Posted By Richard Mathews
There are a couple of native British spiders that bite, but their bite is not dangerous to a normally fit and well person. The severity could probably be best likened to a wasp sting in the average person.

However, if the condition worsens I would get it checked.

Richard

Posted By Tom Clark
John
I used to look after a large chain of dry cleaning establishments. We sometimes had some tricky customers in clothing just back from holidays - the insects they brought back were also trickier.
With today's easy travel and global climate changes going on we, should begin to get prepared for anything.
I have heard that the climatic conditions in southern England are becoming just great for the Champagne grape to be grown, but also great for the mosquito also. Win some lose some.
Be prepared.
Tom

Posted By Stephen J W Clegg.
Hello, I attended collage with a safety guy from the timber importing industry. I remember him saying they had a few incidents involving bites from spiders (and other insects) every year.

It might be worth contacting the industry for some information e.g. RA, emergency action etc… the fruit importing industry may be able to help too.

I agree with the other postings about getting it checked though…

Posted By Ron Hunter
Many (many) years ago, I was bitten by a very small spider (what we call in Scotland a money spider?).
The bite was momentarily painful and raised a very small white swollen area on my thumb.

The episode did nothing for my sister's spider phobia!

Posted By J Knight
Hi Peter,

I'm fairly sure it would have been some kind of arthropod; the issue of flying carpet fibres came up on this forum a couple of months ago (or maybe last month, I lose track) but the IP was definite that a 'creepy crawly' was involved. I do wonder how sure she was that it was actually a spider, and not for example an assassin bug or tick or some such,

John

Posted By Merv Newman
Please remember, if spider or insect bite results in more than three lost days then it is definitely RIDDOR.

Had this once with a pregnant woman who took the rest of the week off after a wasp sting. I took flowers to her house and she was really really swollen !

Posted By James Goodstadt
Of course she was swollen, she was pregnant.

(Sorry -I know I shouldn't, but it is dinnertime and I've been too busy for a while)

James

Posted By J Knight
I suppose any spider, if it feels like it and if its little fangs can penetrate the skin can give quite a nasty bite as they all have various enzymes in their venom which are designed to liquefy their prey. With UK spiders it largely seems to be a question of temperament, as the hants.gov website implies; after all, good old Tegeneria, the common cobweb spider bites frequently in North America, which perhaps raises all sorts of questions about the gun culture etc there; perhaps its something in the air?

Once again thanks for the input; I personally have been bitten by an earwig (not venomous but a nasty nip) and the nastiest arthropod attack I've personally been subject to was a sting from some sort of North American (there you go again!) wood wasp, only about a quarter of an inch long, but it raised a lump as big as its body in a matter of seconds and brought tears of agony to my eyes. Good job the little b****r was so small.

The offending spider may have been some sort of exotic, but since the IP squashed it (as she proudly stated on the accident form) we'll probably never know,

John

Posted By Jonathan Breeze
John,

Has the individual in question recently exhibited a propensity for climbing walls while wearing red spandex suits?

Just asking... nothing serious to add!