Harbour Guides
Home / News / REDBACK SPIDERS IN THE UK

REDBACK SPIDERS IN THE UK

Wednesday November 16th, 2011
ImageThe frightening Redback Spider has now had numerous sightings in the UK. For those of you who are not familiar with the Redback Spider it is related to the venomous Black Widow Spider and looks very similar. It lives mainly in Australia where it is believed to be responsible for 14 fatalities, however most victims of the redback bight can expect to experience a great deal of pain and swelling, chest pains fever and breathing difficulties.They also have to treated with anti-venom.
Both cargo imports and even holidaymakers are the most likely accidental causes of its arrival on uk shores.
Richard Mosely of the British Pest Control Association is quoted as saying: 'These insects move with trade and transport. As the world becomes theoretically a smaller place and people go on more unusual holidays and we bring in commodities from unusual places, the spread increases. These insects are on the move now.'

Entomologist Dr George McGavin is also quoted as saying: 'It is very difficult to keep small things out of the country - insects will always come in.
'Whether or not they can breed in the wild is a different thing, but we have lots of heated homes that are warm through the year with plenty of food available.
'Some species can survive in them and breed in them. Homes are a very big habitat now.'

Just for the record female redbacks have a body length of about a centimetre while the male is smaller, being only 3 to 4 millimetres long.

Frightening!
SHARE:
space
Comments (19)
11/09/2024 @ 9:58 am
David Wyn Williams
I’ve got smallish black spiders with a bright red stripe on their back in my shed ,this red stripe runs across the body from side to side and not head to tail,I’ve never seen them before and am unable to identify them.The stripe is a vivid red from side to side similar to the stripes on wasps.
25/08/2024 @ 10:15 am
Tanya Kerrison
If any of you have access to Facebook and you come across a red-back spider, there is a Facebook page "British spider identification group" all accidental imports r usually offered a home, I believe u need a licence to keep a red-back because it's bite is medically significant. But lots of ppl on that page have licences and r equipped to keep these spiders. They could have a significant impact on our native spiders if these r kept in the wild.
13/05/2024 @ 3:00 pm
Steven Booth
I have a colony in a spare wheelie bin which I store bird food in. I believe it arrived with some millet I bought produce of Australia. It is quite the infestation but as yet confined to the bin. Location is Irlam in Greater Manchester. I am currently spraying to eradicate the colony. Seems the Aussies make a big deal about infestations arriving but not too fussy when exporting.
09/11/2023 @ 11:21 am
D
SCARed!!!!!!!!''arghhh
09/11/2023 @ 11:13 am
Student
I AM SO TERRIFIED!!!
25/10/2023 @ 6:16 am
Mrs Jannine Lax
I was walking my dogs on the

Fields near a school and a playground. I was walking up a path when I thought I saw a ladybird. When I got near I some saw it was no ladybird. It was obviously a female red back spider. I couldn't believe it seeing it in Yorkshire. Not sure if it will survive the winter but now I am worried about children and animals been bitten. Is there anyone I can report this too. My families have picnics on these Fields.
24/10/2023 @ 12:01 pm
Paul (UK)
I've just seen a fairly large spider trying to climb up my front door, it's back was about the size of a cm, it was black with a red back and having googled it I now know it was a red back spider.
24/10/2023 @ 12:40 am
Annette
I saw one on the stairs of my house and thought oh that’s an unusual spider and left it. I googled spiders in U.K. with a red back this evening, and now petrified!!!!!
20/09/2023 @ 3:28 pm
Danielle
I just killed one of these in my house it dropped on the floor in front of me when I opened the curtains thought it was a black widow, any its dead and flushed down the toilet. Manchester.
01/07/2023 @ 9:24 am
Dave
I found one of these climbing up the chair I was sitting on once and no-one believed me that it was a redback.
26/01/2023 @ 2:27 pm
May
That’s a green orb weaver that the lady had seen, native to UK and Europe, they’re not dangerous to humans and are actually quite a common spider!
13/01/2023 @ 10:31 am
Frances
I have a huge one of these that lives under a wet slab in my well. It’s absolutely wicked looking and always there. I’m in West wales where you couldn’t have a less Australian climate. I have only ever seen the one. Are you all killing your ones or leaving them?
11/07/2022 @ 7:42 pm
Lisa
I killed one on a pile of slabs in my garden today, camborne Cornwall. There are lots of spider sacs on the other slabs too. How's best to get rid plz
11/09/2021 @ 4:19 pm
mackenzie
theres a femaile redback spider in my bedroom and i caught it and put it in a tank in my bedroom a clear tank its already layed up like 12 egg sacs and the male is in there too
01/09/2021 @ 3:30 pm
ItsFunneh
i have found 10 of these in my room and garden
11/05/2012 @ 1:20 pm
julie
My friend thinks she has seen one of these recently in her garden, and thinks they are living in her rotary washing line pole, maybe breeding, what should she do? She has 2 small children and is very worried, she lives in the country just outside bedford, she has also seen a bright green spider with bright red head and legs inside her house, they have been seen more than once, any idea what type of spider this could be?
11/05/2012 @ 12:25 am
Benjos
Catch the lil rascal as quickly as you can but watch the bite yo!
18/11/2011 @ 1:07 pm
HG CREW
Good question Barry...We will have to get back to you on that..
17/11/2011 @ 11:29 am
Barry
What do you do,or who do you contact if you see one of these?
Add Your Comment

Most Recent News Items - View News Archive


BLUE PAGES
top