Spider bites, how to treat them

Let's start with a point of clarification. When they feel threatened, spiders - most of the time harmless - do not sting, they bite. We often think of a sting because of our associations with insects stinging. Note that the spider is not an insect either, but belongs to the arachnid group.

In any case, there is a wide variety of spider bites and possible reactions, depending on who is bitten and whether the spider species is venomous or not. However, there are only around ten species worldwide that are dangerous to humans. Apart from these rare specimens, spider bites can be disturbing, but 100% harmless.

The most likely case of a bite is when you catch the spider in its hiding place: the sleeve of an item of clothing, the corner of a sheet, inside an armrest, etc. As a reminder, spiders do not attack on their own apart from these few situations where they are unfortunate enough to be dislodged.

If you are regularly bitten in bed, for example, think mosquitoes or bedbugs as your first line of defence.

When the spider responsible for the bite is not venomous, i.e. in the vast majority of cases, the symptoms may be very short-lived, lasting from a few minutes to a few hours.

If venom has been injected, symptoms may persist for several days. If they last longer than 4 or 5 days, we recommend that you consult a GP or dermatologist.