Huge Tegenaria bit me one night

naturegirl · #1 (**permalink**) 20-09-2011, 11:30 PM

I was bitten on my forehead a while ago by a HUGE tegenaria. I woke up in the morning to find dried blood on my forehead which when washed off revealed two red dots/puncture marks. I take warfarin so bleed easily and profusely. I did not feel ill or suffered any effect other than a little soreness. I found the 'culprit' on my bath panel a few days later and it was the biggest spider I have ever seen!!!! I managed to get it into a pint glass but it was quite difficult to move as it clung on with it's feet and resisted capture. When I had it safely trapped I used a magnifying glass to check it's fangs and they matched the marks on my forehead which made me feel quite ill to say the least. I re-located this spider to some bushes well way from my place and hoped to never become aquainted again. I think I may invest/make some screen window covers the same as they have in America for next year!

Naturegirl

Geoff F · #2 (**permalink**) 22-09-2011, 07:13 PM

Tegenaria aren't known for biting sleeping people so I suspect the culprit was something else and finding that spider was just coincidence.

naturegirl · #3 (**permalink**) 22-09-2011, 11:37 PM

Hi Geoff
I'm sure that the spider I found on my bath panel a couple of days later was indeed the culprit as the puncture marks matched it's fangs exactly. I know that Tegenaria do not actually go after people but I left my bedroom window fully open and was inundated with both males and females all over the place.

This one that I think bit me was the largest one that I have ever seen in my life! I do not know what else could have caused the exact same puncture marks on me other than this particular spider. I can imagine that I was asleep and felt something on my face and went to brush it off which caused it to bite me.

Naturegirl

healfdan · #4 (**permalink**) 23-09-2011, 08:00 AM

Hello Naturegirl
Worth checking out Tegenaria agrestis which is fairly widespread across southern UK. It is known to bite humans but toxicity levels are not thought to be harmful to humans.

sebastianbawn · #5 (**permalink**) 24-09-2011, 08:52 PM

Seems rare though for a spider to bite with no provocation, even a brushed hand would probably not annoy enough to bite. Most bites are more likely to happen if you pick them up and close your hand around them.. And T.agrestris don't like to get to close to human habitation. If it was a tegenaria then I would say you are extremely unlucky. I understand why you think it was this particular spider, but I think it would be highly unlikely

P.s. I hope you don't mind me asking, but I read on another thread that you go into anaphylactic shock if stung or bittern. Would this not have happened if this spider had bitten you?

naturegirl · #6 (**permalink**) 25-09-2011, 01:36 AM

Hi Sebastian
I would normally go into anyaphylactic shock if bitten/stung but this may have been a 'dry' bite which is quite common with biting animals/insects. Thank God it was, is all I can say on this occasion!!

I have T. agrestis by my back door next to a hanging basket and aggessive little devils they can be!!

Naturegirl