As you will have no doubt read, the false widow is the UK’s most venomous spider. Whilst this is true the bite itself is no worse than a wasp or bee sting. That said, wasp and bee stings kill around 10 people every year in the UK, a figure that would result in mass hysteria if a spider were the culprit. It has to be said that all these fatal stings resulted in allergic reactions that were the true culprit.
What are the symptoms of a false widow spider bite?
The actual bite itself is not normally felt until afterwards when there is a varying amount of pain. This is largely related to the amount of venom that is injected. As a guide though, the bite has been compared to a wasp sting with a similar stinging, burning pain initially. With time at least some degree of swelling is likely to occur often accompanied with local numbness.
The venom of the false widow and other spiders in the Steatoda group can also cause steatodism. This presents as set of symptoms, most notably intense pain radiating from the bite, fever, nausea, headache, malaise, lethargy and even chest pains. Such severe reactions are apparently rare and there has never been a fatality in the UK from a false widow spider bite.
In general the symptoms of the bite will disappear within one to three days.
Please note: All the stories you may have read about people’s arms nearly having to be amputated and pus filled open wounds are not directly attributable to the bite of the false widow. If these are in any way connected to a bite (which is doubtful in some cases) then it is the result of a secondary bacterial infection, the same that could occur from any cut or graze.
Treatment
- The first step in treating a false widow spider bite is to wash the area with soap and water. This is to prevent infection which will be infinitely worse than the bite.
- To try and minimise swelling by using a cold compress (do not place ice directly on the skin as this may burn). A bag of frozen peas is ideal for this and should be applied to the bite for around 10 minutes.
- Applying a bite spray or antiseptic cream will help prevent infection. Also, many creams have local anesthetics which will reduce discomfort and itching.
- Some sources suggest administering antihistamines to counter any possible allergic reaction and anaphylactic shock.
- The condition of the person should be monitored and if it appears to worsen a trip to A & E may be warranted.
- It is always a good idea to try and catch the spider so medical staff know what they are dealing with. Obviously make sure you don’t get bitten again doing this!
Don’t
- Antibiotics should not be taken unless there is an infection (or definite risk of infection). They will not help.
- Trying to suck or cut out the ‘poison’ will not work and are more likely to result in the wound becoming infected.
The venom
In common with their more infamous cousin, the black widow, and in fact most biting spiders, the false widow delivers a neurotoxic venom (the other type being necrotic venom). These toxins interfere with the nervous system and can result in a range of symptoms from cramps to interfering with breathing.
Fortunately the poison of the false widow is nowhere near as potent as that of the black widow which is credited with killing more people than any other spider. It is said that the venom of the black widow is around 50 times stronger than that of a rattle snake.
So, how dangerous is it?
I’m sure by now most of you will have read a story or two somewhere in the media about false widow spider bites. Cases such as the grandfather who ended being hospitalised and having to have his leg drained. Or the shopper who collapsed after being bitten 10 times on the neck. These appear to be particularly severe reactions to what is usually no worse than a wasp sting. In the former case the severity of the bite seems to have been caused by a secondary bacterial infection. Whether this can be directly attributed to the spider is not obvious.
There have been articles claiming the spiders bite caused ‘flesh to decay’. I believe this is not the case and merely sensationalist journalism. As mentioned the venom of the false widows is a neurotoxin and not necrotic (flesh rotting). Whilst some spiders, such as the South American brown recluse, do have bites causing this kind of infection no such link has been proved with the false widow. It seems either a case of mistaken identity or a complication associated to an injury.
Hi there, I was bitten around 20 years ago by a False Widow Spider on my lower right leg which resulted in an egg shaped lump filled with pus and dead tissue – I could barely walk – once burst a 1.5 inch hole wide and deep right to the bone appeared and although a very fine layer of skin which took 4 years to grow over the wound it is still completely numb to the touch! The bite most definitely killed the tissue right to the bone and I cannot tell you the relief when the abscess finally burst however, the smell of rotten flesh/tissue even made me want to vomit and believe me I do not have a weak stomach!
What happened to you is is exactly what happened to my wife , complete necrosis behind the knee down to the bone and confirmed by a doctor and tests. The author of this article is wrong, it is not always a reaction, it is necrosis if you get a full load. Turns to a dark sticky mess and puss that leaves a big but localised hole that takes years to fully heal leaving a white scar. It’s on Youtube, you can see it for yourself.
Yes this article is wrong. I was bitten by a FWS hiding in my welly boot! Swollen foot, 2 lots of antibiotics and a hole left in my toe! Now on week 2 foot still swells up when I walk. I would advise antibiotics, so don’t agree with this article. and seek medical attention. Nasty bite!! Check your welly boots dog walkers!!
I have them in my house! One was in my bedroom this morning . Whilst it may be just like a wasp sting I couldn’t sleep with a wasp in my bedroom… I’m on the sofa tonight. I guess there is no way to humanely get rid of them except… moving house and hope there is none there either ! Not quite sure what to do..
Get a spider killer spray. My house was over run with them last year and though I normally abhor killing any creatures, I have two dogs and I have scars on my hip from nasty bites from the FBW that took a very long time to heal. These spiders to jump toward you or pretend dead, so to protect myself and dogs I now spray with the red can spider spray.
I had a nasty brown recluse bite on the back of my leg and didn’t discover it for a week – black necrotic flesh, red ring etc. I applied a painless electro- treatment device (V-Zap) and in two minutes was ‘done’. It started healing, etc. My company now sells these devices as treatment kits- which appear to neutralize insect venom in minutes. Save yourself and family from insect (and snake) bites with it!
I am positive it is a FBW, as I had her in a clear glass jar today, while I moved her to another part of the garden for both our safety. Last year, her button bright babies were hanging out on my rotary washing line, and being picked off by the Starlings that feed daily in my garden.
Are you based in UK Im interested in the v zap
Hi I’ve been bitten by something about 4 days ago I first noticed a pain in my chest but over the weekend my back started to hurt. And I mean excruciatingly painful. And Monday I got my partner to look at my back. I’ve been bitten or stung by something??? I don’t know where, when or what it was. All I know is that it hurts!!! I’ve tried antihistamine cream. Paracetamol and various other things so far the pain isn’t easing. I also know that trying to get to see a GP will prove to be a nightmare!!!! Pretty worried and scared!! Help!!!!!!
I had the same thing happen, my shoulder an arm and my upper back pain was unbearable. Then I was having balance problems. Then we found the false widow. I had never seen one and had to research to find out what it was. It has been 3 days and I’m still hurting. Yesterday was the worse. I almost went to the ER with spider picture in tote. It’s not rotting but as a nurse I’ve seen plenty of necrosis from recluse and black widow. Hope it never happens again
Latrodectus envenomation doesn’t cause necrosis!
Loxosceles can but it is usually localised tissue death.
The problem with Loxosceles bites is that a bacterial infection can set in as a result of tissue death.
Only the genus Loxosceles (American Recluse) and the Sicariidae family (Sucarius & Hexophthalma, commonly known as six eyed sand spiders) have been scientifically proven to have dermonecrotic venom, with the Sand spiders *possibly* being able to kill humans.
Spiders get a bad rep that they don’t deserve and creatures such as the Hobo spider (Eratigena agrestis) are frequently blamed for causing dermonecrosis in the US despite being a European import that causes no such hysteria in Europe and who’s venom has been tested many times and proven to not only not cause tissue damage but be pretty much harmless to anything other than small prey items.
Parasitic insects are far more likely to spread bacterial infection through their bites than spiders.
Blood sucking parasites actively seek to bite people and other mammals, spiders only bite in defence.
hi
I also got bitten by what I’m sure was a false Widow spider, on my forehead
I woke up with a big lump, at first it was not really painful but a couple of days later hurt a lot, I got an appointment with a doctor who said I was probably sleeping on my forehead face, not my regular doc, he basically could not be bothered, swelling got worse and can hardly open one eye, pain is a bit better after 3 days but still feel awful
it’s Saturday now if it’s worse I try and see my doc, but how long I have to wait is anyone’s guess
I was bitten on the head in bed. It caused me to be allergic to pets pollen etc and gave me an awful ear condition called dysfunctional eustachian tubes. I was interested if this has happened to anyone else. This happened 3 summers ago, and still have all these health issues.
Just been bitten in bed by a spider I assume a false widow. Went straight to get antihistamine and pain killers.
I was bitten on the shoulder whilst I slept in a hotel in Reading, I had slept with the window open because of the heat.
I was woken up with an itchy back, I got up and used my hairbrush to give it a good scratch, but couldn’t get back to sleep. The next day I had a huge lump. I felt really spaced out and not with it, I think this will be due to being awake from 2am, but the day later I had immense stomach cramps, just like period pains, but no period followed. I didn’t see the spider, but the size of the lump and the 2 little bite marks were that of a large spider.
I noticed for a spider the size of a black widow a false widow has fairly big Ganges marks. But you could have been bitten by a wolf or hobo. They are both fairly big spiders
Hi, I was bitten on the side of my left thigh, it made my whole thigh muscle hurt, as well as left a bit of a hole. The pain in my thigh is subsiding now, but it now itches like made, but is too sore to scratch! I didn’t feel the bite, but found a false widow running about whilst having a turn out today, so I’m afraid I sucked it up with the vacuum. I live in Somerset, UK, & we have a lot of them in our garden, but we’ve found if you leave them alone, they would far rather scuttle off & hide! We have a dog, a guinea pig, two free flying budgies indoors as well as my two children aged 3 & 4. So think I shall have to have a serious tidy up & pull out all the furniture!
I got bitten a week ago on my calf asleep in bed. Nausea, pain up my leg then loss of blood pressure/ fainting for several hours put me in A&E. Doctors didn’t do anything but monitor my blood pressure. 6 days on bite area is itching and swollen again, with venom going up my leg again via lymph nodes so I’m back on the Ibuprofen and hoping I don’t end up with an abscess.
Thank you so much for this page!
I’ve just been bitten on the foot by a false widow spider.
Laying in bed, I had a sudden intense pain on the top of my foot, thought it was a vein burst or a blood clot or something, it made me feel sick, under my sock…a massive raised hot red itchy area, I staggered to the kitchen took an antihistamine then hopped to bathroom and held a freezing cold shower over my foot, as I was doing so…there was a false widow spider climbing up my bathroom wall, running away from my socks on the floor, she climbed up to the window shelf area.
Btw my make-up belongs to the spider now.
I seriously thought for a moment that I was a complete gonna. So painful.
Now I have one foot twice as big as the other one.
I’ve put some Sudo cream on it and have tucked the fresh socks into my pj’s.
It’s quite a scary moment if never experienced it before.
I wouldn’t mind so much but living in a London flat, I recently had a bee land on my face while I was sleeping and it woke me up, now spiders biting my feet.
I spent months in Australia out in the bush and didn’t get bitten once!
I need to remember I have a bitey spider in my bathroom.
I was bitten on my right calf by a Steatoda nobilis back in April, it was a small male, so not as serious as a bigger or female spider. I was pretty calm, I’ve had them around my room for years and I knew it wouldn’t have bitten me if I didn’t provoke it (it was hidden in my pants and in a hurry I just went and put them on without a second thought). Knew I would get some swelling that would disappear soon enough, but after 2-3 days the inflammation just kept expanding, it was by my knee at this point, so got medical attention. Got antihistaminics which are typical for almost any spider bite, and it went down almost in that single day, I think I was very likely allergic or sensitive to this particular venom, it does feel like a longer lasting wasp bite indeed, had to get rid of the spiders sadly lol.
Hi does anyone know if the false window spider is dangerous to dogs? a have just found a large female with about four egg sacks behind my bird box on my garden shed, I did feel a bit sorry for her as she grabbed one of her egg sacks to stop it falling but if a danger will have to go ,my dog will eat her , also I am to scared to go into my shed for fear of being bitten and that’s wear I keep my Christmas decorations, not been bitten yet but will keep you posted.
I keep finding them in my house I was bitten the same night 5 times up the insides of my legs the pain was unimaginable after rsome time the swellings were huge pain I’m my chest aches burning I ended up in hospital on drips and antibiotics for weeks then another lot then another I couldn’t walk due to the security of the pain shooting through my legs when stepping down I had black puss filled bubbles that turned to necrosis every bite has scarred some are still healing 8 weeks later I’ve been bitten again I put ot down to it must have been trapped in bed with me but now I’m not so sure as these other 2 bites were separately and at different times how can it be they only bite when provoked ??? So worried for my son and my cats wouldn’t wish it on anyone
Get some spray and spray every corner or area where they might be, strip bed spray up legs of bed and underneath….spray everywhere!!. Im in UK got bitten 3 weeks ago on index finger cant bend, was crying with pain have tried to heal naturally but its not working. Need Meds now as its not changing and worried its going down to the bone .I liked spiders but not any more you definitely do not want your child or your cats getting bitten as well. Lets see if i can get to see a doctor as I am not going to hospital. Hope your healing better now. Heard of a recluse spider in the US laying eyes in a mans arm he had to have major skin grafts.. Take care.
Are you in UK?For how long did you experience ” after effects”? I caught glimpse plus type of web, seemed false widow? Then bitten 3 times. itching, pain. Mark on leg remains after 2 months, some pain in arm after one! Upturn in general malaise and widespread joint pain! Trusted online med info, never went docs, but these accounts contradict it.
I have just come out of hospital and had to be put under general anaesthetic to remove 2 bites, one had swollen up so much that it was releasing puss and blood, the other was swelling up and going the same way,
As others have said on here, the pain was excruciating, into my groin and turned my testicles black.
Antibiotics, don’t waste your time, just get to the hospital ASAP.
The wounds are now having to be packed daily for the next 5-8 weeks and i’m guessing it’ll leave a scar and be numb to the touch.
I was bitten today on my lower back. Spider was caught in my jumper. Lots of swelling and redness., plus very sore and painful all day. 12 hours later the swelling gone down significantly but it still really hurts. Anyone know how long it is meant to hurt for?
My son was bitten on his back overnight whilst he slept. He has two nasty puncture wounds and a few other smaller ones. He’s a tough cookie but he’s complaining of feeling very hot, achy and he can’t concentrate. He has localised pain also. The thing is, he sleeps with his dog and she is a very licky dog, and I wonder if she has washed him as she is now off colour.? How he managed to sleep through is beyond me. We found two in his room , which have now been removed.
Got bitten by something?, start of April, work as a Gardener, could see two little bite marks, felt no pain, lower right shin, within a couple of days bite area turned purple, then leg began turning red and going up, still no pain, managed to control it with Savalon, Sudocream, ice, garlick, stopped the infection, but know nearly 8 weeks later have still got slightly red area there, nothing touches it ??.
I know that the Archnoid or spider experts don ‘t want us to kill spiders (who does want to kill wild creatures ?) but they really shoud refrain from publishing unscientific nonsense. They publish film on You Tube showing FW Spiders runnig across their hands and not biting them – as though that is proof of the Spider’s lack of intent.
Having been bitten four times and hospitalised once there is no question that the FW Spider is very reclusive – hence the American name – ‘The brown reclusive spider’. (As in our country only in the Southern States and only in the South of England here).
The FW Spider does not seek us out to bite us
But it can seek out the warm niches in our clothing – shoes – sleeves- trousers- pyjamas. etc
And then when it comes under pressure it will bite. It loves the niches between door jambs and brickwork and sometimes has another nasty habit from thence. If the door is banged it often drops like a stone on a silken thread and if you are underneath – as was I – you can have a problem.
Finally to deal with the nonsense that the bites are no worse that bee or wasp stings and the pus like blisters are the result of external bacterial infection. If so why do we not see such often severe damage from bee stings. On the other hand if you are bitten you will not escape this damage in the majority of cases.
You never see American Arachnoid experts making these sorts of comments about the FW Spider bite and bee stings.
Another initiative in America is that the A &EDepts in the Southern States carry a suction tube to suck out the venom before the necrosis or flesh liquifying eats its way too deep.
In my four cases this has not been prevented until the damage reaches the bone – when it becomes very painful indeed.
I don’t know whether what appears to be pus filled blisters is actually pus resulting from the necrosis or is not pus at all but the venom which is being protected by the blister so that it can do maximum damage.
Snakes produce venom which is either necrotic or neurotoxic.
I am pretty certain that FW Spider venom is both. I usually feel ill for a while after a bite and I have never been able to prevent the venom eating to the bone.
. Finally you Arachnoid experts. By all means do what you can to protect the species. But talking down the damage that FW spiders can do does not help sufferers to get the proper treatment. In the meantime forgive me if I keep a can of insect spray on the steps of both my outside doors
Hi, i 100% share your perspective. I am flabbergasted by what is said online on mainstream plateformes, the lack of information and stupid comparisons with Wasps or bees bites etc. It is so misleading
I just posted down below about our situation and i wonder if you have ever managed to find appropriate help to prevent the worse from happening (long lasting symptoms and necrosis of the wounds).
I would really appreciate your feedback, ideas or advice.
Thanks for letting me know if you can.
The Brown recluse spider and the Noble false widow spider are in different families and genera and are thus unrelated (Loxosceles reclusa and Steatoda nobilis – the former in the Loxoscelidae and the latter in the Theridiidae). The venom in each species is very different as well. There are no Loxosceles species in the UK. S. nobilis is native to the Canary Islands but is invasive in parts of the world. Again, please do not confuse spider phylogeny.
The hysteria over false widows is something to behold. They are venomous but not aggressive. I study the biology of several Steatoda species in my lab and they are very placid, True widows (Latrodectus) are also shy and reluctant to bite. I have not seen much evidence from posts on this thread that the bites were actually from S. nobilis. Indeed, although recluse spiders are not found anywhere in Northern Europe, they are often accused of biting people there.
If a person is bitten by what they think is a Steatoda species, then it is vitally important to capture the spider for confirmation. I just do not trust simple assertions that wounds were caused by spiders unless the guilty specimen is collected.
Sorry but before you rant about unscientific nonsense, you really should do some very basic research as you seem to be confusing two completely different species.
The species you are referring to is one in the genus Loxosceles (most likely L. reclusa), which has nothing to do with Steatoda, other than being a small spider and not a dirty great big tarantula!
The medical advice I sought online seems untrue according to all these accounts? I may have been lucky with reaction,though the itching and pain were no joke. I seem however to be having ongoing malaise even after a month of my three bites. My mobility now plumited with pain in all areas eg joints, connected?
My 17 year son is recovering from what is believed to be a false widow bite on his right forearm. He was throwing up 3-4 days before there was any sighting of a sting. We are nearly two weeks on. Gradually the sting became more and more swollen resulting in infection, antibiotics, puss, bleeding and a hole. He is having the dressing changed daily by the school nurse and is very very uncomfortable. It looks like a landmine has exploded on his arm. He has his maths and English GCSE this week. Poor boy. These bites are just awful and should not be regarded as ‘mild/minor’ bites. Had never heard of the spider until now.
I’ve had a few bites from them over the years, lots live on our fence on the shaded side and I’m constantly killing the ones I find to save the kids from the grief of it.
I tend to get a 2 pence piece sized red blotch that starts growing what look like black veins coming out from the middle and spreading to size of about 2-3 inches. Itchy and sore for weeks but…….I discovered that Radian B muscle rub seems to clear them up in about a week 🙂
Hope that helps a few people
I was bitten twice by a FW spider that was caught between my shoe and my heel. I saw it fall out of my shoe and then felt a stinging pain. As the bites were right on my Achilles, it was very painful up into my calf and down into my heel. It got a bit better after 3 days but still tender, and then 4 days ago, almost 2 weeks after the bite, it has become hot, inflamed and intensely itchy, no other symptoms. Went to minor injuries, the nurse knew absolutely nothing and had no advice for me other that the usual ‘if it gets worse in the next 24 hrs…’ Think I’ll get a second opinion tomorrow.
I was spending the weekend in London with my daughter and ended up in A&E rushed in by ambulance with anaphylaxis. I had only had Prosecco and olives to eat which I have had many times before but we were putting it down to something in this until I felt a soreness at the top of my buttock and when I checked there was a large red swollen area with a puncture mark. I had scratched the head off. Could This be a FW bite?
I was extremely unwell, couldn’t breathe, had itchy palms, a rash all over my body and my daughter thought I was a goner. I had to have 4 shots of adrenaline, antihistamines, nebulisers and steroids before my oxygen levels returned to nearly normal.
Anyone else had this? I never saw any spider.
I was woken an hour ago at 3am with a pain running round my shoulder and into my arm pit. On getting up I found a bit mark with a lump about the size of a 20p similar to a normal bug bite but the skin was generating serous fluid almost quicker than I could wipe it off( like the skin was sweating) the redness has radiated out across my chest down round my arm pit.I know I can react badly to bug bites but not this bad as an initial reaction. I then found said spider on my pillow looking dead but wasn’t and have now put in a box.
I washed the area and taken antihistamines and iced it in hope to calm the reaction but has really freaked me out that it was in my bed. Now playing the waiting game for reactions.
My partner has been bitten 6 days ago. She has been bitten 8 times on her lower back after the Spider got stuck in the bed during the night.
The pain came the day after: headaches, back pain, nausea, fever, wobbly legs and deep tiredness. The pain is still here and she has to take paracetamol every 4-5 hours to manage it. She has tried 111, went to the “urgent care service”, then tried to see a GP (but only managed to get a phone call due to the state of the NHS nowadays). Everyone told her it was not a problem, to just monitor if she would have fever and take paracetamol.
The holes left by the bites get bigger and dark red. Doctor seem to consider that it’s not infected and it healing but every day it’s getting bigger. Tiny holes seem to join up into bigger ones. I never seen a wound healing but getting bigger so it makes me think of necrosis.
It really feels like no one really knows about the spider and what to do to help. I have the impression that in addition of the neurotoxin there is a necrotoxin in this venom.
We a re based in London. I wonder if someone here would have found specialized places where people would be qualified to help with this problem? Is there a centre, a practice where doctors would know more about it? Has anyone been in our situation and has found an appropriate help before it becomes dangerous and very serious with deep painful wounds like some people talk about on this website?
Any idea, any thoughts on that matter would be extremely appreciated.
Thanks a million in advance
I had the same, 8 bites up my side from one obviously trapped in the bed and panicking. I suspect they run out of venom after a number of bites, but I don’t know how many. Mine itched like crazy for a while, I washed them and put antihistamine cream on, and took cetirizine, they went away pretty quickly.
Ive had many bites from these, apart from this incident, mostly got a reddish itchy lump with 2 holes in the middle, maybe a tiny bit of clear fluid weeping, but nothing dramatic. It seems people react differently. They have tested the venom, it is definitely not necrotoxic.
I know this is an old post but I’d be interested as to the outcome for her?
Found this helpful as I have been bitten. It’s very painful and swollen with lots of tiny pusslike blisters in one spot about the size of a 50 p
04/02/2023
Brother in law just been bitten by false widow spider, ended up in hospital. Spider was hiding in garden glove, so check your garden glove before you put them on.
Same just happened to me last night. Second time I’ve been bitten by a false widow.
Gp phone call just said topical steroid and anti histamines, whereas the last time I was bitten I had giant antibiotics . So painful rn
I was bit by a false window after 6hours it was blistered and had a golf ball size swelling. Took antihistamines. After 12hours it was more like a bowling ball, filled with puss and hurt like hell. Went to Urgent treatment centre and was prescribed antibiotics. The swelling continued to grow over the next 36hours roughly.
It’s now 2month later, it’s left a scar that still hurts.
I wouldn’t compare the pain to anything I’ve been stung by or bit by before. I don’t think this is accurate at all. I’m in the UK for context.
These accounts are more helpful than the online medical advice. I might have gone to the doctor if I’d known ? The three areas I got bitten, treated with apple cider vinegar and tea tree -partially effective . Even after a month, feel general malaise and somehow an uptake in widespread joint and muscle pain?Now, vastly reduced mobility ;whether result?
I got bite by False widow on The finger when i was asleep I don’t normally have a bad Reaction to bites but I woke up with a bit of pain got up and had a Epilepsy fit and smashed me on the bed post. Finger went bad had to get Antibiotics to clear it up .
I’ve got a high pain threshold been stung 20 odd times by wasps but That’s another story so it’s worse than wasps .