BEAT THE BUG BITES

ONly 12 of the 660 species of spider in the uK have strong enough fangs to bite human flesh. The most common is the false widow spider, which nests anywhere dark and damp and is the size of a large pea, with a bulbous body and creamy-white markings.

stuart Hine, manager of the identification and advisory service at the Natural History Museum, says a bite would result in a lump the size of a 10p piece.

‘It’s likely to be red and itchy, and may cause some numbness,’ he says. ‘But it’s not the venom from the spider which causes inflammation, it’s a bacterial infection, which may have come from scratching the bite with dirty nails.’ Apply an antihistamine sting cream and cover the bite with a dressing. Any redness, pain or swelling should subside after three days.

However, look out for signs of infection, such as weeping blisters or painful swelling, that don’t subside. If this happens, see your GP.

But don’t panic. stuart Hine says: ‘some people think a cold sweat or palpitations for a couple of minutes is a sign of poisoning, but actually it’s often just the shock of being bitten by a spider.’