YIKES...Brown Recluse Spider Bite

[tru]

So, so sorry to hear about your hubby getting bitten. Sending healing vibes that he heals quickly and "get them out of there!" vibes for the nest to be found and eliminated.

If I recall correctly, my friend that was bitten out in California had someone come in and locate where the recluse spiders were and eradicate them. It seems there house was fairly old and there was quite a nest of them.


({({({({({Beandip and family})})})})})

 

[beandip]

Originally Posted by Pookie-poo

Gosh, I'm so sorry your husband was bitten! I guess it's kind of fortuitous that we've all talked about our experiences and what to look for, so you knew right away to go to the E.R.!

I set off bug bombs in my shed now whenever I know I'm going to do any gardening the next day. Perhaps you should consider having a regular exterminating schedule instituted!

Yes...exactly...I thought of you and the others' experience when I saw that bruise and swelling on his ankle. Immediate treatment seems to be the key.

And that's a definite yes on the exterminator.

Originally Posted by Mom of 4

I've lived in areas known for a high number of brown recluse spiders for over 50 years. I've never been bitten, nor has any family member. Take simple precautions such as not piling clothes, shake out shoes before putting on, the same for any clothes not worn in awhile (especially if they were folded). Store items in plastic bins with a tight sealing lid, not cardboard boxes.

Yes, I'm with you on this. I've been here over 30 years and this is the first trouble I've had. Until 3 weeks ago, I didn't even know exactly what they looked like. It's knowledge I could've lived without! I've always been paranoid about clothing, etc...and now I'm even more careful. Bugs just creep me out, whether or not they're poisonous. I'm just a wimp!

Originally Posted by Tru

If I recall correctly, my friend that was bitten out in California had someone come in and locate where the recluse spiders were and eradicate them. It seems there house was fairly old and there was quite a nest of them.

Tru - thanks.

This place is very old and there are some weird "voids" in unusual places. If I can look past the colorful advertising and catchy slogans, maybe I can find the *right* exterminator that can really get the job done.

 

[dragoro]

Wanna know something scary? The most venomous spider in the world is the daddy Longlegs. Its just that thier fangs are too small to punture the human skin, so they arent dangerous to us. Not sure if they can puncture cats skin though. maybe kittens?

 

[tru]

Originally Posted by Dragoro

Wanna know something scary? The most venomous spider in the world is the daddy Longlegs. Its just that thier fangs are too small to punture the human skin, so they arent dangerous to us. Not sure if they can puncture cats skin though. maybe kittens?

Some of mine have skin so tough from their years as feral that the vet had a hard time getting the needle in to microchip them.

(Sorry for the hijack)

 

[karmasmom]

Originally Posted by Dragoro

Wanna know something scary? The most venomous spider in the world is the daddy Longlegs. Its just that thier fangs are too small to punture the human skin, so they arent dangerous to us. Not sure if they can puncture cats skin though. maybe kittens?

I hate to hijack but the daddy long leg is NOT poisonous. It is an urban myth.

http://spiders.ucr.edu/daddylonglegs.html

Tis is just part of the page/article. FOllow the link for the rest of the story.

"Daddy-longlegs (Opiliones) - these arachnids make their living by eating decomposing vegetative and animal matter although are opportunist predators if they can get away with it. They do not have venom glands, fangs or any other mechanism for chemically subduing their food. Therefore, they do not have poison and, by the powers of logic, cannot be poisonous from venom. Some have defensive secretions that might be poisonous to small animals if ingested. So, for these daddy-long-legs, the tale is clearly false.

Daddy-longlegs spiders (Pholcidae) - Here, the myth is incorrect at least in making claims that have no basis in known facts. There is no reference to any pholcid spider biting a human and causing any detrimental reaction. If these spiders were indeed deadly poisonous but couldn't bite humans, then the only way we would know that they are poisonous is by milking them and injecting the venom into humans. For a variety of reasons including Amnesty International and a humanitarian code of ethics, this research has never been done. Furthermore, there are no toxicological studies testing the lethality of pholcid venom on any mammalian system (this is usually done with mice). Therefore, no information is available on the likely toxic effects of their venom in humans, so the part of the myth about their being especially poisonous is just that: a myth. There is no scientific basis for the supposition that they are deadly poisonous and there is no reason to assume that it is true.

What about their fangs being too short to penetrate human skin? Pholcids do indeed have short fangs, which in arachnological terms is called "uncate" because they have a secondary tooth which meets the fang like the way the two grabbing parts of a pair of tongs come together. Brown recluse spiders similarly have uncate fang structure and they obviously are able to bite humans. There may be a difference in the musculature that houses the fang such that recluses have stronger muscles for penetration because they are hunting spiders needing to subdue prey whereas pholcid spiders are able to wrap their prey and don't need as strong a musculature. So, again, the myth states as fact something about which there is no scientific basis."

 

[renovia]

that's WAY more info than I wanted to know about spiders LOL I had nightmares last night ....