Six UK cities and countries have been placed on high alert over the invasion of a venomous spider that’s creeping into houses this August.
Spider season is officially underway, with reports of huge spiders creeping into homes already doing the rounds across the country. Normally spider season really kicks into gear in late August, as the warm weather starts to fade, but any time now spiders will usually begin showing up uninvited inside our houses and it’s set to continue until about October.
False widow spiders are known as the UK’s most dangerous spider. The noble false widow is Britain’s most venomous spider and often blamed for a growing number of bite incidents. While most bites are mild, some can cause swelling, pain and, in rare cases, serious infection.
These spiders are often found in window corners, sheds, garages and undisturbed indoor spaces. They thrive in warm environments and are now widespread in parts of southern England.
In one severe case from Berkshire, personal trainer Ivan Savage nearly died in 2023 after being bitten by a false widow in his home. He was hospitalised with sepsis and needed emergency surgery after pest control discovered over 500 false widows inside the property.
Although deaths are extremely rare, a 60-year-old woman in Hampshire died in 2014 after developing sepsis believed to be linked to a false widow bite — making it one of the UK’s only confirmed fatal cases.
According to arachnology expert Dr Tom Elwood at Quote My Wall, there are six UK areas currently on ‘high alert’ for false widow spiders.
These are:
Bristol
Essex
Devon
Kent
London
Norfolk
The expert urged households to seal up windows and clean them to avoid inviting more spiders in.
Dr Elwood said: “The spiders don’t wait until autumn. They’re already active now — and if you’ve got poorly maintained windows, you’re giving them easy access.”
