Bitten by a Spider

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I was in the garden yesterday splitting my Agapanthus which had been in the same pots for over 3 years.
I had watered them the day before so it was easier to separate the roots although I had to saw them into sections in the end with a small tree saw.
As they had been in pots I had filled the bottom with gravel which had become enveloped in the huge white roots so I spent much of my time with the plant upside down between my knees scratching the gravel out from the roots.
Little did I know that hiding in the bottom of one of the root balls in between all the gravel and dark wet soil was a spider. I used to be terrified of them, but over the past 4 years having a daughter who is fascinated, I have taught myself to understand and even handle them.
I was digging around with my fingers when I suddenly felt a painful sensation under my fingernail which felt like a bee sting, I thought I had found a splinter which had pushed itself under my nail, but this bizarre looking spider dropped into the wheelbarrow!
It was an amazing colour, red legs, a dark maroon body and a creamy pearl body. I grabbed my camera and took some pictures of it just in case I needed any medical attention then popped it into one of my daughters bug traps. She thought it was fascinating and spent the afternoon painting a picture of it!
I just felt a painful throbbing, a swollen finger and I had to cut off the nail where I have got 2 puncture marks.
I identified this little devil as a ‘Woodlouse Spider’ Dysdera crocata. They are seen as one of the only few spiders in the UK to be able to bite through human skin, not poisonous but can have an allergic reaction.

• 5 Apr, 2009
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