Today I received an email message from ElfNinosGreatUncle, with regard to the Brown Recluse spider. This spider is usually found in the southeastern US, but sometimes shows up in other areas due to people moving and unwittingly bringing them along in boxes, etc.
The Brown Recluse got its name for a very good reason, in that it prefers to live a reclusive life, away from people. As a result it is found in places such as old clothing, shoes which have not been worn in a while, and attics; outside it may be found in mulch, under brush, and other places where it can avoid people and too much light. Since it is many times found hiding in rarely-worn shoes, be sure to shake out shoes very well before putting your foot into them.
If you live in an area where this spider is found, it is important to wear gloves when working anywhere the spider may be hiding. Always wear gloves if working outside, since it can hide even under mulch in your flower garden; chances are it will blend into the mulch and soil, due to its color, and you won’t see it until it’s too late. If cleaning the attic or another usually dark indoor area where the spider may be hiding, turn on the light, and leave it on for about 30 minutes before starting your task so that the spider will seek refuge. Again, always wear gloves when dealing with any area where this spider may be hiding.
The spider is extremely poisonous, but it is not aggressive. When humans are bitten, it is because the spider has felt threatened, for example, if your hand unwittingly brushes against it.
Here is a photo of the spider. Look at it very carefully, because this particular spider can actually kill you.
What follows are photos showing the progression of the bite on an adult male’s thumb. I have left the most disturbing ones for after the “more” notice. If you don’t have a strong stomach, or even if you are just easily upset by gory medical conditions, DO NOT click on “more” to look at the last two photos.
This first photo shows the condition of the bite area on day three following a Brown Recluse bite.
Here it is on day five after the bite.
On day six, it has spread and is significantly worse, as you can see.
This man was actually lucky, because the Brown Recluse can cause death due to renal failure. There is no known effective treatment for its venom, which destroys the area surrounding the bite, from within. However, the bite area can be treated based upon symptoms, and of course antibiotics are given to avoid secondary infection of the bite area.
If you are bitten by a spider, seek immediate medical care; if the spider is available (even if you killed it after it bit you), take it with you for identification purposes. If you believe you have been bitten by a Brown Recluse, contact your state Poison Control Center.
Again, if you have a weak stomach, or if you are easily upset, DO NOT click on “More”, which shows day ten after the bite ……. you have been warned.
Here is the bite on day ten; there are two photos, so you can clearly see how much damage the venom of the Brown Recluse spider has caused.
Once again …. If you are bitten by a spider, seek immediate medical care; if the spider is available (even if you killed it after it bit you), take it with you for identification purposes. If you believe you have been bitten by a Brown Recluse, contact your state Poison Control Center.
When I lived in Arkansas, my barn was full of them. I found a couple inside the house (in my closet), but never was bitten. I did know a couple of people who got bitten. They got prompt medical attention and didn’t have any lasting damage, but it was pretty nasty for a while.
The Big Guy was bitten by one back when he was in junior high and missed the last week or so of school. He just said to tell you it was very, very, very bad. He was bitten on the face.
Oh, I tagged you in a meme the other day. Hope you respond.
My stepdad was bitten once by a brown recluse that climbed in his pant leg while he was at a truck shop (he sold parts to trucking companies). He waited a while to get it taken care of and they had to cut a huge chunk out of leg because he was so stubborn and waited so long.
Oh, and BTW…some people in the South call them Fiddle Backs (because it looks like a fiddle on their back)…so if you see what others are calling Fiddle Backs…the same advice applies since they are the same spider and dangerous.
It looks alot like staph infection. After hurricane Allison came through Southeast Texas, it has spread viciously. People like to say they were bit by a spider, because they dont want people to know they have staph. I am not saying that this is the case in this situation, but the side affects are simular. Believe me, I know, and they hurt.
Hi, Dee! I’ve been working so I’m just now catching up on my friends’ blogs. I will definitely respond to your meme – thanks for tagging me!
“This man was actually lucky, because the Brown Recluse can cause death due to renal failure. There is no known effective treatment for its venom, which destroys the area surrounding the bite, from within. However, the bite area can be treated based upon symptoms, and of course antibiotics are given to avoid secondary infection of the bite area.”
I wanted to comment about the Brown Recluse. I live in the Willamette Valley of Oregon where they are note commonly known for there presence. I walked down into my basement and turned the light on and was a spider scampering around before I killed the long legged fella. We don’t have many large spiders here so I googled what I thought it was, sure enough I was correct.
As far as the treatment goes…there actually is a treatment available, not very well known to the western medicine world or not accepted do to free cost. The cure was found on accident, like most of the great idea are found. A rancher in Australia was working his land and had to take a piss, as the rancher proceeded to do his duty he got bit by a rattle snake on the hand; jerking his hand up in the air he hit the electric fence to his ranch kill the rattle snake in the process. The man gets in his car and heads to the hospital to get treated, knowing that he only has so much time before the venom takes affect. When he arrives at the hospital the doctors tell him that nothing is wrong, the rancher is dumb founded as he has the bit marks to prove it. The doctor end up doing research to disprove the theory, only to find a cure. What does the have to do with a Brown Recluse? Everything! When my father in law who live 30 min. from hear in Oregon was working in his yard he got bit. Not knowing what bit him, he became very uncomfortable; a few days later he was in so much pain. He tried everything the doctors gave him and nothing worked. He then heard the story of the rattle snake, so being a wits end my father in law got himself a 9 volt battery and some patrolium jelly. He applied the jelly and began to shock the area. He did this at every meal time for three day’s. By the third day the venom was complete reversed and he was able to heal. The electricity reverse the effect of the venom.
I know that was a little more than long, but I hope it helps someone down the line.
P.S. When you go camping you may want to bring a low voltage tazer. You may have to taze yourself.
Jon-
Wouldn’t it be safer to just carry a well-stocked 1st aid kit?
Er… there are no rattlesnakes in Australia. Electricity does not reverse venom. If you get bitten, seek medical help.
Why would the man in the pictures above wait that long to seek medical attention?? That looks like it hurts so bad!!
how i do i email this to my friends as i live in canada and would like my friendes to email this infor. to them because i think ever one should know in canada to watch out for this for the children and for mothes and fathers to understand that this .
Hi, Leo. Just send them this link:
http://elfninosmom.wordpress.com/2008/04/15/the-brown-recluse-spider
owwwww!that looks like it hurts!!!!well its a guy who got bit.i guess that answers why he waited
Jeez! That looks real bad! I went to Utah last year and a park ranger got bit while we were at Arches (google: Delicate Arch). He waited almost a week to get the spider bite treated……. not good.
I was bit as well and within the second day I shocked the bite via electricity. It worked and that is all that mattered to me.
Hiya, Heather. What gave you the idea to apply electricity to the bite?
I did recieve medical attention the day of the bite, however, they said there was nothing they could do. It had to runs it’s course and I would recieve antibiotics to ward off secondary infection. Well that night I did a little research on the web, that’s when I discovered the use of electricity to neutralize the toxic venom. I called the doctor regarding the use of electricty, he laughed at me. Well the way I saw it, I had nothing to lose. It worked for me.
that is not cool did that hurt man it would of to me damn wow lol what did the doctor say is that really a spider bite because that does not look like it is a spider bite they lie to much on compters that almost maid me puke ya!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!courtney
While you are correct to view anything on the internet with a wary eye, this one is true.
My son was bitten by a Brown Recluse while camping in the Appalachian Mountains a couple of years ago. Yes, the doctor said it was a Brown Recluse spider bite. Yes, it is excruciatingly painful. For two weeks, in between surgeries to remove dead tissue, he had a standing appointment with the doctor every day, and was on both IV and oral antibiotics to counter the rapid tissue death which follows such a bite. Luckily the treatment worked, and he recovered completely. Some people are not so lucky, because a Brown Recluse can kill a human.
I assure you, those photos accurately depict what can happen if bitten by a Brown Recluse. Yes, it is disturbing, but it is absolutely true.
Surfing back through thread comments after Gary commented below today, I just realized that I need to clarify my above comment.
Those are NOT photos of my son’s spider bite, they are someone else. As I stated when I originally wrote it, I got the photos from my uncle. However, they do accurately depict what my son experienced.
My son was bitten on the underside of his foot, in the joint area closest to the foot of a small toe, near where two toes meet.
Many apologies if the original comment caused any confusion.
I’ve lived in Northern Arkansas for over 30 years. Brown recluses are very common, both in the wild an in homes. I have never been bitten and I have spent uncountable hours in the woods. I once lived in a house for 8 months that was horribly infested with brown recluses – out of 8 people living in that house no one was bitten.
For instance: Once I was working (as a tree trimmer) in a rural area. A coworker found a spider and we all agreed it was a recluse (one guy indeed called it a “fiddleback”). We squashed it and continued working. Over the course of the week we found dozens and dozens of recluses. That area of forest was totally infested. We walked, climbed and dragged brush for days in there. No one was bitten.
I do not doubt that the bite from a brown recluse is exactly what was pictured in this article. My uncle was bitten, produced the spider to the doctor for positive identification, then suffered for months with the bite. But I think that recluse bites are often misdiagnosed. My opinion is that bites are extremely rare. The good person who mentioned staff infection is very much correct. Lesions, infections, boils, etc. all make similar wounds. Here’s a link for more of what I’m talking about:
http://www.light-science.com/spiderskin.html
Thanks for the link, very interesting!
This is just scaremongering.
This website dispells many popular myths like this:
http://www.snopes.com/photos/bugs/brownrecluse.asp
Apparently, bites from a brown recluse spider usually clear up fine in a few months and there are no documented cases of any fatalities.
wow that is a small spider but it has alot of venom inside it… that guy is lucky they had to hold it together with string so it wouldn’t open up.