Hello all at HP, I have been trawling the internet for information on weather or not common house spiders do actually bite and there is just way too much conflicting information, has anybody ever had one, do they even bite at all?
My house it over run with them some of them are so huge I can't help but be mesmerised by them, I won't ever kill one and there's little point in trying to evict them there are too many and I would be at it day and night.
I have noticed I have these tiny bite marks on my upper back, chest and shoulders they don't itch or hurt but they are unsightly and appear to take a very long time to fade, sometimes months, I've not changed my diet or soap powder so I am wondering as I sleep in my birthday suit in the summer and my upper body where the marks are is exposed could the spiders be biting me? I was going to see the quack about these marks but I don't 'do' Dr's and I am also conscious of taking up an appointment which somebody who is actually poorly might need.
I have never heard of the house/garden variety taking a bite of humans..but then again I could be wrong!
It is more likely that the small parasites that live on the spiders themselves could be having a good old nibble at you during the night!
Try aloe vera gel/cream of some kind to bring down any swelling/inflammation or sting even!
My advice to you, what with the warmer climate, we could be getting more and more exotic spiders in Uk..which means don't take any chances..go see the doc..! Good luck !
I think I remember reading that they can bite but they usually don't. If one were to bite you you'd probably know about it, they apparently leave painful marks.
One to watch out for is the Aggressive House Spider which is making inroads into the UK from Europe. Its bite can leave an abscess. Sorry to add to the paranoia! Spiders, brrr...
Thank you for your replies, I did some more research on the net after I posted last night the result is I am now more confused than ever lol.
There is no swelling or anything like that, they are just lots of teeny pin prick size marks, but I did not think of the possibility that something which lives on spiders could be the culprit that's pretty gross and has made me think I should be looking for ways of getting rid of them or at least find a way so there is not so many.
I wonder if it's some kind of fly like the horse fly or something like that? Bedbugs did cross my mind but the symptoms for that are itchy red bumps or blister like inflammations.
To my knowledge, none of the British spider species (including the common house spider and garden spider) are able to pierce human skin - so they wouldn't be able to bite. I tend to have lots of spiders in my house and, to my daughter's dismay, refuse to evict them in cold weather (though I may move the particularly large ones from her room as she's not a spider lover to put it mildly) - never had any hassle with any of the numerous 8-legged occupants of my house or garden.
A few years ago I used to get eaten alive at this time of year and was told it was 'harvest bugs'. I thought it was something just found in the countryside, but it may not be so? Do you have grassy parkland nearby? - just a thought!
I dont know whether the same protection applies as for mosquitos, but supplementing vitamin B complex and calcium seems to offer some protection.
Just so you know there was a mythbusters episode on spider bites (in particular the daddy long legs) on weather regular house spiders can penetrate the skin with a bite. The answer is yes they can and usually appears as very little red marks on the skin, but their venom isn't strong enough to cause us any harm (of course their are exceptions).
Thank you Andrew this does indeed help, these marks are little and they are red. I'm going to have to get my thinking cap on and try to decrease the numbers I just don't know where to start lol.
Hi Rebecca I used to work with a lady who always at this time of year developed huge egg size swellings on her body.This was apparently caused by spider bites which she was allergic to, hence the swelling. I think she said it was a harvest spider though, but it does link up with the fact that 'yes' spiders can bite! They are also supposed to drink saliva from the corners of our mouths while we sleep which is a pretty dismal thought and a good reason to sleep under the covers! :-)
Thank you Andrew this does indeed help, these marks are little and they are red. I'm going to have to get my thinking cap on and try to decrease the numbers I just don't know where to start lol.
Love
Rebecca x
We had a house spider problem in the old place and I managed to get rid of most of them without chemical spraying. You can start by sealing up their entrances by going around and filling up any cracks in the baseboards, windowframes and doors with sealant. Seal up gaps between pipes and the walls (expanding builders' foam is good for this). If spiders are coming up through the sink or tub you can leave the plugs in at night, though stop up the overflow holes too.
Regular cleaning helps as well--spiders tend to hide out in places that go undisturbed, like behind bookcases or under sofas. Toss outside any spiders you see, the old cup and envelope trick is best for this!
Spiders also apparently don't like certain scents like lemon or clove. You might dab some cotton wool with essential oils and leave them in places spiders like to hang out. I mixed clove oil and water in a spray bottle and spritzed around the doorframes regularly too, that seemed to help. Good luck!
eew this is making me nervous now. my brothers daughter has phobia like i have and he has out bowl of chstnuts by the door and it works apparently they dont like smell of them either.
Don't think house spiders bite.
May be bugs of some sort as a prev post says.
Incidentally, there are statistics out that say lots of spiders are swallowed by people sleeping with their mouths open. Best to lie on your side.
Hi, I bought a bugbuster at Christmas and it is great. I hate touching spiders but don't want to kill them. I just hook up the tube (see the attached link) and a gentle suction brings the spider into the tube and it is then put outside. It's good for flies and wasps too. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Spider-Bug-B...1973533&sr=8-1
Hi
I'm one of the exceptions, I got bitten by a fairly small spider while ripping up an old carpet. I felt the bite in my right armpit - just a small jab really - nothing like a bee or wasp. It started to itch and then got hot, within a few hours I had two red lines running towards my inner elbow. My arm was hot and swollen. I took myself to A & E who kept asking if it was a snake bite!! I explained and they gave me as antihistamine shot and some tablets. Over the next 2 days my arm became swollen and achy right down to my hand. It subsided gradually but was very unpleasant.
I now have an electronic scarer that plugs into the mains that I bought for squirrels in the loft but it seems to have made all the large spiders vacate but hasn't moved the smaller ones (like the one that bit me). I won't kill them but I avoid them. Your bites don't sound like mine (mine had 2 tiny puncture marks). Please don't be offended but with the warm summer you could be experiencing animal flea bites - they leave a small pinprick effect and for some reason they take ages to go, protecting the pets doesn't always eradicate the problem.
House Spider Bites?
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