AFTER an influx of reports in October it seems West Sussex’s spider problem is not scuttling away.
A woman from Horsham was left angry after finding what she thought was a deadly black widow spider in a bag of sawdust.
Sam Kay, 25, purchased the sawdust from Pets at Home for her rabbit cage when she found the spider.
Sam, who says she suffers from arachnophobia, exclaimed ‘Oh heck!’ when she first saw the spider. She admitted she had to call her ‘other half’ over to deal with it.
She added: “I could see the red markings on it which say I’m a black widow.”
After notifying Pets at Home about her discovery, Sam became angry about what could have happened.
“I was in the rabbit hutch with a spider that could have killed my much loved rabbits, or even myself,” she said.
“But then I was grateful I did find it as the outcome would have been very upsetting indeed.”
Another concern was the fact there could have been more spiders as they can breed up to 400 eggs each.
The County Times approached Pets At Home for a comment but at the time of going to press they had not replied.
Meanwhile another County Times reader, a Southwater man, got in touch to say he had been left with no choice but to tear down his shed following an invasion of false widow spiders, which are closely related to the notorious black widow.
Although not as deadly its bite has been known to cause chest pains, vomiting and flu-like symptoms.
Back in October The County Times reported how Jane Wyborn, of Broomers Corner, Shipley was ‘terrified’ to learn she was living with the dangerous spiders.
Mrs Wyborn said: “I went out one evening and saw one and thought, that looks a bit weird. The mark on their back looks like a skull and cross bones.
“Then I saw a BBC report and realised what they were.”
Frightened that the false widows posed a threat to her children, aged two and three, she contacted a pest control service immediately.
“Pest control told me I’m not the only person who has come across the spiders in West Sussex.
“I’m absolutely terrified. I don’t know what they would do to a two or three-year-old.”
Mrs Wyborn said she had killed around 20 of the spiders that were ‘lurking’ in her conservatory.
Graham Simmons, owner of GS Pest Control, said: “I first came across them four or five years ago.
“There was a case in West Chiltington where the lady was ill for nine months after being bitten on her leg.”
Mr Simmons fumigated Mrs Wyborn’s home in an effort to rid her of the creepy crawlies.