The Brown Recluse Spider

As the husband of a Brown Recluse bite victim, I know firsthand how frightening it can be to be bitten, how important it is to get educated about these spiders, and the need to be prepared for the unexpected.

The Brown Recluse Spider is so named because it is by nature, "reclusive." Because it likes to hide during the day in clothes, shoes, boxes and other out of the way places where bites are most likely to occur through unintentional contact, it is regarded by many as the most dangerous spider here the United States.

When a Brown Recluse spider bites, it is rarely due to aggression. Bites will usually occur because it is hiding out in your clothes and you put them on, or your hand has touched the spider when handling boxes, or you have rolled over them or unknowingly touched them while sleeping in your bed at night. Because Brown Recluses love to hide in boxes and clothes, they can hitch a ride almost anywhere in the United States. However, they are most commonly found south of a line stretching from Northern Nebraska to Northern Ohio.

Because they do scurry around at night, they are difficult to detect. One way to be sure they are not in your home is to install sticky spider traps in various places. Traps are economical and safer to use because no chemicals are sprayed in your home. And, according to Kansas University researchers, spider traps are an effective means of controlling their populations.

Brown Recluses are not affected by most pesticides and according to research, they can actually benefit by your use of them. In lab studies conducted at Kansas University, they have shown the Brown Recluse Spider's inclination to prefer dead prey over living ones. In fact, they can eat an insect killed by pesticides 24 hours prior and suffer no harmful effects.

Brown Recluse bites can develop very rapidly with necrosis starting to form in just a few hours after being bitten. This is because venom literally kills living tissue on contact. Quick response in the event of a bite wound, and finding ways to control their population are important to protecting yourself from these very dangerous spiders.

If you believe that you are bitten by a Recluse, examine the area very closely. Brown Recluse bites will almost invariably contain two small fang marks about 1/16th of an inch apart. The necrosis will begin at those fang marks and spread out into the surrounding tissue. The area will turn a bluish grey as the skin tissue dies, and eventually will slough away, producing an open ulcer. In some bite wounds, it may appear that someone has taken a scoop of flesh out of your body.

Systemic symptoms such as fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, sweating, joint pain, kidney failure and even coma are possible. However, most Brown Recluse bites do not have severe systemic symptoms. Those who are most in danger of severe reactions are the very young, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems.

Brown Recluse Spiders benefit from human population growth so it looks like this spider is here to stay. The best thing to do is be informed, and know what to do in case you are bitten.

Thomas J. Martincic is the designer, owner, and writer of the website http://www.brown-recluse.com/.

You can read more about these spiders, see pictures of bite wounds, view high resolution photos of the spider, and get some prevention tips by visiting the web site. 888-732-5873

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