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Post by teasel on Jul 30, 2015 9:36:20 GMT
I've been seeing more and more mentions of spider bites on FB etc. Some pages are reporting that NHS staff are identifying bites as being from a spider by the bite having puncture marks. My memory isn't quite what it was but I think I've been bitten by things other than spiders in the past that have left puncture marks. Flower bugs are a particular hazzard to me Are spiders getting the blame in error? Should NHS staff be sent on a bite identification course?
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Post by htcdude on Jul 30, 2015 13:54:58 GMT
Spiders usually get the blame it seems, especially if someone has a bad reaction to a bite!
Nige
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Post by Tringa on Jul 30, 2015 14:47:32 GMT
Spiders might be being blamed but I hope that people would be able to distinguish a spider from other invertebrates, so I hope that most reports of spider bite, really are caused by spiders. This link is interesting reading and comes from a good source and relates to cases were identity has been established. - www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/life/insects-spiders/identification-guides-and-keys/spider-bites/However, in my 60+ years I have, to my knowledge, never been bitten by a spider. However, spiders are not popular with some people so spiders could easily be blamed incorrectly. It is also worth reading the paragraphs accessed from the "More information" link on the web page linked above, especially the last paragraph that says - "When considering spider bites, caution is necessary because it is well known that spiders often get the blame for bites and stings that are actually caused by insects or even plants. Nevertheless, the incidents quoted in this report are all considered to have been genuine cases of spider bite." Dave
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Post by alf1951 on Aug 1, 2015 5:03:14 GMT
I think teasel is right about the need for NHS staff to be a bit more knowledgeable about bites and stings. That said I know I have had bites from spiders occasionally and who can blame them when, as has happened twice lately, some big lump of a human sits on them (squashed spider is not to be recommended on pale upholstery fabric). I've never known a place for spiders like our present home, they are just everywhere. Steatoda and Scotophaeus blackwalli appear to be the main culprits for me but the occasional nip is nothing compared with the wasp stings I've endured or (when we had pets) flea bites - I suspect the latter to be the most likely culprit for people's complaints.
Alf
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Post by teasel on Aug 1, 2015 15:09:27 GMT
so what else would cause puncture marks and swelling? It's just I'd like to defend spiders but want to be sure of my facts Not that I would post fleas as an option, that would be too inflamatory I often just mention that bees can sting and no-one prints headlines of swollen limbs caused by bee stings . . . Thanks
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Post by matt52 on Sept 8, 2015 10:57:26 GMT
A couple of years ago i got bitten by a spider it did indeed leave a couple of puncture marks and a little swelling,how do i know it was a spider you may ask?it was a large black and red one i hadn't seen before so i caught it in my hands and i never did find out what sort it was
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Post by Eristic on Sept 9, 2015 22:25:44 GMT
I think matt52 has it on the nail with the two puncture marks. Many insects can leave a hole in the skin but the spider bites with two fangs hence two holes.
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Post by alf1951 on Oct 28, 2015 15:22:14 GMT
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Post by Tringa on Oct 28, 2015 16:19:25 GMT
He appears to have had a severe reaction to something. Whether it was a false black widow or something else we will never know. The comment about his brother seeing a dead spider on the man's jumper is odd - it bit him and then died, as is the "... squeezed out all the poison ...".
Still, whatever caused it, it looks painful.
It is a pity the Telegraph has joined the ranks of the sensationalist press with a comment like ".... look set to overrun homes across the country"
Dave
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Post by alf1951 on Nov 14, 2015 8:54:42 GMT
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Post by teasel on Nov 14, 2015 12:56:39 GMT
I wonder if they have a bee friendly nature garden, and if they realise bees can sting too?
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