I’m a doctor and this is what you need to know about how to tackle spider bites as cases rise

With hospital admissions in England for spider bites doubling over the past decade, the hunt for effective protection is becoming increasingly urgent.

NHS figures reveal there were 100 hospital admissions linked to spider bites in 2025, up from just 47 in 2015.

The rise has largely been blamed on the spread of the UK’s most dangerous spider, the noble false widow, which this week left a 49-year-old Londoner with a gaping wound in his chest. 

Adrian Martel was left with a 50p-sized patch of infected flesh after being bitten by one of the spiders, which are originally native to the Canary Islands and Madeira but becoming increasingly common across Britain.

Now, experts have issued advice on how to stop the eight-legged pests from ruining the bank holiday weekend in the sun. 

Dr Nisa Aslam, a London–based NHS GP, told the Daily Mail: ‘What you want to do essentially is repel them, so that they don’t have a chance to bite you. 

‘That’s the case not only for spiders, but to ticks and sandflies, too. 

‘Ingredients like tea tree, citronella, lavandin grosso, niaouli and peppermint are natural repellents, so those are exactly what you want.’

Dr Aslam said these ingredients are particularly effective because they are non-neurotoxic – meaning they are not harmful to the body – and says they ‘provide hours of protection against serious conditions’. 

She recommended using Puressentiel’s Bite & Sting Repellent & Soothing Spray – which she said has all of the ingredients mentioned.

Individually, each ingredient offer repellent properties. 

Tea tree oil – found in popular household toiletries like shower gels and shampoos – is believed to overwhelm spiders’ sensory receptors with its strong scent. 

Lavandin grosso, a hybrid of true lavender and spike lavender, is also considered effective due to its high concentration of camphor, which produces a powerful aromatic smell.  

Meanwhile, niaouli – extracted from a tree and sometimes used in remedies for coughs and bronchitis – contains chemical compounds such as eucalyptol and nerolidol, which can disrupt insects’ nervous systems.

Peppermint is similarly thought to deter pests thanks to compounds including menthol and menthone, which act as natural irritants.

Dr Aslam warned that the hot weather could increase the likelihood of encounters with spiders.

Though temperatures are set to soar as high as 33C in parts of England over the bank holiday weekend, she said that, in the absence of repellents, wearing long sleeves and trousers that cover exposed skin is unfortunately the best form of protection.

Mr Martel believes the spider – which attacked him last month – was lurking on the seatbelt of his Mini convertible due to the location of the bite mark on his chest.

He said: ‘Sometimes I see a spider inside the car. I never saw the spider bite me or anything.

‘Because of where the bite is, when I put the seatbelt on I must’ve squished the spider and that’s where it bit me because it’s exactly where the seatbelt sits under my chest. I think it’s likely it happened there.

‘I just started noticing it was itchy at first then a bump under the skin [appeared] the next day. I thought it was a rash, I wasn’t sure.

‘Then the next Monday I was teaching yoga and the friction pain was unbearable.’

Mr Martel decided to visit urgent care where he was given a course of antibiotics before the wound turned into a ‘massive crater’ just days later.

He said: ‘At that point they told me it was an ingrown hair, but I’ve had ingrown hairs before and I know how they feel.

‘The next day it was worse. It had gone black and an open wound. I was just told to wait until the antibiotics had taken effect.

‘Then when I came back two days later, it was a massive crater with a lot of pus coming out. It had gotten a lot worse.’

Mr Martel was told he needed to undergo an operation to remove the infected area from his chest.

The NHS says it is rare to get a spider bite in the UK other than from a noble false widow, which they claim ‘usually only bite if handled or disturbed accidentally’.

According to the guidance, a false widow bite typically feels similar to a wasp sting and may leave small, painful puncture marks on the skin. In rare cases, people can feel sick or develop more serious reactions. 

Experts advise against scratching the bite as this can increase the risk of infection, and warn against relying on unproven home remedies. 

Emergency help should be sought by calling 999 if symptoms suggest a severe allergic reaction, including sudden swelling of the lips, mouth or throat, difficulty breathing or swallowing, or changes in the colour of the skin, lips or tongue.

Other serious warning signs include feeling faint, becoming unusually drowsy or collapsing. In children, a limp or floppy body can also indicate a medical emergency.

The concern Britons does not end with spiders, however, as Dr Aslam highlighted the growing threat posed by ticks in the UK.

Her warning comes after cases of potentially fatal Lyme disease rose by more than 20 per cent in England over the past year.

Triggered by bacteria carried by ticks that feed on the blood of animals and humans, the disease can cause chronic joint pain, paralysis and even heart problems.

According to analysis by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) there were 1,168 confirmed cases in 2025, up from just 959 in 2024 – an increase of 22 per cent.

Lyme disease is caused by a specific type of bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferi, which thrive in the guts of ticks – spider-like creatures typically found in long grass.

Dr Aslam said: ‘Ticks – small, spider-like creatures – which feed on the blood of birds and mammals, including humans, are becoming a big problem in the UK.

‘Some ticks carry a specific bacteria that can cause Lyme disease. This can leave you with uncomfortable flu-like symptoms and for some people, some of these symptoms can last for years.’

She concluded by warning that the UK is ‘a hot spot for biting and stinging insects, so it’s worth staying protected’.