UAE | General
RAK family horrified by discovery of redback spiders
An Emirati and the labourers of an insecticide company he hired to treat his house in the southern Al Dhait area have been shocked to find groups of redback spiders coming out of the corners of the house.
- By Nasouh Nazzal, Staff Reporter
- Published: 23:13 May 29, 2009
Ras Al Khaimah: An Emirati and the labourers of an insecticide company he hired to treat his house in the southern Al Dhait area have been shocked to find groups of redback spiders coming out of the corners of the house.
M.A.A., the owner of the house, sought to eliminate an infestation of cockroaches and hired a company to spray the house.
Sources close to the owner said that when the company labourers started spraying the house with insecticide and other types of chemicals they were shocked to see big groups of redback spiders coming from the garden.
The company labourers immediately killed many of the redback spiders, said the sources.
They said that the owner and his family now fear that other spiders are still in the home although the company labourers, who were rewarded generously for getting rid of the spiders, have exerted greater efforts to kill all the spiders which came out of their hiding places and searched for others that may still be lurking.
The sources said that the Emirati also reported the presence of so many redback spiders in his house to the authorities including the Municipality.
They said that the owner has been prohibiting his children from going into the garden. The sources said the authorities should be giving a helping hand to this father.
Danger: Bites rare, but lethal
Only the Redback Spider female bite is dangerous. They can cause serious illness and have caused deaths globally. However, since Redback Spiders rarely leave their webs, humans are not likely to be bitten unless a body part such as a hand is put directly into the web, and because of their small jaws many bites are ineffective.
The venom acts directly on the nerves, resulting in release and subsequent depletion of neurotransmitters. Common early symptoms are pain, sweating, muscular weakness, nausea and vomiting. Antivenom is available.
No deaths have occurred since its introduction.
If bitten an ice pack should be applied to the bitten area to relieve pain. A pressure bandage should not be applied (venom movement is slow and pressure worsens pain).
The spider should be collected for positive identification and medical attention sought.
- Source: Australian Museum Online
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