Giant false widow spiders are set to invade UK homes this coming autumn, experts have warmed. These arachnids are said to be among the most venomous species in the entire UK and Ireland.
As environmental temperatures lower down, groups of spiders are expected to flock inside homes during this breeding season. Included in the upcoming invasion is the giant false widow spider, which has exhibited a steady increase of sightings across the UK recently. According to Clive Boase, a pest control agent, the populations of these spiders were typically noted in the south coast of England only. This trend had remained this way for a number of decades; however, these species have extended their range a lot over the past 20 years.
"What's happening is they have reached their maximum size," Dave Clark, a spider caretaker in the London Zoo told Sky News. During this season, spiders become ready to breed, it desire to search for each other so it haphazardly come inside homes.
When a person gets bitten by a false widow spider, the clinical implications are usually limited to pain and swelling. Sometimes, fever may be experienced. On rare instances, hospital admissions for treatment may be required.
Recent incidents of false widow spider bites have already been documented. In August 2015, a man named Alex Beer was bitten and had to be hospitalized for 10 days. During the early part of Sept. 2015, Ella Williamson sustained a bite in her leg. As a result, the three-year-old girl was not able to walk after her injury. Sky News also reported the case of Aideen Hynes, who had to bear the scars created by a false widow spider three months prior. The arachnid was said to have crawled into her bed. She recalled that the sensation was comparable to boiling water being continuously poured over her leg but it came as a result of a subsequent infection that developed after the bite.
According to Tim Cockerill, a zoologist and television presenter, spiders are one notch lower than a peanut in terms of being dangerous. He added that in particular, false widow spiders are not hazardous to humans and cannot result in the extent of injuries being portrayed in the media. While it is technically potential for spiders to cause allergic reaction, the chances are highly rare. Other experts say that spiders present no more risk than wasps or bees, which cause about 12 deaths in the UK annually.
In the UK and Ireland, approximately 660 species of spiders live. The false widow spider, which measures about 1.6-3.2 cm (0.63-1.25 inches) and is considered to be the most venomous, is one of them.
Photo: Martin Cooper | Flickr
