Britain’s most infested city launches new pest control to exterminate false widow spiders

Brighton and Hove City Council has added the noble false widow spider to the list of creatures its staff will remove from homes, after receiving enquiries from residents.

A report in 2010 identified Brighton, East Sussex and nearby Worthing as the false widow spider capital of the UK.

Concerned homeowners can call the city council's environmental health team to sweep their property for the spiders, which are becoming increasingly abundant in the south of England.

SOLENT

The council has added the noble false widow spider to the list of creatures its staff will remove

A one or two bedroom property can be given a full sweep for £80, with the price rising to £100 for homes with three or four bedrooms and £140 for five bedroom homes.

The noble false widow, steatoda nobilis, is believed to have arrived in Britain in crates of bananas from the Canary Islands in the 19th century.

The spiders have a shiny brown abdomen with distinctive white markings that have been compared to a skull.

SOLENT

Brighton, East Sussex and nearby Worthing as the false widow spider capital of the UK

Experts say that the spider is not usually aggressive and that bites are rare, but symptoms of bites include numbness and severe swelling.

In some cases, those who have been bitten can experience a burning sensation or chest pains.

Sightings of the spiders become more abundant in the autumn months when the males come indoors in order to find shelter and seek a mate.

SOLENT

Residents can call the city council's environmental health team to sweep their home for the spiders

The world's scariest spiders
Fri, February 5, 2016

Creepy crawlies! Spiders from all over the world. With eight legs and venomous fangs, spiders are some of the most hated and feared creatures to walk the planet.

Play slideshow

Getty Images/Imagebroker RF

1 of 29

A pinktoe tarantula found in Peru

A spokesman for Brighton and Hove City Council said: "We have added the service in response to demand from residents.

"The treatment is very similar to flea treatment. Indoor low level areas where spiders have been active are sprayed with an insecticide."

The council's new spider treatment is available in addition to its existing pest control services to remove mice, rats, fleas, wasps and carpet moths.

Original Article