Spiders with venom in bite on rise in UK

NIPPER False widow spider

BRITAIN’S only poisonous spider is multiplying rapidly due to the hot weather, new sightings suggest.

False widows have left dozens of inch-long egg sacs at the National Trust’s Lanhydrock estate.

A ranger discovered them at the site’s water meters in Fowey, Cornwall.

The spider is black with skull-shaped markings and is the size of a 50p piece. Its bite is like a wasp’s sting.

Adverse reactions to its venom have been known to have severe effects, but washing and applying antihistamine cream to the bite is a good first defence.

Pest control expert Clive Boase said the “generally shy” spider likes both indoor and outdoor spots, adding: “They certainly give a painful bite, but they only do so as a last resort.”