Warning as ‘most dangerous’ UK spider invades homes this week

Warning as ‘most dangerous’ UK spider invades homes this weekThe spider resembles the black widow. Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Bookmark Add us as preferred source Comments By Laura Zilincanova 19:32, Wed, Jun 3, 2026 Updated: 19:34, Wed, Jun 3, 2026 False widow, also called Steatoda nobilis (Image: Getty)After Britain endured one of its hottest spells of the year, with two consecutive days in May breaking temperature records, the sudden cool-down is now driving a wave of false widow spider sightings across the UK. NHS figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request earlier this year revealed that 100 people required hospital treatment following spider bites in 2025, which is double the 47 cases recorded a decade ago. window.scriptsToLoad.push({url:'https://live.primis.tech/live/liveView.php?s=118222&vp_content=plembed3a6btjknzwqh&cbuster=%%CACHEBUSTER%%&playerApiId=v118222',triggeredBy:'tcfLoaded',delay:1500,containerId:'ovp-primis',title:"Primis player",beforeLoad:()=>{window.top.addEventListener('primisPlayerInit',e=>{try{if(e.detail&&e.detail.playerApiId==="v118222"){if(window.document.getElementsByClassName('jwplayer')[0]){e.detail.float('disable')}}}catch(e){}})},}) Oxford University ecologist Clive Hambler, who has described the noble false widow as "the most dangerous spider currently breeding in Britain", warned: "The days when you could just treat spiders as benign in Britain are over." Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Get the day's biggest headlines in UK and World news and more Subscribe Invalid emailWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy PolicyExperts say the spike in sightings are due to prolonged heatwaves that accelerates breeding in outdoor habitats. When the temperature sudde...