wasps

[Carys]

Ah yes, the false widow spider, thats another creature that is 'over hysterified' (made up word). I know some people do react badly to them, someone in my family did and had a lot of swelling and pain/infection. I used to feel the same way until I saw someone saving a nest of them by transfering on his bare hands (unbitten, and yes he knew they were false widow). I was horrified, and then looked up info about them, as below, taken from natural history museum site...

False widows are not the deadly spiders they are sometimes thought to be.

Although false widows do have a venomous bite, the venom is not particularly potent. Usually the only symptom is pain at the site which may radiate away from the bite. It ordinarily lasts between one and 12 hours, and rarely for more than 24 hours.
Often, the symptoms are no worse than the pain of a wasp sting.
Males are more prone to biting. But this is only because they leave the nest in search of a mate, often venturing indoors looking for females. They are only known to bite when provoked or trapped against skin.

There are sometimes reports of false widow bites that present with more sinister symptoms like rotting flesh and excruciating pain. But these are usually not backed up with formal spider identification.

The extreme side effects experienced are most likely the result of a secondary infection, likely bacterial, if the wound is not kept clean.
There is often hysteria surrounding these spiders, and they have unjustly earned a reputation for being a dangerous pest. But these spiders only bite when they feel threatened.
Jan Beccaloni, Curator of Arachnida and Myriapoda, says 'During my time at the Natural History Museum I have, not surprisingly, met many people who are scared of spiders. That’s a great pity because spiders are awesome creatures which are sadly misunderstood.

'Aside from their key role in feeding on pest insect species, their silk is being developed to make specialist clothing such as bullet-proof vests and their venom can be used in pain relief.
'So next time you find an unwanted spider in your house, please don’t kill it! Either leave it in peace, or humanely put it out in your shed.'
False widows can live in relative harmony with us - they're even tidy houseguests, helping to keep the place clear of flying insects and other pesky invertebrates.

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[BlueIris]

Yes, I know they're harmless and I know I was unlucky - believe me, I'm not about to start murdering spiders because I got bitten. I'm also pretty sure the bite only occurred at all because I leaned back onto one.

Definitely not an experience I'd care to repeat, though; I have a reasonably high tolerance for pain but I thought for a moment I'd leaned back onto a lit cigarette end.

[MyNameIsTerry]

I don't like killing anything in the house and will carry them outside or just let them be if they are indoor beasties. But (Cary's will be me) wasps are my exception and I do kill them, although if they can be waffted out they will be.

Didn't know that about the wood though, very interesting.

I was stung a few times as a child and just like someone bit by a dog you build up those experiences. I don't jump around at the sight of wasps but I don't like them. I did get my commupance though as a load of them got into my bedroom late last year at 4am after a big gust of freak wing stirred them up. That wasn't much fun!

Carys - since you like all these beasties did you see the article about the bee in Indonesia they thought was extinct? Now that would need one hell of a big rolled up newspaper!

[Carys]

Yes, I did see that MAHOOSIVE bee, it was flippin awesome. I hope its not the only one though, the way they were talking it sounded like it was !

I am cross with you Terry, please re-read my 'wasps are friends' post above, AGAIN. I've been stung, errrr, 5 times now by wasps and all in the last decade oddly, they must sense I am slowing down lol

Yes, I know they're harmless and I know I was unlucky - believe me, I'm not about to start murdering spiders because I got bitten. I'm also pretty sure the bite only occurred at all because I leaned back onto one.

No, I know you aren't about to go murdering them....apologies if it came across as me 'pulling you up'. The false widow has come up on NMP a few times before based on Daily Fail-type hysterics, and it upsets me to think how loathed they are. Well, they aren't totally harmless lets be honest, they do bite if leaned on and it hurts lol Effective defenses. I just can't bear people saying they kill spiders, it makes me really really sad, when they are so cute. I had one of those house spiders make a web on a kitchen plant last year, and it ran out of flies so I was throwing any dead flies I found on its web, it was so interesting watching it react and wrap them up. Everyday can be a 'safari' if you let it be......

Look, liking them only goes so far, I don't want them crawling on me ! I don't have a weekly 'hug a wasp' day or anything, and hornets do freak me a bit. However, when I had a hornet issue last summer...even then I didn't exterminate them.

[Carys]

I don't like killing anything in the house and will carry them outside

....to do it outside instead?

[BlueIris]

I saw photos of the bee - it was brilliant, wasn't it?

I didn't realise there'd been false widow threads on here before, I should have looked but the bite happened a couple of months before I joined. I was mightily panicked about it at the time, but once I realised it was just a bite of some sort I calmed down quickly enough. I just hope I didn't accidentally squash the poor thing!

[Carys]

There are a few threads, but generally the spider discussion follows discussion about other creepy crawlies on the same thread lol

Could you see the two tiny bite holes?

[Dimdim101]

Just be glad you don't live in Australia like me...was running from bees and wasps every time I would lay by the pool Havent been stung though! *yet*

[Dimdim101]

And not to mention spiders...found my dog trying to eat a massive huntsman spider this morning. He managed to take off one of it's legs...

[BlueIris]

Dimdim, one of our cats used to bring us live spiders as presents. Beware the cat that meows with its mouth full!

Carys, I didn't see the puncture wounds as the area got quite swollen and inflamed by the time I was somewhere I could afford to take my shirt off and inspect it in a mirror.