A HAMPSHIRE couple have been forced to flee their home after it became invaded by poisonous spiders.
John and Jade Meyers had been in the Eastleigh property less than a week when they started coming across what they believe are tube web spiders, identified by their green fangs.
They say they have found around 50 spider nests on the outside walls of the property in Dutton Lane and fear there could be more in the cavity walls and loft.
The problem came to light within days of them moving in to the three-bedroomed rented house.
John, 28, who runs a property maintenance business, said: “Jade was on the landing upstairs and I heard this scream – there was this big black hairy spider.
“I was quite impressed by the size of it and being hairy, and I saw the green fangs.
“I didn’t think too much of it, I just wanted to get it out because my wife’s got a phobia.
“A couple of days later I found another two, a few days later four, five, six. I’ve lost count.”
John, who has been bitten by the venomous false widow before, had some knowledge of spiders and identified this from research as the venomous tube web spider or segestria florentina.
He said he found around 30 spiders so far and on the outside of the house has seen up to 50 tube webs.
The spiders are larger than a 50p piece and are commonly found across Europe and in parts of the UK.
They can give a painful bite and the pain can last for a few hours, similar to a bee sting, but there are no lasting side effects.
Secretary Jade, 26, is allergic to bee stings, so the couple do not want to take any chances for a reaction to a spider bite and have moved into a friend’s home.
John’s believes one of the green-fanged spiders may have been in another part of the UK where they are more common and was then transported perhaps in a sofa to the house and then started to breed from there.
The previous owner had a cat so he thinks maybe that kept the arachnids at bay.
The letting agent has offered to provide deterrent sprays and plug-in devices, but the couple have already been using them since they arrived.
“It’s like living in a nightmare,”
he said. “It’s a shame as it’s such a gorgeous house.”
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