BEWARE OF REDBACK SPIDERS IN UAE!
Residents in Dubai have been reporting the presence of Redback Spiders in their homes and gardens. Recently one of
ExpatWoman's readers, Alan, discovered a Redback Spider between the plants.
Alan and his family live in The Villa and they were recently at the Plant Souk off Rte 44 past Dragon Mart. He bought a case of 20 ground cover plants and while he was taking them out at home he found a black spider with her nest with eggs.
The spider was identified as a Redback Spider - scientifically known as “latrodectus hasselti“- is native to Australia and it is thought they arrived in the UAE about 10 years ago.
We advise everybody to be aware of spiders especially when you go shopping for plants!
How to Identify a Redback Spider?
A Redback Spider has a red mark on its back. Female redback spiders have shiny black bodies with an orange or red stripe on the upper abdomen. A female's body is about the size of a large pea. Males are smaller and are brown. Their red markings are often pale. Redback spiders have long thin legs.
Once the female has mated, she can lay several batches of eggs. She produces about 10 white egg sacs, one every 3 weeks or so. Each sac contains approximately 250 eggs.
Redback Spider, which Alan found, recently got also hundreds of little spider babies.
Why are they Dangerous?
Only the female Redback bite is dangerous. The poison can make people sick with sweating, vomiting and pain. The bite is highly venomous and characterised by intense localised pain and around the bite site. The swelling is generally limited to an area of several cm in radius from the bite site.
What to do if you or someone got bitten by a Redback Spider?
Apply an ice pack to the bitten area to relieve pain. Do not apply a pressure bandage (venom movement is slow and pressure worsens pain). Collect the spider for positive identification. Seek medical attention IMMEDIATELY!
