False widows

[denoandposhneednosh]

We have them, we have sprayed due to allergies to most bites, feel really guilty but we had loads, This is one of them.

[captainbovine]

I'm not looking.....I hate spidies....

[chickengrandma-2008]

I was wondering why anybody would want false windows??

Yuk.  We have lots of big spiders (not for long once I grab the fly swat and the Raid) but none that look like that.  Are they inside ones or outside ones?

[ilove2patch]

[ilove2patch]

It's going to get bleeped isn't it! lol

[denoandposhneednosh]

OMG, it might Lol. I cannot believe we have them, how dare they evade the jaws of a pup and a cat

[peteryola]

OP, looked at your picture.... that is 100% definitely a False Widow.

There's dozens of them round here ( Epsom ); had to have the house fumigated about 2 years ago because they started getting inside.

I've been bitten twice in the garden; first time about 2½ years ago I sat down on one of our metal garden chairs and unknown to me at the time one of them was on the underside of it; it went chomp chomp chomp along the underside of my left leg where the edge of the chair was, mid thigh.  Took 3 months for the swellings and itchings to go - I had a neat slightly circular row of 4 or 5 bites...  The second time was in early September this year, got bitten on my left foot while standing in the garden; quick pair of bits a couple of cm apart and they've only just stopped swelling and itching!

All these attempts by council pest control people in the media every few months encouraging people to report them to them; it's fighting a losing battle really - these spiders have been in the country for so long now and spread so far that they are here to stay whether we like it or not!

[twishy123]

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@ilove2patch wrote:

It's going to get bleeped isn't it! lol

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MAJORLY........

And the award for the biggest bleep in the history of FHG bleeps....goes to Maggie.......

[ilove2patch]

I took it off! Saved getting a slap! lol 

[ed_blackadder_1]

Must admit i read it as false windows, der senior moment.

[chickengrandma-2008]

There was a chap talking about them on TV this morning.  He said they've been in this country a while now, since 1870 in fact.  Most homes have them and they don't bite unles they're frightened, like most other spiders.

I kill them before they have time to be frightened, I'm kind like that!!

[denoandposhneednosh]

So glad you didn't get slapped.  All the conservatory sprayed, all webs/eggs/bodies vacuumed and vacuum bag burnt.

[ilove2patch]

The media are to blame for all the scare stories. They are no worse than other biting insects really. They eat flys so can't be all bad.

[captainbovine]

gawd Maggie, you're brave!!!!

[ilove2patch]

There are loads of them around here CB. They don't go around looking for people to bite. You just have to be careful in dark corners of the shed! lol