Beware, when working !

[phil d]

Well, on Saturday I was the victim of a cowardly and vicious assault! I had been out for some shopping, returned home and had a beer, then watched the armed siege, just down the road (yes we do get them occasionally) then gone into the garden to replace a faulty pond pump for SWMBO. I was in and out of the sheds before finally settling down to replace the pump, as I bent down I felt a slight pricking sensation in my right arm, I was wearing a padded shirt and thought it was a wood splinter stuck in the material, it wasn't.

A few minutes later and my arm began to itch, about an hour later and I had a lump the size of a 50P and raised about 3/4 of an inch! The following morning when I got up my arm was really swollen, it was the same size at my wrist as it was at my shoulder, and burning like hell. I went to the chemist and was told to see a doctor so I rang the emergency doctor and got an appointment last night at a local surgery.

The doctor took one look at it and prescribed antibiotics and antihistamines, I'd been the victim of a sneak attack by some kind of spider, although it is usual for these things to occur around August, the warm weather and mild winter has meant they are active earlier this year. I,m on 500 Mg of antibiotic 4 times a day for a week, my arm is in a sling and I am unable to drive.

So, my advice to you all is to be careful, these little devils are out there waiting for you, I've been bitten by horseflies before now and it wasn't as bad as this, I'd heard of it but never experienced it until now,it's painful and irritating, and extremely annoying to be laid low by a flaming spider, you have been warned. lol 

 

[Rob.]

I was bitten by a Black widow in September last year, whilst working in North Carolina. 

Wouldn't recommend it. 

I also wouldn't recommend having to fork out for american emergency treatment. If I'd have know how much it was I'd have grinned and bared it until I could see a regular doctor. Was only in 10 min, they gave me a jab an on my way for some antibiotics. Nothing they can do for you unless the skin starts to die and ulcer around the bite. Just have to ride it out. 

 

[phil d]

I was bitten by a Black widow in September last year, whilst working in North Carolina. 

Wouldn't recommend it. 

I also wouldn't recommend having to fork out for american emergency treatment. If I'd have know how much it was I'd have grinned and bared it until I could see a regular doctor. Was only in 10 min, they gave me a jab an on my way for some antibiotics. Nothing they can do for you unless the skin starts to die and ulcer around the bite. Just have to ride it out. 

Yeah, this thing was scary, the speed at which the swelling came up. ok. you get used to alump around the bite, fair enough, but when the whole arm swells up and starts going numb, that's scary. Apparently we've got something called a 'false widow spider' here now and they're bloody nasty! Typical of me though, I never  do anything by halves, lol.

 

[Sharpend]

Only we could have a ‘false widow spider’  bet it originates from Essex most of the widows there are false! 

 

[Rob.]

See until then I had always imagined that black widows were lethal, an although yes they can be, it's extremely rare if you're not a young kid or OAP.

Most of the issue is with the bite getting infected rather than the venom.

 

[Rutts35]

Only we could have a ‘false widow spider’  bet it originates from Essex most of the widows there are false! 

Oi! Leave Essex out of it!

 

[Murdoch]

We have the OPM (oak processionary moth) on our oak tree ...... got some really unpleasant rashes from those blighters ....took days to go

 

[Tony S]

And I thought I had problems with exploding sewage plants. I only got a minor infection from the 2nd episode.

 

[Richard-the-Ninth]

How was the pump?

 

[phil d]

How was the pump?

Total write off, still it was only about twenty quid for a new one, lol

Only we could have a ‘false widow spider’  bet it originates from Essex most of the widows there are false! 

Well, to be honest, I'm blaming Brexit, after all it gets blamed for everything else  so why not me getting bitten. lol