Spiders
False Black Widow
Steatoda nobilis, commonly known in England as the biting spider or the false black widow (though several other species are known by the latter name), is a common species of spider in the genus Steatoda. As one of this spider's common name indicates, the spider superficially resembles, and is frequently confused for, the black widow and other venomous spiders in the genus Latrodectus.
The spider is native to the Canary Islands but arrived in England in around 1870 through bananas sent to Torquay. In England it has a reputation as one of the few local spider species which is capable of inflicting a painful bite to humans - although this is a comparatively rare occurrence.
Description
Like true widow spiders, S. nobilis has a round, bulbous, over-sized abdomen, which is darkly colored. Females typically have pale marble like markings on the dorsal side of the abdomen, with a cream-coloured band and range in size from 7mm to 14mm. Males tend to have smaller more elongated abdomens, with pale brown legs and dark brown, less patterned markings. When a mature male is ready to mate you can see his pedipalps (the mouth feelers) expand into carrot shaped balloons to accommodate a sperm covered silk sheet, ready for mating.Males of this genus are able to produce sounds during courtship by scraping teeth on the abdomen against a file on the rear of the carapace.
Habitat and Range
In common with other members of the Theridiidae family, S. nobilis constructs a cobweb, i.e., an irregular tangle of sticky silken fibers. As with other web-weavers, these spiders have very poor eyesight and depend mostly on vibrations reaching them through their webs to orient themselves to prey or warn them of larger animals that could injure or kill them.
Distribution
The spider is found in the Canary Islands, in England around Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Devon and Cornwall, Dorset and Essex, and in Madeira; it has also been observed in parts of continental Europe and Africa.
Population growth in UK
As with many animals extending their range from the continent, the distribution of S. nobilis is expected to increase northwards in the UK, due at least partly to climate change. The False Widow spider first arrived in banana shipments from the Canary Islands in around 1870.
This prediction was reported by Stuart Hine of the Natural History Museum. The spider and alarming stories about it regularly feature in newspaper articles. Hine responded on the naturenet blog, stating, "Of course I also explain the great value of spiders and how rare the event of spider bite in the UK actually is. I also always explain that up to 12 people die from wasp/bee stings in the UK each year and we do not panic so much about wasps and bees – but this never makes it past editing."
Giant House Spider
The Giant house spider (Tegenaria duellica; formerly known as T. gigantea) is a member of the genus Tegenaria and is a close relative of both the Domestic house spider and the infamous Hobo spider. The bite of this species does not pose a threat to humans or pets.
Appearance
Females can reach 18 mm in length, with males having a slightly smaller body at around 12 mm to 15 mm in length. The female leg span is typically around 45 mm. The leg span of the male is highly variable, with spans between 25 mm to 75 mm being common.
The Giant house spider has the same coloration as the Domestic house spider; it has earthy tones of brown and muddy red or yellow. They also have conspicuously hairy legs and abdomen.
Habitat
The Giant house spider is indigenous to north western Europe. It was however unwittingly introduced to the Pacific Northwest of North America circa 1900 due to human activity and strongly increased in numbers for the last decade.
The webs built by the Giant house spider are flat and messy with a funnel at one end. The spider lurks in the funnel until a small invertebrate happens to get trapped in the web, at which point the spider runs out and attacks it.
They usually build their webs in corners (on both the floor and ceiling), between boxes in basements, attics, or any other area that is rarely disturbed by large animals, or humans.
Males can often be seen wandering around during the late summer and early autumn looking for a mate.
Toxicity
Like most spiders, the spider possesses quite a potent venom to subdue its prey; but it is not known to bite humans.
Woodlouse Spider
The woodlouse spider (Dysdera crocata) is a species of spider that preys exclusively upon woodlice.
Appearance
Female specimens are 11-15 mm long whilst males are 9-10 mm. They have a dark-red thorax and legs, and a yellow-brown abdomen. Notably, they have disproportionately large chelicerae.
Distribution
D. crocata has a cosmopolitan distribution.
Behaviour
They are usually to be found under logs in warm places, often close to woodlice. They have been found in houses. They spend the day in a silk cocoon and hunt at night without the use of a web. Their diet comprises exclusively of woodlice which — despite their tough exoskeleton — are pierced easily by the spider's large chelicerae.
The reproduction of these spiders is typically aggressive. They risk injury from each other's chelicerae. The female lays her eggs in a silk cocoon and is thought to look after her young after hatching.
They have been known to bite humans if handled. Their bite can be painful but the venom causes no major medical problems. Localised itchiness at the bite site has been reported in some cases.
Walnut Orb-Weaver Spider
The Walnut Orb-Weaver Spider (Nuctenea umbratica) is a spider of the Araneidae family.
The walnut orb-weaver spider is very wide and flattened, with a leathery skin. Its color ranges from red brown and grey brown to black with a dark, yellowish to yellow-greenish leaf-like fleckled marking on its opisthosoma, where small dents are visible. These are the onsets of muscles that flatten the abdomen.
Female N. umbratica can reach up to 15 mm in size, the males grow only up to 8 mm.
The spider hides during the day outside of buildings in wall crevices, or under loose bark. They are very common in Central Europe; females occur all year long, while males appear mostly during summer.
In the evening the spider constructs an orb-web that can be up to 70 cm in diameter. A signaling thread leads from the web to her hiding place. After dusk she sits in the web's center.
Control
Verminate offers a call-out service to treat spiders and other pest problems in the home or outside around your windows. Our service is fast, effective and offers the highest level of safety for your family and pets.
Even where very high populations of spiders are present, a single application of insecticide at double strength will be sufficient. The insecticides that Verminate use are the safest available and do not pose any risk to people or pets.
You will, however, be left with an information sheet about the insecticide used by the operative. The pest control officer will be able to give on site advice about any precautions that the occupant needs to take before and after treatment.
If you have a problem with spiders, Verminate can help you! Contact us today for more information.
