How many UK spiders are actually dangerous?
Itsy bitsy spider climbed down the waterspout, ready to poison whoever was about.
Essentially, none. There are three common spiders in the UK that are capable of biting you: the cellar spider, the woodlouse spider and the false widow spider. Their bites are painful and have been known to cause swelling for a few hours.
In 2014 a 60-year-old woman died after being bitten by a false widow spider. However, the cause of death was due to a bacterial infection from the puncture wound, rather than the spider venom itself.
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Authors
Luis trained as a zoologist, but now works as a science and technology educator. In his spare time he builds 3D-printed robots, in the hope that he will be spared when the revolution inevitably comes.
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