back to article False widow spiders in guinea pig slaughter horror

A British mum has warned against the inexorable spread of the false widow spider after the killer arachnid apparently dispatched a trio of her family's guinea pigs to the hereafter. Michelle Richards, of Hedge End, Hampshire, recounted to the Daily Mail how son Jordan found three of five guinea pigs dead in their hutch, "with …

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  1. Tommy Pock

    'killer arachnid'. You're right on one score; it's an arachnid.

    1. Old Handle
      Coat

      And it's a killer too, mostly of flies presumably.

      But if I had a pet fly I would be very concerned.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Here we go again, on the day a news paper article on false window spiders hit the press a 1000% increase in called to pest control companies was recorded. Not surprisingly no further 'infestations' were reported in the press.

      Same thing happened when the BBC ran an article on bed bugs, which are more endemic throughout the UK.

      People are easy to scare shi*tless.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Knutsford guardian (bastion of truth!) run an article proclaiming they were in knutsford. As a pestie, i was only too happy to pour scorn and ridicule (thats the IT side of me) on their utter stupidity...Then pointed out it was zygiella x-notata.

        Almost as bad as the daily fail....

      2. Ralph B

        > People are easy to scare shi*tless.

        Shirtless?

        1. This post has been deleted by its author

    3. SuccessCase

      "We don't want this happening to anyone else. We want to make as many people aware of this as possible."

      Hence guaranteeing, if it can happen, it is going to happen multiple times more, as "slugs and snails" little boys, put every false-widow they find in the guinea pig cage.

      (not convinced that means there will be any more dead guinea pigs though.)

  2. Gray Ham Bronze badge
    Joke

    Oh Dear

    This must be terribly upsetting for everyone in the U.K. I mean, a spider that kills all your cute, fluffy little pets, however will you survive?

    1. Amorous Cowherder

      Re: Oh Dear

      You might have been making a joke about the hysteria trying be drummed up but at first glance it doesn't come over as that.

      If you weren't and you think pets dying means nothing you've obviously never had kids see their first dead pet then? When I was 6 I cried my eyes for about 3 hours when my guinea pig died. My daughter was in a bloody awful state when her first hamster had to be taken to the vet to be put down after it developed a tumour. Sure kids get over it, it's one of life's most important lessons, but when it happens and it's first time your life you finally realise that living things croak and there's nothing you can do about it.

      1. Seanie Ryan

        Re: Oh Dear

        at a guess , i would say he is suggesting that getting in a flap over that is nothing new in whatever part of the world he is in. For example, anyone in Oz has to put up with much worse things on a daily basis, sometimes just putting on your shoes without checking them can be fatal.

        So, reading a story like this can seem quite ridiculous.

        Anyway, we are ok over here in Eire, we have St Patrick patrolling the coasts 24/7

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        @Amorous Cowherder

        I don't know where to start... taking a hamster to the vet to be put down... have you not got a spade?

        Losing a pet is sad but for goodness sake get a sense of perspective. I was in Haiti after the earthquake, with bodies everywhere, that's something to cry about.

  3. John Tserkezis

    All you need to do is add a bit of radioactive waste, and you've got yourself a perfect B grade!

    1. MrDamage Silver badge

      Who needs radioactive waste?

      When we have these to play with?

  4. Turtle

    Cute li'l guinea pigs.

    Well that's too bad. I have guinea pigs myself. I don't know how smart it is to keep guinea pigs outdoors, though.

    But how did that guinea pig get pregnant, I wonder? I wouldn't be too surprised if at least one of the two surviving guinea pigs were an adult male. Breeding guinea pigs is frowned upon by guinea pig keepers where I am, because of the large number of homeless animals (of all sorts) in rescues and "shelters", some of which kill unadopted animals on a regular schedule. Obviously I do not know what the situation in the UK is. But more specifically regarding guinea pigs, pregnancy is very risky. A pregnant guinea pig looks not unlike a pancake with legs.

    But it's too bad about those guinea pigs, though.

    : (

    1. Nick Stallman

      Re: Cute li'l guinea pigs.

      I've got 11 'free range' guinea pigs outdoors not even in a cage (just a 30cm tall fence around a large area).

      This is in Australia as well where if you get bitten by a spider and it is just as bad as a wasp sting, you are lucky.

      The pigs love it. They couldn't be happier.

      1. Turtle

        @ Nick Stallman

        You don't need to worry about dogs, or other possibly predatory animals, or unsupervised children roaming at large?

      2. This post has been deleted by its author

        1. Tim Bates

          Re: Cute li'l guinea pigs.

          >You realise that 30cm fence is merely psychological.

          I suspect that psychological effect works on both sides though.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    She has a son called 'Jordan'. That's all you need to know about this story really...

    1. MJI Silver badge

      Jordan

      But why not Eddie?

      The only person I can think of with Jordan in their name.

      1. JDX Gold badge

        Re: Jordan

        Not a basketball fan then?

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Jordan

      Has been a popular boy's name since long before anyone had heard of Katie Price.

      1. Intractable Potsherd

        Re: Jordan

        Define "popular".

        I agree with the OP - that name ranks with "Wayne" as an indicator of parental sensibility.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Megaphone

    You

    eight legged FREAKS!!!!!

    (Sorry, I couldn't resist.)

    1. Jim 59

      Eight Legged Freaks

      Worst. Film. Ever. Apart from AI.

  7. Andy The Hat Silver badge

    "I don't know how smart it is to keep guinea pigs outdoors, though."

    Well, if they survive to 5 years old indoors in a small, smelly cage with the cat sitting onthe top terrorising them they're generally lucky. Let them run outside and behave like ... like ... well, guinea pigs, and 20 or 25 years of happy, rodenty, snuffliness is easy ... Outside is not only a good idea it's good!

    There's a scientific paper (which I can't find at the moment) detailing the findings of an explorer who discovered guinea pigs actually living in the wild - not a centrally heated pet shop or someone to shout 'have you fed the bloody guinea pig' in sight ...

    1. stu 4

      really ?

      ". Let them run outside and behave like ... like ... well, guinea pigs, and 20 or 25 years of happy, rodenty, snuffliness is easy ... Outside is not only a good idea it's good!"

      you live and learn. +1

      stu

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      The only thing I'd be worried about is the climate of their natural habitat and their likely hood of freezing solid in a harsh British winter.

      1. Mage Silver badge

        Widespread

        Sudden temp changes kills.

        But they live all the way from Amazonian Swamps to Andean snow line. They like snow. At least ours did.

        But they WILL attack stuff. We had one that taunted a rook. It knew EXACTLY how far the rook could reach into the outdoor run. We had netting roof. Otherwise Cats & Magpies would try eating them.

        Rats would tunnel in to steal g'pig food in broad daylight. Most of the cavies ignored them, but one male would chase them. Our largest pig was size of a dwarf rabbit, about twice size of rat, and similar but bigger teeth to a rat.

        Something else might have killed them.

  8. jai

    kill it! kill it with fire!!!

    Take off an' nuke the site from orbit, it's the only way to be sure!!

    1. TheOtherHobbes

      Re: kill it! kill it with fire!!!

      Seems a bit extreme for guinea pigs when a few spiders will do the job. (Allegedly.)

  9. MJI Silver badge

    Guinea pigs

    Well we have 2 males (brothers) so I expect they would shag any errant spiders if they dared to enter their hutch.

  10. Joseph Bryant

    Steatoda bipunctata

    I can't help thinking it's more likely that these were Steatoda bipunctata, aka "Rabbit Hutch Spiders", who just happened to have made their home in the hutch of the dear departed guinea pigs.

    1. Tom 38
      FAIL

      Re: Steatoda bipunctata

      Clarify for me, if you will, the difference between Steatoda bipunctata* and the false widow spider.

      Bonus points for attempted pedantry and use of latin.

      * AKA "Rabbit Hutch Spider" or "False Widow Spider"

      1. Sir Sham Cad

        Re: the difference between Steatoda bipunctata and the false widow spider.

        I'll take a stab at this.

        The False Widow Spider is not a species of spider but an entire genus: Steatoda.

        Within that genus there are something like 120 different species of which in the UK we care about three:

        nobilis (probably the most common form), grossa and bipunctata (the aforementioned rabbit hutch spider, named after the two indents in the back) all of which live in habitats close to humans.

        So one can say that any of these three species could be called "A False Widow Spider" but not "The False Widow Spider".

      2. Mage Silver badge

        Re: Steatoda bipunctata

        Steatoda bipunctata is a species of cob-web spider, of the genus Steatoda, in the family Theridiidae.

        It is common in North America and Europe and may be found in proximity to human structures, such as basements or sheds. A nickname for this arachnid is the Rabbit Hutch Spider, since rabbit hutches often make a suitable habitat. The Steatoda bipunctata is similar in shape to the Black Widow spider of the genus Latrodectus and can thus be mistaken for it, although its bite is significantly less dangerous to humans. For this reason, species of the genus Steatoda are commonly called 'False Widows'.

      3. Joseph Bryant

        Re: Steatoda bipunctata

        Sorry if the Latin scared you. It's the standard scientific way to talk about different animal species. In techie terms, think of it as being like a model number - there's no risk of ambiguity. E.g. if you say "brown bear", maybe you mean a bear that happens to be brown, but if you say "Ursus arctos" then you're talking about a particular species, commonly called the "brown bear".

        Anyway, various types of spider are known as "false widows". My point was that these *specific* false widows were likely that *particular* type of false widow that is well known for making its home in rabbit hutches. Presumably a guinea pig hutch is not such a stretch for them.

        Thus, it's likely that they were innocent bystanders, rather than malevolent guinea-pig-murdering menaces.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Won't someone think of the CHILDREN?

    It's a activation phrase, just like 'Miranda' in Serenity. When the Daily Mail need to activate their panic and destroy drones for circulation / reading numbers, a mere flutter of the phrase will prompt pitch-fork polishing and fangs to be bared.

    I'm not even going to read the article (I won't give them the traffic) but this seems like an investigation conducted by Mumsnet, who (surprise surprise) decide anything unpleasant looking has to be bad for the fluffy animals and chil - oh God, WON'T SOMEONE THINK OF THE CHILDREN?

    I'm sure these little buggers are not nice, but the presence of them near the unfortunate animals does not yet prove the cause of their demise, yes? Non sequitur at this point, but when did an incomplete picture ever stop the Daily Mail from printing anything?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Won't someone think of the CHILDREN?

      Immigrant spider at that. The Mail's crack arachnid team is no doubt anxiously watching house prices and cancer admissions in the area.

  12. Mike Brown

    its all over facebook as well

    Morons putting pictures of ordinary spiders and proclaiming the end of the world. One chap moved his entire family out, and into a hotel. Turns out they were house spiders.....

    1. tomban

      Re: its all over facebook as well

      It doesn't help when sites like the daily star (linked in the article) show a picture of a normal garden spider.

      http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/350662/False-widow-spiders-are-eating-dad-of-four-alive

    2. Chris King

      Re: its all over facebook as well

      No doubt some idiot will go wandering around their house with a lighter in one hand and a can of something flammable in the other, looking for spiders... and the headline in the next morning's Daily Fail will be "EVIL FALSE WIDOW SPIDERS BURN DOWN FAMILY HOME"

      1. Intractable Potsherd

        Re: its all over facebook as well

        I hope the couple of rather large spiders that take a turn around our living room every evening realise how lucky they are. I even politely greet them and ask how they are. The cats don't bother them, either.

        On the other hand, perhaps we are going to become an asylum for all the neighbourhood's spiders now ...

  13. stu 4

    still...

    I know it's 'just like a bee sting'..

    but I was putting my shirt on in the hotel about 2 months back, and just caught sight of one in the collar just in time.

    I couldn't have got Jenna-Louise Coleman's shirt off any quicker.

    I did photograph it before dispatching it to an aquatic afterlife, and it was definately a falsey.

    Now... an another spider related subject... seeing as some spider experts may be reading:

    - how do I stop the fuckers building their web in front of my outdoor home security camera every bloody night - at the moment I can log on and see the last 200 'motion events' all of which involve said spider...which, although factual, is not aiding or threatening the security of my home to my knowledge.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: still...

      RAID (the insecitcide variety) the fuck out of the security camera housing, it's like nerve agent for spiders.

      1. phil dude
        Boffin

        Re: still...

        it is actually a nerve agent...(C21H20Cl2O3) and will kill all spiders and insects...

        A less confrontational way may be to spray a lubricant , perhaps something in teflon?

        I'd be interested to see if that works, and if so, for how long...

        P.

      2. Allan George Dyer
        Black Helicopters

        RAID? Re: still...

        Redundant Array of Insect Destroyers

        You want more spiders?

        icon: needs another leg.

    2. VinceH
      Paris Hilton

      Re: still...

      "I know it's 'just like a bee sting'..

      but I was putting my shirt on in the hotel about 2 months back, and just caught sight of one in the collar just in time."

      Many years ago, I was bitten by a little critter that I was removing from the bath. (I don't kill them; I take them outside and let them go - possibly a result of having had a pet tarantula for many years, I dunno). When I nudged it onto my hand and lifted it, the spider dug its fangs in. It hurt, but more because I didn't expect it than anything else.

      "I did photograph it before dispatching it to an aquatic afterlife, and it was definately a falsey."

      Unfortunately I didn't get a photo - I still put the spider out, but as I did so a family member turned up and promptly squashed it before I could dive back in and grab my camera. I've since tried identifying it, and the best match I've ever come up with was a false widow - but I wouldn't compare the bite with that of a bee sting, so I'm not sure.

      I wonder if Paris is a biter? I bet she is.

    3. hamcheeseandonion
      Alert

      Re: still...

      I fully expect this to be read by your next-of-kin, as the relatively small and industrious spiders at the front are just a distraction...it's the huge mutant funnel-web burrowing up under yer floorboards that I would worry about....classic Oceans 11 or Mission Impossible ploy that one...

  14. Tom 7

    Webs? 5 of them?

    And an empty waterbottle I'd hazard.

    1. Tom 38

      Re: Webs? 5 of them?

      I'll bet you dollars to donuts that these guinea pigs died of hunger, thirst or cold. Better not to blame poor Jordan though…

  15. Wize

    Forget the glass and a piece of paper.

    Get the newspaper (or a shovel to make sure) and hammer them flat into whatever they are climbing on.

  16. Don Jefe

    Guinea pigs are delicious. You can't blame the spiders for having a bite. There's a Peruvian lady not too far from my house with a pretty big operation who sells them three for $20 prepared, grill them yourself. She's also the supplier for the surrounding counties school systems, but I don't think they're eaten at the schools, just pets.

  17. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Well...

    There goes any desire I had to sleep...

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Well...

      They've been here since 1879, i.e. all of your life, you've probably never even seen one. There is nothing to worry about here unless you're an easily aggravated tabloid reader.

  18. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I live near Hedge End...

    ...and my wife was bitten by one of these as she picked it up to take out of the house (kind soul that she is), thinking it was an ordinary house spider.

    It stings. For hours. I can imagine that little guinea pigs could easily die either from the stings or from associated shock if six spiders tried to muscle in on their hutch for warmth.

    As it happens, we have guinea pigs, and I will now be keeping an eye out for these bar steward spiders next Autumn...

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: I live near Hedge End...

      I live near Hedge End, too. That's why this article caught my attention.

      However, I think you're missing the point a bit. Yes, it's quite conceivable that the guineas died from shock / allergy from bites (although, now I have folded and looked at the article, an entomologist says it's unlikely). But it's just as conceivable they died from a communicable disease or other cause. The point is that the Daily Mail have run another 'FLEE, PANIC, HORROR' story without establishing any *fact*.

      Is there veterinary evidence in this case that the cause of the guinea pigs expiration was spider bites? Has the owner had this verified? The presence of webs nearby does not automatically confirm that spiders did it. Indeed, had the owner had pest control officers make a proper identification that the species is / was false widow?

      I doubt it. It's all hearsay. Their first reaction is not to think critically, but call a sh*t, reactionary rag who will also skip over the salient details.

      1. Vic

        Re: I live near Hedge End...

        > I live near Hedge End, too. That's why this article caught my attention.

        I work in Hedge End, so I had a look.

        BT has 2 Richards in the phone book in Hedge End, and neither of them back onto a school.

        The other day, we had a story about fish shagging in Woolston, keeping people awake. I live just up the road from Woolston, so I read that one too.

        BT has none of the people mentioned in that story in the phone book.

        Now I know that some people are ex-directory - I am - but I'd expect at least one hit. Unless, of course, the Daily fail is just making this shit up...

        Vic.

      2. Mage Silver badge

        Re: I live near Hedge End...

        The list of things guinea pigs can die of is quite long ...

        Top is Respiratory infection (bacteria) from human. Otherwise there are no communicable diseases in common. Next is bad diet. Rabbit diet is bad, too much Lettuce is bad. Lack of water common cause of death, they mostly might not seem to drink much (it varies) but whatever little it is they really need.

        I'm not keeping them again. Too stressful. But I wouldn't worry about spiders.

  19. The last doughnut
    Alert

    My mum got bitten by a garden spider. That is all.

    1. CaptainHook

      A Møøse once bit my sister ...

  20. Wupspups

    If a false widow is freaking em out just wait till they see a woodlouse spider

    The false widow looks quite harmless compared to a Dysdera crocata woodlouse spider.Its big its red and its got farking large fangs. I got both of them in the garden and have found them in the house too. Its the woodlouse one that gives me the willies.

    1. Mage Silver badge

      Re: If a false widow is freaking em out just wait till they see a woodlouse spider

      Hmm... not seen those. Plenty of woodlice. I'm told that they taste of shrimp, being distantly related.

      " Their diet consists exclusively of woodlice which—despite their tough exoskeleton—are pierced easily by the spider's large chelicerae.

      The courtship of these spiders is typically aggressive and mates risk injury from each other's large chelicerae. The female lays her eggs in a silken sac and is believed to look after her young after hatching like the "Mothercare" spider (Theridion sisyphium).

      They have been known to bite humans if handled. Their bite can be painful but the venom causes no major medical problems. Localised itchiness at the bite site has been reported in some cases"

  21. Pahhh

    We have a bunch of False Widow spiders

    We have a bunch of false widow spiders, although ours are Steatoda grossa, essentially the same with slightly different markings on their backs.

    When I first found them in our garage I thought they looked awesome even though I dont like spiders. Took a bunch of marco photos. The females are quite impressive. Then I researched what they were. This was 18 months ago before everyone got excited. I did find out however in my research that they actually do give a really nasty bite. Common quotes being it may make you feel sick for a week or cause a massive inflammation.

    At that point I decided to remove them all from the garage. I imagine I didnt get them all but I did get rid of a rather large colony. Told the family not blindly fumble for things amongst the shelves in the garage just in case.

    Since then there been lots of news in the South Coast (we live near Poole) of people getting bit with nasty repercussions.

  22. Pookietoo

    Identifying the false widow

    They can be recognised by their shiny bulbous abdomens. The photo accompanying this article looks more like a common house spider to me. Most of the reports of serious reactions to spider bites can probably be attributed to allergic reactions (people can potentially die of wasp/bee sting allergies, but for some reason the press don't seem to get hysterical about those) or bacterial infection which could result from any small puncture wound. I hope this Daily Wail hysteria doesn't lead to lots of innocent deaths.

    1. Pahhh

      Re: Identifying the false widow

      "The photo accompanying this article looks more like a common house spider to me."

      That's exactly what I thought when I first saw the pic but then I realised that its a male and they dont have the same proportions as the female that look damn right scary.

  23. Thomas Steven 1

    Mummy Mummy I haven't fed the guinea pigs for a week and now three of them won't wake up...

    More likely little Jonny was supposed to be 'responsible' for the animals, didn't look after them and they died. Spiders moved in post mortem to exploit the available space.

  24. mickey mouse the fith

    Sod the false widow, be afraid of.....

    In my youth, i picked up what i thought was a house spider and the bloody thing bit me. Turns out it was probably a hobo spider, aka the aggressive housespider. As another poster said, it was mainly the shock of being bitten that shook me up, i had no idea any british spiders could bite humans. It felt like a very mild wasp sting and left 2 little ulcers that took a month or so to heal.

    Oh, and killing normal house spiders is a sure way to invite the hobo`s in, they dont usually occur together, but will migrate to a habbitat in the absence of the normal ones.

    So there you go daily heil, get yer hacks reporting on that one as well, lets see how many schools you can close and parents you can scare witless.

  25. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    the usual suspects

    As someone who works in law enforcement, I have to raise a couple of questions about the surviving Guinea Pigs.

    1. Does they have a history of cruelty to animals?

    2. Does they have difficulty forming normal relationships?

    3. Do have difficulty in holding down a normal job?

    We could be dealing with a serial killer here (though timescales suggest a mass murderer), they often keep trophies of their kills so check their straw pile.

    The other option is that, from other more expert postings than mine it would seem that humans are the most common cause of death for Guinea Pigs. Now I know there were spider webs near the crime scene, but was there any evidence of Humans being in the area? perhaps a house nearby (they tend to nest in family groups), or even a school? If so statistically they are the most likely cause of death.

  26. Loyal Commenter Silver badge

    More likely

    Guinea-pigs found dead in hutch surrounded by cobwebs? Sounds like they probably died from neglect, either not being cleaned out, or fed, watered, or a combination of the above. Or the owners gave them something to eat which is poisonous to them, like penicillin.

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