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False Widow Spiders
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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Saw one in the shed a couple of weeks ago. Horrible looking things. Small, but horrible. Probably still there as not been in the shed since. little fuckers! |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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Ive seen loads, they're really common. I wouldn't say they were horrible looking things, they're just little shiny brown spiders a bit like money spiders but bigger |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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We actually had one of these in Aberdeen earlier in the year, caused a bit of commotion on a local industrial estate.
Sooner we make spiders extinct the better lol |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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I've copied this from the BRC blogg:..
The false widow spider, Britain’s most venomous eight-legged creepy crawly, is spreading across the UK.
Previously found mainly in southern England, the bug has recently been given a sense of wanderlust by our warmer climate. This has meant more sightings and, yikes, more reports of people being bitten across the UK.
But how worried should we be? The honest truth is: not very much.
Spinning a yarn
In fairness, the spider (about the size of a 50p piece) does come from the black widow family and can pack a nasty sting.
But, as bug expert Stuart Hine puts it: “A bite is extraordinarily rare, and usually no worse than a bee sting – though a very few people will experience something more severe.”
Nonetheless, the story has had some of the more hysterical sections of the press foaming at the mouth, railing about a ‘rampage’ across the UK by the spider that ‘can kill with a single bite’.
‘Never been bitten’
Many breathlessly cited the example of a shopper who collapsed after being bitten ten times. This is true, but it only happened because the false widow had got trapped in his hoodie and was trying to escape. It was a one-off, freak incident.
Stuart explains: “These spiders don’t wake up in the morning and dash out of their webs looking for someone to bite.
“I’ve handled a lot of them and never been bitten. They only ever attack if they feel trapped.”
‘Not aggressive’
The false widow (or steatoda nobilis, to use its posh name) is thought to have arrived here over 100 years ago from the Canary Islands, in a shipment of bananas. It has a brown bulbous abdomen with cream markings that look spookily like a skull.
But, far from being flesh-crazed monsters, they are described by entomologists as ‘ponderous, very slow-moving and not at all aggressive’.
Still, it’s best to be prepared. If someone is bitten by a false widow spider, take the following steps:
1. Place a cold compress (such as a frozen bag of peas) on the affected area for ten minutes to minimise the swelling.
2. Monitor the person’s condition, and if it worsens seek medical help.
So there you go, they've been here 100yrs and suddenly they're a problem! |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Have they been in the news yet or just on Facebook?"
Yeah...apparently they are real but have been in the UK for over a century and the effects of their bites are nowhere near what the facebook claims state. There are no reports of people losing limbs and although unpleasant the reaction to any bites is usually localised pain and passes within a couple of days. Also they only bite for defence and wouldn't randomly bite someone. Not sure if a link is allowed but there's info about them on the National History Museum website where it says there have been just 10 confirmed bites in the last 8 years |
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"Anyone seen one yet or think they have seen one??
No but when I do I'll be sure to introduce then to my pal 'Mr Size 9' 
"
P.S. I hope they can't read cos if they can I'm gonna be bitten to fuck when I go to sleep tonight!  |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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My son took a load of photos of what he thought was a really cool looking spider...hes doing photography and his teacher thinks its a false widow and so does his grandad.
I have refused to look at the pics as spiders creep me out |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Ive seen loads, they're really common. I wouldn't say they were horrible looking things, they're just little shiny brown spiders a bit like money spiders but bigger"
They are horrible! House spiders I can cope with,but these things,Look evil. |
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Saw a report on them yesterday that's easily seen on the net
They attacked a guy and he nearly had to have his leg amputated
Felt physically sick reading it
For someone terrified of normal spiders this really does freak me out
Horrible little bastards |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Ive seen loads, they're really common. I wouldn't say they were horrible looking things, they're just little shiny brown spiders a bit like money spiders but bigger
They are horrible! House spiders I can cope with,but these things,Look evil."
But house spiders are big and hairy and have fangs big enough to see. Idea rather a false widow spiders crawling over me any |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Ive seen loads, they're really common. I wouldn't say they were horrible looking things, they're just little shiny brown spiders a bit like money spiders but bigger
They are horrible! House spiders I can cope with,but these things,Look evil.
But house spiders are big and hairy and have fangs big enough to see. Idea rather a false widow spiders crawling over me any "
Yeah house spiders are big and these things are about the size of a 5 pence piece. But they look mean! House spiders just look chilled out and harmless |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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I think I've actually picked these up as a kid and adult before I.knew what they were. Oops.
I generally don't mind spiders. It's the snakes that scare me. They're just....nope. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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Like the vast majority of snakes, spiders don't just 'attack people' - only when threatened/cornered.........I should know, I was once chased by a 8 legged monster in Thailand - YIKES!!! |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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Well, don't get me wrong, the dirty great monster spiders they get in other places of the world I'm not too keen on. I'm imagining Thailand having some dirty great jungle spiders or something. Screw those spiders.
But those snakes. No way, they can swallow you whole and shit. Or they're poisonous. Or they're massive. They're just generally scary creatures. I always feel uneasy around snakes. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"My son is convinced they are coming for us. I am quite nervous about it too. I am really scared of spiders  "
Don't be, they've been here over a century already and bites are incredibly rare. It's all being blown out of proportion by the press because one person had an allergic reaction to the bite. They're no more dangerous than a bee... |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Ive seen loads, they're really common. I wouldn't say they were horrible looking things, they're just little shiny brown spiders a bit like money spiders but bigger
They are horrible! House spiders I can cope with,but these things,Look evil.
But house spiders are big and hairy and have fangs big enough to see. Idea rather a false widow spiders crawling over me any
Yeah house spiders are big and these things are about the size of a 5 pence piece. But they look mean! House spiders just look chilled out and harmless "
Check out the mouse spiders then, the meanest looking spiders we have in the uk and probably have the most painful bite too. False widows have bad press but the truth is they are only dangerous if you have a severe allergic reaction, but this is true for all our 14 species of spiders that have a nasty bite and every other stinging insect were have in this |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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They are quite common in my area but never had any bites reported or complained about, just don't like any spider at all creepy little bastards but luckily my cats kill most of them, gimme a snake anyday |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"i am actually terrified...
"
If you are terrified then carry some antihistamines tablets in your wallet, you'll be fine, although they are very small tablets & quite difficult to score a direct hit with!  |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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A guy we know from a local shop was bitten by one about 3 weeks ago and he had a bad reaction . The local paper was reporting local sightings but havent seen any ourselves.I hate spiders so will tread on any i see  |
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"Ive seen loads, they're really common. I wouldn't say they were horrible looking things, they're just little shiny brown spiders a bit like money spiders but bigger
They are horrible! House spiders I can cope with,but these things,Look evil.
But house spiders are big and hairy and have fangs big enough to see. Idea rather a false widow spiders crawling over me any
Yeah house spiders are big and these things are about the size of a 5 pence piece. But they look mean! House spiders just look chilled out and harmless
Check out the mouse spiders then, the meanest looking spiders we have in the uk and probably have the most painful bite too. False widows have bad press but the truth is they are only dangerous if you have a severe allergic reaction, but this is true for all our 14 species of spiders that have a nasty bite and every other stinging insect were have in this "
Mouse spiders ? Wtf?? |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Ive seen loads, they're really common. I wouldn't say they were horrible looking things, they're just little shiny brown spiders a bit like money spiders but bigger
They are horrible! House spiders I can cope with,but these things,Look evil.
But house spiders are big and hairy and have fangs big enough to see. Idea rather a false widow spiders crawling over me any
Yeah house spiders are big and these things are about the size of a 5 pence piece. But they look mean! House spiders just look chilled out and harmless
Check out the mouse spiders then, the meanest looking spiders we have in the uk and probably have the most painful bite too. False widows have bad press but the truth is they are only dangerous if you have a severe allergic reaction, but this is true for all our 14 species of spiders that have a nasty bite and every other stinging insect were have in this
Mouse spiders ? Wtf??"
Squirrel spiders are worse. They scurry up your trouser leg and bite your nuts! |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"i am actually terrified...
"
I am too.. my house has loads of spiders.. well my out houses...
I am one of those people that a bite from any bug and I get a severe reaction.. So I am really quite scared.. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"i am actually terrified...
I am too.. my house has loads of spiders.. well my out houses...
I am one of those people that a bite from any bug and I get a severe reaction.. So I am really quite scared.. "
Do you carry antihistamine tablets with you? If not, perhaps you should. After spending about a year of my life in southern Asia, some of that time in jungles, & being bitten a multitude of times by various unknown insects, - I find myself here in the UK with a terrible reactive allergy to horse fly bites!!
I always carry antihistamine tablets in my wallet; you can buy them over the counter. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Ive seen loads, they're really common. I wouldn't say they were horrible looking things, they're just little shiny brown spiders a bit like money spiders but bigger
They are horrible! House spiders I can cope with,but these things,Look evil.
But house spiders are big and hairy and have fangs big enough to see. Idea rather a false widow spiders crawling over me any
Yeah house spiders are big and these things are about the size of a 5 pence piece. But they look mean! House spiders just look chilled out and harmless
Check out the mouse spiders then, the meanest looking spiders we have in the uk and probably have the most painful bite too. False widows have bad press but the truth is they are only dangerous if you have a severe allergic reaction, but this is true for all our 14 species of spiders that have a nasty bite and every other stinging insect were have in this "
I feel sick |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Ive seen loads, they're really common. I wouldn't say they were horrible looking things, they're just little shiny brown spiders a bit like money spiders but bigger
They are horrible! House spiders I can cope with,but these things,Look evil.
But house spiders are big and hairy and have fangs big enough to see. Idea rather a false widow spiders crawling over me any
Yeah house spiders are big and these things are about the size of a 5 pence piece. But they look mean! House spiders just look chilled out and harmless
Check out the mouse spiders then, the meanest looking spiders we have in the uk and probably have the most painful bite too. False widows have bad press but the truth is they are only dangerous if you have a severe allergic reaction, but this is true for all our 14 species of spiders that have a nasty bite and every other stinging insect were have in this
I feel sick "
......apparently they're attracted to human vomit. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"i am actually terrified...
I am too.. my house has loads of spiders.. well my out houses...
I am one of those people that a bite from any bug and I get a severe reaction.. So I am really quite scared..
Do you carry antihistamine tablets with you? If not, perhaps you should. After spending about a year of my life in southern Asia, some of that time in jungles, & being bitten a multitude of times by various unknown insects, - I find myself here in the UK with a terrible reactive allergy to horse fly bites!!
I always carry antihistamine tablets in my wallet; you can buy them over the counter."
yes and I have an auto injection of adrenaline with me too... because I have had a few times where the reaction has been severe... I have managed never to get stung.. but bitten by a few things and always end up in a right state..
Horsefly bite left me on bed rest for over a week..
|
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Hate any spiders...