It may have only taken one radioactive spider bite for Peter Parker to become Spider-Man, but everyone else can rest easy: Spider bites are rare, and most of the time, they can be treated at home.

Experts say noble false widow spiders could be to blame for an increase in bites being treated in hospital.

You’re walking back to the house at dusk. Thinking about dinner. Not thinking about spiders. Then you hit a web. Across the face. There’s a big shape hanging in it. If you spend a lot of time outside, ...