Number of patients admitted to hospital for spider bites doubles amid 'explosion' of false widows in UK
The species, which has been spotted in the grounds of Buckingham Palace, can cause moderate pain and swelling
The number of people being admitted to hospital in England for false widow spider bites has more than doubled over the last decade due to an "explosion" of the species.
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NHS data showed there were 100 admissions because of "contact with or toxic effect spiders" in 2025, up from 47 in 2015.
The increase has been linked to the increase of the noble false widow, which is described by Oxford University ecologist Clive Hambler as the "most dangerous" spider in the UK.
The species is known for hiding away in kitchens and is said to bite if they feel threatened. It is known as the false widow due to frequently being mistaken for the black widow.
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While its bite is often harmless, its venom can cause moderate pain and swelling in some cases.
Mr Hambler told The Times: "If you were going back 50 years, then there would have been hardly any consequences from spider bites in Britain.
"The incidents of severe bites from spiders in Britain will have increased, as this species became hugely more abundant in Britain, particularly in the south."
The number of hospital admissions jumped from 43 in 2021, to 95 in 2022, NHS data showed.
Half of the 100 people treated in 2025 were through A&E, compared to 38 of the 47 admissions ten years earlier.
Mr Hambler added that he had seen the species in the gardens of Buckingham Palace, and warned that more harmful side effects can be caused by the bacteria they carry.
He added: "I think spiders are wonderful things and they're very important in ecosystems, but you now need to treat spiders in Britain as you might in many other parts of the world, as something to be very respectful of."
Dr Michael Dougan, a zoologist at the University of Galway, said the figures were "interesting but not surprising".
Dr Dougan said: "We know that those species indeed can actually bite, that they do have a preference to live in and around houses rather than in natural habitats, at least in the UK and Ireland."
He added: "Essentially, when you do not see the spider really bite or capture the spider and you say that you haven't felt any pain, then it's most likely not a spider.
"Because a bite by the noble false widow will actually wake you up. The pain is equivalent to a wasp sting or even more than that."