England Spider Bite Admissions Double in Decade

Hospital admissions in England for spider bites have more than doubled over the past decade, rising from 47 in 2015 to 100 in 2025, according to provisional National Health Service figures obtained through a freedom of information request. Experts attribute the increase primarily to a surge in the population of the noble false widow spider, considered the most dangerous species breeding in Britain.

The noble false widow, native to Madeira and the Canary Islands, was first recorded in southern England in 1879, likely arriving via imported goods such as fruit shipments. The spider, identifiable by a pale cream body with a bulbous abdomen marked by a skull-like pattern, prefers urban environments like homes, kitchens and conservatories, where it builds tangled webs suspended above ground. Warmer summers and mild winters have facilitated its spread northward, including sightings in London and even the gardens of Buckingham Palace.

NHS data shows a steady climb in admissions: 43 in 2021, 95 in 2022, and 91 in both 2023 and 2024. Of the 100 cases in 2025, 73 involved emergency department visits, up from 38 of 47 in 2015. While the spiders are not aggressive and bites typically occur...