluid.
Some people have adverse reactions to bites, with huge swollen and oozing lumps, and some people’s bites can get infected, again turning all sorts of colours and sizes afterwards.
Of course, any sign of reaction or infection needs to examined immediately by a doctor.