Kitchen Garden Forum

Hi Cevenol,
When I read your OP I thought it sounded like Lymes disease, IIRC the swelling and so forth, but this is caused by ticks about which I have had to become familiar since we have two dogs and ticks are a big problem in summer in Czechland. I never go into the forrest now without long trousers tucked into my socks. Looks so uncool but what the heck I gave up trying to look cool ages ago.

I don't think it would have been a tick 'cos theyusually 'hang on' but I did learn recently that ticks are one of the spider family.

I hope your leg is better now, and please tell us what the Doc. said 'cos it sounds like we all should watch out for this nast creature.

Read an article in the Mail this morning. Apparently there is a spider called the false black widow about. It used to be controlled by the cold, but now it is spreading and multiplying, FAST! it causes all your symptoms, Cevenol. It is only the size of a pea, and hides in things like gardening gloves. I'll never get Mary in the garden now!!!!!!!!!!

C.J. a couple of years ago the husband of a work colleague suffered from the effects of a "spider" bite. Your descriptions match his as far as I can remember, and having seen the Daily Mail article as well I wonder wether the False Black Widow (Steatoda Noblis) is the culprit. The Dr here too was most insistent on it being a spider, perhaps he knew about the increase in the little terrors and was waiting for patients. Guess who knocks all gloves and pots now!!

I had a very similar experience some 15 years ago on my first allotment but I was lucky enough to see the spider in question - it looked a bit like a harvestman but might have been one of his nasty cousins. I still have a small hard lump on my arm where it happened - at the time I feared it had laid eggs in me, my arm ballooned and hurt like hell - the doctor just gave me antibiotics and told me to take an anti-allergen, Piriton, - it died down in a couple of days. After fifteen years though its still there, a tiny bump and it sometimes itches when it's sunburnt -but who knows, I may yet hatch a colony of dangerous spiders!! A hornet once put my grandfather in hospital for a fortnight because he was allergic to its sting, so allergy is the most likely cause of your bad reaction.
Glad you're feeling better anyway.