Woman needs surgery after white tail spider bite

A Rotorua woman had to have surgery after a suspected white tail spider bite, prompting a warning for residents to be on the lookout.
A Rotorua pest control expert says the creepy crawlies are more active during summer and people should be cautious.
Lakes District Health Board communications officer Sue Wilkie said she could not confirm "at this stage" if someone had undergone surgery as a result of a suspected white tail spider bite but the The Daily Post understands the woman had surgery at Rotorua Hospital on Monday. Bay Pest Services Rotorua owner/operator Chris Brunel said white tail spiders were always seen more during summer.
"There is a lot more insect activity over summer so the white tails have more prey. It is something which crops up every year."
Mr Brunel said white tail spiders were well established in Rotorua and people could react differently if bitten by them.
"They are actually not poisonous," he said. "They eat a lot of other spiders and insects and get a lot of bacteria on their fangs."
It was the bacteria on the spider's fangs which could cause a reaction. "If they bite you, you could pick up bacterial problems in your skin. Some people won't notice it," he said.
"The worst case scenario is when you get the flesh-eating disease."
Mr Brunel said people who suffered from allergies and young children were more likely to be affected by white tail bites.
He was called to three or four homes a week by people concerned about the presence of white tail spiders.
Rotorua woman Belinda Bennett was bitten by a white tail in August last year and still has a scar.
"We saw this white tail in the house but didn't think much of it. I think it would have been the next day that I noticed a small lump on my wrist."
Miss Bennett is a naturopath and when, within two days of noticing the bite, infection had spread through her hand and up her arm, she rubbed on some clay to draw out the bacteria and took natural anti-bacterial and anti-viral remedies.
"I was a bit worried, but I did go to the doctor and he said that I was winning."
She said she didn't often see incidents of white tail bites during the course of her work in Rotorua. "A lot of the things I deal with are allergies and mosquito bites."
Miss Bennett said she wouldn't recommend people trying to treat white tail bites by themselves.
"It could get out of hand quickly so make sure you see someone who knows how to treat them." White tail spiders have a rectangular body shape and a white-grey spot on their tail end.
The spider is reasonably common in the North Island.
They prefer dark, cool environments and are often found on the inside of drapes, inside on the upper walls near the ceiling and also in bathrooms. Some bites occur when people sit on the spiders or when they drop from the ceiling at night.
The spiders get a fright, then bite in an attempt to protect themselves.
A white tail bite is immediately painful. It is usually possible to catch the spider easily, since it has poor eyesight.
Cases of confirmed white tail spider bites have rarely resulted in anything more severe than a red mark and localised, short-term pain.