Natalie Woods is terrorised by a giant WOLF SPIDER living under her shower

Publish date: 2024-07-30

A 21-year-old childcare worker is being terrorised by a giant wolf spider which has been living under her shower for the last three months.

Natalie Woods first noticed the spider after it ran across the bathroom of her home in Gravesend, Kent, in May.

However, over the past few months, Miss Woods has watched as the spider has grown even bigger, with it now boasting a body measuring an inch long and a leg span of an additional 1.5 inches.

Natalie Woods, 21, (pictured) first noticed the spider after it ran across the bathroom at her home in Gravesend, Kent, in May but says it has been 'growing and growing' in size ever since and now lives under her shower She has been keeping her Twitter followers updated with its sightings, posting one tweet in which she circled it alongside the caption 'Omgggg!!!' (oh my god)

Natalie Woods, 21, (left) first noticed the spider after it ran across the bathroom at her home in Gravesend, Kent, in May but says it has been 'growing and growing' in size ever since and now lives under her shower

Wolf Spiders are venomous and can bite when they are provoked - which can cause swelling, itching and mild pain to humans.

They have 'huge eyes' - two giants ones and six smaller ones - and instead of spinning webs rely on catching prey by chasing after it, like wolves.

The solitary spiders can run at 2ft per second - incredibly fast for a spider - and have the third best eyesight of all spider species, only beaten by jumping spiders and huntsman spiders.

Miss Woods said she is 'terrified' by the animal, which she believes is 'growing and growing', and said it keeps dashing in and out from under her shower.

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This week she took to social media to inform her followers of the monster, revealing a picture of it alongside the words ''Omgggg!!!' (oh my god).

She also asked: 'Anybody who knows about spiders tell me if this is dangerous or not' before asking for someone to go and 'get rid of it' for her.

People were quick to respond to inform her that it was a wolf spider - and although large and venomous, was not likely to attack her.

She then joked about borrowing a powerful hoover to get rid of the animal, tweeting: 'Need a hoover to suck up spider in my flat'. 

Miss Woods, a childcare worker, said she is 'terrified' by the animal, which she believes is 'growing and growing', and now lives under her shower She has been asking people on social media for tips to get rid of it

Miss Woods, a childcare worker, said she is 'terrified' by the animal, which she believes is 'growing and growing', and now lives under her shower. She has been asking people on social media for tips to get rid of it

Wolf Spiders (like the one Miss Woods has discovered) have 'huge eyes' and can bite defensively. They will inject venom if continually provoked, with symptoms of their bite include swelling, mild pain and itching

Wolf Spiders (like the one Miss Woods has discovered) have 'huge eyes' and can bite defensively. They will inject venom if continually provoked, with symptoms of their bite include swelling, mild pain and itching

She has now revealed how the spider is 'frightening the life out of her'.

She said: 'Even getting up for the toilet in the night I'm creeping downstairs in case I accidentally stir it or step on it.

'I noticed it ages ago but now it has grown into a whopper.'

Her neighbour Claire Richards, 34, said she would be tempted to move out if she came across a wolf spider of similar size.

She said: 'To be honest, I'd just move house - I would not be able to deal with a spider that big.'

However, expert Jack Fenwick of Naturally Wild - an ecology specialist based in Middlesbrough - said it was unlikely the spider would cause her any harm.

He said wolf spiders are relatively common in Britain and are 'not something to be feared'.

He told MailOnline: 'It is quite a normal spider to get but it is one of the largest spiders to get in the UK.

'They are not deadly. It is not really going to harm anyone. It's bite is the same as a bee sting, if you provoke it, it could bite you. 

'If someone is allergic to its bite, it could cause irritation but its poison isn't deadly'.

He said he believes the spider could have got into Miss Woods' bathroom via a drain.

He added: 'Quite often spiders use things like drains to access the house, so it might have got into the bathroom that way and then settled in there.

‘Generally they are quite hard to get rid of, but I would advise to put it in a cup and put it outside.'

THE WOLF SPIDER: AN AGILE HUNTER WHICH CAN BITE IF PROVOKED

Wolf spiders are members of the Lycosidae family

Wolf spiders are members of the Lycosidae family

Wolf spiders are agile hunters that live and hunt alone. 

They are members of the family Lycosidae and rely on camouflague for protection.

They can chase prey over short distances and are also able to pounce while hunting. 

They can bite defensively and will inject venom if continually provoked. 

Symptoms of their venomous bite include swelling, mild pain and itching.

 The spiders have excellent eyesight, with eight eyes two of which are large and prominent. 

They range from 0.1 to 2inches in size and are typically brown, grey and hairy.

Pregnant females carry their eggs in a unique way, with the egg sac attached to the spinnerets at the end of the abdomen allowing the mother to carry her unborn babies with her. 

They can be found in a range of habitats both inland and on the coast and live all over the world. 

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