A spider bite is a rare occurrence north of the Alps. If it happens, you can curb unpleasant symptoms with the right course of action. It should be clarified in advance whether it is actually a spider bite. Read this guide on how to recognize a spider bite. This is what to do after a spider bite in Germany.
What to do if a spider bites you?
A spider bite is often not dangerous in Germany. Dangerous spiders would cause cramps, circulatory failure, pain and redness as well as swelling and vomiting. Go to the doctor and take the spider with you in a jar. For minor complaints, an ice cube provides relief.
- A spider bite in Germany can be recognized as a single red spot and is usually not dangerous.
- Serious symptoms include pain, severe redness and swelling, vomiting, cramps and circulatory failure.
- Immediate measures: Catch the spider alive and take it to the doctor. Treat mild discomfort with ice cubes and anti-inflammatory ointment.
Is a spider bite dangerous in Germany?
Germany is not a crisis area for a spider bite. The vast majority of native spider species are not poisonous to humans. Spiders lead a secluded life in fields, forests and gardens or well hidden in buildings. Of course, it cannot be ruled out that the paths of spiders and humans will cross, which in an emergency could result in a spider bite. A mild pain and small red spot are the most common symptoms. Sometimes it feels itchy for a short time and the confrontation is quickly forgotten. For good reason, you shouldn't completely ignore a spider bite in Germany.
Since global warming has become increasingly noticeable, those affected cannot simply go back to business as usual when a spider has bitten. Rising temperatures mean that some poisonous spiders have made the leap over the Alps and are spreading in our regions. There is therefore no clear answer to the question “Is a spider bite dangerous in Germany?” Rather, the potential danger depends largely on the surrounding circumstances. This guide explains what these are and what to do after a spider bite.
Excursus
Large angle spider – harmless monster
As dangerous as it looks, the large angle spider doesn't actually bite people
As a typical cultural follower, the large angle spider (Eratigena atrica) spreads fear and terror when it rushes through the room with its eight long, hairy legs. Although the majestic house spider can bite, people and pets are usually spared. The long-legged monster has its sights set on woodlice and other pests. Frightened large angle spiders sometimes run towards a person, which is mistakenly interpreted as an attack. In fact, the shy spider is on the run and is desperately looking for a dark hiding place. Ideally, you clear the way for the fleeing angle spider. Alternatively, capture the spider with a glass, slide a piece of paper underneath, carry it to a distant corner of the garden and give it freedom.
Recognizing spider bites – symptoms
What does a spider bite look like? After waking up in the morning or doing garden work, indefinable skin irritations raise this question. The most important indication of a spider bite is a single red spot. Spiders are not parasites, they live as solitary creatures and do not live in large swarms. If the shy animals get into trouble, they bite once and run away. In contrast, blood-sucking mosquitoes, angry bees, and bed bugs, fleas, and other vermin cause multiple bites and puncture wounds. The following table summarizes common symptoms after a spider bite, differentiated between harmless and dangerous:
| harmless/harmless | dangerous/poisonous |
|---|---|
| small, red spot | severe pain |
| slight redness | massive swelling |
| annoying itching | Blister formation/necrosis |
| Mosquito bite-like | Nausea |
| Vomiting | |
| Fever/chills | |
| Circulatory failure |
Please note that this overview makes no claim to scientific completeness. Rather, the aspects mentioned refer to symptoms of spider bites in he althy adults. It is advisable for small children, allergy sufferers and weakened seniors to consult a doctor as soon as possible after a conflict with a spider. The tiny poisonous claws of cross spiders effortlessly pierce delicate baby skin with correspondingly violent side effects. In addition, it is usually not yet clear whether a small child has a spider bite allergy.
Background
Hard-working pest controllers for free
An encounter with a spider does not end well for pests in the house and garden. In fact, spiders diligently hunt other insects, such as lice, mosquitoes, mosquito larvae, flies and similar pests. Experts have determined that spiders living in Germany alone eat more than 5 tons of insects every year. Worldwide there are a record-breaking 800 tons. In comparison, we humans eat around 400 tons of meat and fish every year. This fact characterizes spiders as insatiable eating machines and important natural pest controllers in the home and garden. Without their jaws and poisonous claws we wouldn't have to fear spider bites, but in return we would sink into a sea of pests.
What to do after a spider bite?
The above overview makes it clear that a spider bite can have harmless and dangerous consequences. The recommended reactions are tailored to this. Harmless symptoms can be quickly alleviated with simple home remedies. If the symptoms are severe, there is imminent danger and immediate action is required. The following lines shed more light on what to do after a spider bite in Germany:
Capture or photograph a spider
If you catch a vicious spider in the act, seize the opportunity to make a clear identification. To do this, capture the long-legged perpetrator alive. This can be done easily and in a way that is gentle on animals using a spider gripper or insect catching device. A drinking glass that you place over the spider is well suited for live capture and assessment. A piece of cardboard pushed underneath makes the catch glass escape-proof. Alternatively, take a quick photo of the fleeing spider. If these methods fail, briefly note the key characteristics of the insect for later research and precise identification.
Self-treatment for mild symptoms
A spider bite with slight redness should be washed and cooled
You can treat minor discomfort after a spider bite yourself. Home remedies and preparations from the medicine cabinet relieve itching, prevent swelling and inflammation. The following short step-by-step guide explains what to do after a spider bite:
- Rinse bite wound with clean water
- ideally dab with an iodine-soaked cotton pad
- Cool the wound with ice cubes, ice packs or cooling pads
- Treat cool, swollen areas with ointment to combat itching and inflammation
- Watch spider bite closely for 30 to 60 minutes
If you don't notice any improvement after an hour, please contact your family doctor. If symptoms occur during observation, such as a blister, a red circle or bleeding and leakage of moisture, please go to the nearest doctor's office immediately.
Act correctly if symptoms are severe
If you suffer from severe pain and other serious symptoms after a spider bite, immediate action is required. Nevertheless, you should take a moment to capture the spider, photograph it or quickly note important features. The more specifically you can determine the type of spider, the more effectively your doctor can treat you. What to do after being bitten by Nurse Thornfinger or another poisonous spider:
- do not initiate self-treatment
- do not scratch or cool
- Take spider bite victims to the doctor (if affected, do not drive yourself)
Severe swelling is characteristic after a spider bite from a thorn finger or cross spider. By keeping your arm or leg elevated during transport, you slow down the process. With expert medical treatment, the worst symptoms subside within three days. The bite wound itself remains red and swollen for some time. There is no risk of permanent damage.
Tip
Skin areas with inflammation or necrosis of unclear origin should not be lightly dismissed as spider bites. Experts warn against fatal misdiagnoses that confuse spider bites with Lyme disease, herpes, staphylococci or skin cancer. If the symptoms worsen and the spider bite happened at night and without visual contact with the spider, the diagnosis should be critically examined.
Spider bite in Germany – which spider bit?
The water spider can bite, but is extremely rare because it is considered “endangered” and is on the red list of endangered animals
Most spiders in Germany are harmless and useful tenants who prefer to live in secret. Meanwhile, as a result of global warming, various poisonous spider species have migrated to Germany, and their bites should not be taken lightly. Were you able to catch or photograph the culprit? Then please take a look at the following table with important identifying features of poisonous spiders in Germany, whose spider bites can be dangerous:
| Dangerous spiders | Nurse Thornfinger | Garden spider | Field angle spider | European Black Widow | Curly Hunting Spider | Water spider |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Size | 10-15mm | 7-18mm | 9-12mm | 7-15mm | 10-19 mm | 8-15mm |
| color | red-orange | variable coloring | yellowish-brown | black | yellow-brown | brown |
| special feature | long, light brown legs | Cross on the back | yellow stripe on front | 13 red spots on the abdomen | 5 cm long legs | densely hairy abdomen |
| Spider bite appearance | swollen, like a bruise | like mosquito bite | like mosquito bite | Redness, swelling, blistering | like bee sting | like wasp sting |
| Occurrences | + Field and forest | + Field and forest | + Lawn, dry grass | + dry grassland | + Pine forest | + underwater |
| + in the tall grass | + Garden | + edge of trees, hedges | + sunny rock garden | + under stones | + under shore stones | |
| scientific name | Cheiracanthium punctorium | Araneus | Eratigena agrestis | Latrodectus tredecimguttatus | Zoropsis spinimana | Argyroneta aquatica |
The danger potential of these spiders is based on a combination of powerful mouthparts and a paralyzing venom that is injected into the skin. The larger the spider, the more serious the spider bite because a larger amount of toxins enter the human body.
Further explanations
The spider bite from the nurse's thorn finger really hurts. Its powerful jawed claws can easily penetrate human skin to inject a venom. This results in massive swelling, which requires a visit to the family doctor. However, the victims are not blameless for the dilemma. Nurse thornfingers only bite if their clearly visible living webs are destroyed or a female believes her brood is in danger.
As the only native spider with low danger potential, the garden spider is widespread in Germany. Their short venomous claws can rarely bite through human epidermis, except for delicate children's skin. The field spider is closely related to the well-known house spider. Numerous medically relevant bite attacks are attributed to this species of spider. A small spider bite from the field spider is said to result in severe symptoms. However, experts suspect classic misdiagnosis because no bite was directly observed, which excludes a clear identification.
The immigrant European black widow is of a completely different caliber. The spider bite is associated with severe pain and even circulatory collapse and respiratory arrest. Of course, the spiders are considered to be less aggressive and lazy to bite. However, anyone who destroys the net or squeezes the spider and causes distress will not be spared from the extremely painful spider bite. The large curly huntsman spider is in a much worse mood, its powerful claws easily penetrating thinner areas of skin and leaving bite wounds similar to bee stings.
In the near future, the water spider will probably no longer be included in this overview. The Spider of the Year 2000 is critically endangered and is on the Red List of Endangered Species. The only spider that lives in water depends on clear, stagnant or slow-flowing waters with dense vegetation of aquatic plants. Environmental pollution and extensive use of pesticides deprive the shy water spider of its habitat, making an encounter or even a spider bite unlikely.
Preventing spider bites at night – tips & tricks
Spiders in bed are no joke
Nature-oriented hobby gardeners warmly welcome spiders into the garden as busy helpers against pests of all kinds. The fun ends when the arachnids invade the house in autumn in search of a cozy, warm winter quarters. The idea that the nocturnal insects hide in the bedroom and sneak into bed at night is particularly scary. When people turn over in their sleep, their uninvited bedfellows get under the wheels and bite. It doesn't have to come to this if you deny spiders access to your house and apartment. This is how it works:
- Equip windows and doors with close-meshed insect screens
- do not tilt windows in illuminated rooms after dark
- Banish night lights from bedrooms
- Remove spider webs from the house regularly
Light sources outside the house magically attract spiders. Here the beasts are hoping for big prey. This is the reason why spiders can often be observed on lamps on balconies and terraces, in house entrances or winter gardens. Do not leave a light on permanently. By equipping the lamps with a motion detector, the light only shines for a short time to show you and your guests the way at night.
Scent barriers are ineffective
Scented traveling barriers against spiders have no effect. What is praised as a repellent against mosquitoes in the form of essential oils and fragrant herbs leaves hardened spiders cold. The German Wildlife Foundation was able to observe that garden spiders don't care about the presence of scents and aromas. Where a heated roof over your head beckons, the long-legged vagabonds wander unmoved past all the scent barriers and into the house.
Frequently asked questions
Spider bite or pimple? How can I tell the difference?
Distinguishing a spider bite from a conventional pimple is difficult for the layperson right away. By picking up a magnifying glass, you have a good chance of making an informed distinction. A spider bite occurs because a thorn finger or cross spider bites with its mouthpart. The mouthpart consists of the upper jaw claws and the lower venom claws. The bite wound leaves two small wounds that cannot be seen on a pimple.
Is a spider bite dangerous for my dog?
Garden spiders sometimes bite a dog's nose if it comes too close to them
Poisonous spiders only become dangerous for your dog if they feel threatened. Nurse thornfingers, garden spiders and water spiders don't hesitate for long and bite. However, the amount of poison injected is too small to cause serious harm to your four-legged friend. If you observe symptoms such as increased salivation, disorientation, vomiting or convulsions, please consult a veterinarian immediately.
What to do after a spider bite?
First try to capture the biting spider alive with a glass. Then locate the bite wound, which can be recognized by slight redness, swelling and itching. Cooling is the best immediate measure to combat discomfort after a spider bite. After half an hour, apply an anti-inflammatory ointment. If the symptoms worsen with nausea, dizziness, fever and chills, please go to your family doctor and take the trapped spider with you.
How dangerous is a spider bite in Germany?
Most native spiders indoors and outdoors are harmless. Either their fangs are too weak to bite through skin or the injected venom is not strong enough to cause serious he alth damage. A few, very rare species of spiders in Germany can deliver such strong venom with their bite that it is dangerous for humans and pets. These include nurse's thorn finger, garden spider, water spider, curled huntsman spider and European black widow.
Does an ultrasound device help against spider bites at night?
Spiders have no ears or hearing. Nevertheless, the insects can perceive sounds. For this reason, the bodies are covered with extremely delicate sensory hairs, which spiders use to detect sound waves. As a result, ultrasound devices are being promoted as an effective remedy against spiders and night spider bites. Your bedroom will actually remain spider-free for a short period of time. However, the insects quickly get used to the sound waves and ignore the noise. Where spiders are present, confrontations with people are the exception, but spider bites at night cannot be ruled out.
How can you recognize a spider bite from a cross spider?
Cross spiders are one of the few spider species whose bite can have noticeable consequences for a person. With their powerful mouthparts, the insects can penetrate thin areas of skin, such as the backs of the knees or armpits. The spider bite can be recognized by two puncture wounds on the skin, usually associated with slight redness. In contrast to other insect species, the garden spider usually only bites once and flees. If you see multiple puncture wounds, there are other causes behind them, such as mosquitoes, bed bugs or fleas.
Tip
If a red circle forms around the wound after a suspected spider bite, please consult a doctor. Circular, red edges around a bite wound indicate Lyme disease. If the red circle continues to expand, there is little doubt that there is an infection. Lyme disease is primarily caused by ticks that lie in wait in the garden or out and about and not by spider bites.