BRITAIN’S most dangerous spider has sparked warnings from victims about the insects invading people’s beds and underwear.
Bites from the species have left Brits’ faces, legs and ankles swollen around the country.
Credit: Pen NewsRichard Gallimore, 72, from Cambridge woke up to a swollen face after a spider bit him[/caption]
Credit: Pen NewsStewart, from Solihull, grew a huge rash on his leg from a bite[/caption]
Credit: Pen NewsAdam Abrehart’s bite caused swelling and even turned black[/caption]
Credit: Pen NewsThe spiders may be small but their venom is mighty[/caption]
These invasive arachnids are entering their mating season, meaning they can be more commonly found in homes across the UK.
Noble false widows are “widely regarded as the most dangerous spider breeding in Britain,” according to an Oxford University zoologist, Clive Hambler in his 2020 paper.
Four Brits have spoken out about their experiences after being bitten by one of the venomous spiders.
Cambridge pensioner Richard Gallimore, 72, was one day awoken to a strange feeling on his face.
“”I woke up and I couldn’t see correctly out of my left eye,” he said.
“I just put my hand up to brush away whatever it was, only to discover it was a large spider.”
“So I brushed it away, but not before it bit me.”
The pain followed quickly after.
Richard continued: “Within a minute or two I realised something was up.
“At first, I thought it was just some irritation. It was only when it started to swell up that I thought to myself ‘that spider’s bitten me’.
“It felt like someone sticking needles into me actually – that’s the best way I could describe it. It was very painful.”
Vicky O’Dell, 52, was on holiday when she had her encounter with a noble false widow that was in a very unfortunate place.
It was in Skegness, Lincolnshire where Vicky was “getting dressed, I had just gone to the toilet and I pulled my shorts up, and I felt something”.
She said: “This massive spider fell out of my knickers.
Credit: Pen NewsVicky O’Dell, 52, from Stafford found the spider fall out of her knickers while getting dressed[/caption]
Credit: Pen NewsThe noble false widow spider, also known as Steatoda nobilis, usually measures 7-14mm[/caption]
“I was bitten on the top of my left thigh, and you could see the two bite marks.”
The pain was not too severe for Vicky, who put some ice on it and felt it like a bee sting for a few hours and a bit into the next day.
It was worse for Stewart from Solihull, who received bites on both his legs.
“I was asleep and my cat was on my bed, and I thought she was trying to bite my feet but I guess she was trying to get the spider,” he said.
The next day, Stewart experienced not too much pain, just fever-like symptoms and aching in his legs.
He added: “But gradually over the weekend my symptoms just got worse and that’s when I noticed a rash appearing down my legs and swelling.
“By Monday I found it hard to walk and to put weight on my legs.”
Stewart was also particularly unfortunate as someone who is allergic to their venom.
He warned: “Check everywhere for them, and if you have children around, get someone out to try to rid your home of them.”
Risk of a noble fasle widow spider bite can still happen outside the home though.
Amy Evans, from Redcar, North Yorkshire, was in the middle of gardening.
“It was in a massive heap of hedge cuttings from removing the hedge in the garden,” she said.
“I felt nothing more than a sting and thought it was a branch that had scratched me.
“It wasn’t until the next morning that I saw the two bites.
“Over time my ankle completely swelled.
Credit: Pen NewsAmy Evans from North Yorkshire was bitten on the ankle and couldn’t walk[/caption]
“I got pins and needles and tingling lips, which made an ambulance come out because they thought I was having anaphylaxis – but it was a reaction to the venom.”
Amy was left unable to walk and eventually had to use her friend’s crutches.
“It was awful; I felt like rubbish.”
Earlier this month, 34-year-old Adam Abrehart from Shefford Bedforshire shared how his leg was left swollen and even turned black from a noble false widow bite.
Credit: Pen NewsAdam Abrehart, 34, noticed a small bite mark on his calf after his run[/caption]
Credit: Pen NewsBut symptom of infection didn’t surface for Adam for several weeks[/caption]
Credit: Pen NewsHe experienced a bout of vomiting and intense exhaustion before realising the bite had become a huge rash[/caption]
He received it whilst doing a 5km run during the summer, and had to go to hospital for three days.
Whilst being considered among the most venomous spiders in the UK, the severity of symptoms from their bites can vary.
Many “are no worse than the pain of a wasp sting,” according to the Natural History Museum.
The noble false widow species are not native to Britain, but thought to have arrived from the Canary Islands in banana boxes in the late 1800s.
They eventually spread northwards to appear all over the country.
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