I’m a pest expert – unusual summer weather means your house could be invaded with poisonous spiders… how to stop them
A PEST expert has warned that unusual summer weather means your house could be invaded by poisonous spiders.
The unseasonable wind and rain this month have sent the eight-legged critters scurrying indoors.
Most spiders are harmless - but among their number is the false widow, the UK's only poisonous arachnid.
With Brits braced for nine straight days of rain, spiders are also sheltering in warm and dry homes.
The poisonous false widows need somewhere cosy to mate and lay eggs before hibernating over the winter.
Pest control expert Clive Boase said: "The population of false widows in the UK is growing all the time.
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"In fact, people don't realise just how common they have become.
"There are half-a-dozen different species of the false widow and they can survive both indoors and outdoors.
"They prefer suburban areas and are most commonly found around domestic and commercial premises.
"They love conservatories and toilet blocks, window frames, porches, lofts and garages and they like to live beneath kitchen appliances and cupboards.
"They are generally shy creatures and won't come out into the open, but they could crawl into curtains or perhaps clothing left on the floor.
"They certainly can give a painful bite, though there have been very few reports of that happening as they will only do so as a last resort.
"Bites usually result from handling the spider roughly or perhaps having it trapped between clothing and skin."
False widows have shiny black bodies - with markings which resemble skulls.
A bite from one could leave you with numbness, discomfort, swelling - or even burns and chest pains.
In April 2017 Lancashire mum Gemma Hunter, 41, nearly lost her foot after a false widow left with a 3cm bite.
Alex Beer, 32, spent ten days in hospital in 2015 when a false widow bite made his arm blister and balloon to twice its usual size.
Doctors said the blisters resembled third-degree burns - and that the venom nearly left Alex with kidney failure.
Pest expert Rob Simpson said: "Spiders will have fewer places to hide if you keep clutter to a minimum.
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"Keep your house tidy and vacuum regularly. Spray dark corners of the home with pesticides.
"There's an old wives tale about placing conkers on window sills, but I'm not sure that works."
What to do if you get bitten
Here's what to do if you think a poisonous false widow has bitten you:
The first thing you should do is wash the area thoroughly with soap and water to prevent infection - and don't scratch, as if you break the skin there's more chance for bacteria to get in.
Cover bites with a plaster and apply an antihistamine sting cream to calm any inflammation or itching, says Stuart Hine, from the Natural History Museum's identification and advisory service.
Any redness, pain or swelling should subside after three days.
Be alert to potential signs of infection, such as weeping blisters or painful swelling, that continue to get worse after a few days.
If this happens, seek advice from your GP.