Archived on 6/5/2022

Exotic wasp spider, which bites, sighted in Forest Hill

Google_News

13 Oct '19

Official advice is to keep windows and doors closed during mating season (early October)

[Image: @Lee45101530]

An exotic breed of biting spider can now be found in South London thanks to the gradual climb in temperature.

Londoners are likely to be seeing a rise in the numbers of all spiders invading their homes after a warm, wet summer provided the perfect conditions for the creepy-crawlies.

But the wasp spider, which for years was only found on the warmer south coast of England, has now begun to invade South London, after a series of warm summers and milder winters allowed it to move northwards.

Pictured above in Forest Hill, in Lewisham , the wasp spider originates from the Mediterranean but migrated to the UK after temperatures began to climb.

The females are about the size of a 2p coin and the males are smaller and brown. While they can bite, they are thankfully not poisonous.

This year’s record temperatures, interspersed with heavy rain, have provided the perfect environment for the smaller insects spiders feed on, allowing their population to boom

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More information on the wasp spider can be found at https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argiope_bruennichi.

promofaux

13 Oct '19

Keeping windows closed will not be enough. If you see one, burn your house down immediately.

Nivag

13 Oct '19

I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure.

promofaux

13 Oct '19

We don’t know what their ability to survive a nuclear blast is like… Might just end up making things worse by accidentally creating a mutated variant.

anon27836993

13 Oct '19