brown recluse spider

[humeco]

I noticed a little bump on my leg while in the shower about 10 weeks ago, thought it was some kinda bruise. It got red and swelled up and I went to a dermatologist and he said it might be a spider bite. Well, to make a long story short, several weeks and 3 different doctors and numerous anti-botics later, on Friday last week I had surgery on a brown recluse spider bite and have a hole about 3" by by 2" in my leg and don't know when I will be able to go back to work. Please, if you ever have any type of skin irritation that won't heal in a few days get to a hospital and get it checked out.

[The Lawn Choupique]

Do people really go to a doctor for a spider bite? And they say America is soft.

[awm]

sorry bud . id rather a black widow than that d-- thing.
good luck in healing

[f350]

scary thing is this spider is in about 70% of americas homes... i saw a special on the discovery channel. causes ulcers like yours.

[Southern Lawns]

If in fact it was a "Recluse" you are fortunate to be posting! Spent much time in Miami and the Keys and have seen more than enough of the damage one spider can do. Heal well. Saying be careful is obvious BUT sometimes a story such as yours will make us more aware! Last week one of our guys found a 10" baby Coral snake (alive) in a bale of pinestraw. You all know the potency of smaller snakes! We turned it over to the small local zoo for positive ID. Ugh! Coulda been ugly:eek:

[MOW ED]

Another reason why I perfer the change of season atmosphere. Those little buggers cant survive the winter.

[mdb landscaping]

although ive never been biten by a brown recluse, i have gotten several spider bites, and they hurt really bad. The best thing you can do is sit in a hot tub or shower and sometimes it will aid in the draining. they can be very painful.

[CBB]

I know several people bitten by brown recluses. Just be happy if you are not like a friend of mine that had to get $5000 in plastic surgery from one bite.

[lee b]

Hope you get well soon, humeco. Sounds like you got quite a hole there. My bite eventually healed on its own, but it took a long time, the meat around the bite finally just deteiorated and fell off, not pretty.

[MuskTurfKing]

Ack! Those things give me the creeps, and I know we have tons of em in our house, old house, big attic, and they're in Oklahoma all the time. I hate even thinking about em. :mad:

Hank

[corban]

I got a brown recluse bite when I was in fifth grade. My mom, who is a home-medic genious, treated like a boil. We kept castor oil on it 24-7 and a couple weeks later the doctors said they've never seen one heal that quickly. It was right above my knee in the quad muscle tissue. Nine years later I still have a scar and am able to stick a safety pin in one tooth hole and out the other. It makes for a fun way gross out the college ladies.

[KirbysLawn]

Glad to hear you are doing better. Brown Recluse Spider bites cause tissue necrosis around the bite. The longer it goes untreated the worse it gets.

http://www.highway60.com/mark/brs/images/bite.jpg

[vipermanz]

looks like it has an eye:eek:

[Martino]

:eek:

Somebody please tell me that these things are indigenous to the South?!?!

[Fantasy Lawns]

http://fantasylawns.com/recluse.jpg

That's a nasty leg Ray .... kinda like my partner's leg looked when he got hit

hard to believe this little guy can $%#@ one up

[tim cooper]

gota story u guys might not believe.

Friend of mine, his wife was in back yard and noticed her 2 year old hada frog and was pullin on the thing.. she turned away and realized someting wasnt right. She turned back around, went over and noticed that a 4 foot copperhead had the other end of the frog. Talk abouta tug of war!!! Needless to say... the frog and the snake both died.

[LAWNS AND MOWER]

Thanks for posting that pic Kirby. Now I know what critter got me last summer. Happened when I was camping but didn't feel the actual bite. This funky area on my shin just kept growing and growing until finally when it got the size of a silver dollar, I had one of my doctor customers look at it and he put me on a anti-biotic. Had flu like symptoms for about 2 days. Now I freak when I get tangled up in spider webs while I'm mowing.

LAWNS AND MOWER

[mowemdown]

Hey, "The Lawn Choupique" if you got bit by one you would probably go to the doctor too. Or at least think about it.

Now to the bite down here in south Louisiana they have alot of those and Black Widows. I got bit by a brown recluse and it was not nice. I didn't go to the doctor but I thought about it. I removed alot of dead flesh around the bite before it started to heal. It took about 8 weeks for it to heal pretty good. But it was still open about 3 months after or more. It still left a nasty scar. What is really scary is the symptoms and affects can come back later I believe. I seen something on TV about it and this guy had got bitten by one and a year after he had a huge bloody blister on his back it appeared in only couple hours while he slept. Oh well enough blabbing:dizzy:

[TheMom]

CSRA sent me this thread since I got my very own brown recluse mugging yesterday while transplanting azaleas for a lady in our neighborhood. So far mine is only a black spot in the middle of a red ring. Been to our doc, Frank, and he wasted no time in prescribing antibiotics and steroids, plus injected cortisone under the redness. Said that would keep it from getting necrotic (his office nurse said "neurotic", she might be more right! lol).

At the time I didn't feel the bite, either.

[lawnkid]

That's why my mom always makes our house stay cllean and when I see a spider I kill it right away. I've seen hundreds of these things. Just stay away from dirty areas but don't get paranoid.

[anythinglawns]

One of my customers was bitten last summer. She had the same symtoms as you. After they figured out what it was she spent a week in the hospital and had hole the size of a silver dollar and about 1.5 inches deep after the surgery.
She is still alive but was out of commisson for about a month.

[MJStrain]

Originally posted by KirbysLawn
Glad to hear you are doing better. Brown Recluse Spider bites cause tissue necrosis around the bite. The longer it goes untreated the worse it gets.

http://www.highway60.com/mark/brs/images/bite.jpg

Checked out the lawn photos on your site and wondered if you are using the Scott's 5-Step program. Are oyu?

[Dennis E.]

One of my residentials years back had a pest control man that was bitten by a recluse. He almost died. He was up there in years
(60's) so it may have been a bit harder on his system.
They are dangerous as hell.
They scare me worse than snakes!

[SLS]

We have them in our house too. :(

We have the pest control guy out every couple of weeks in the warmer months. The Brown Recluse likes to hide out in attics, crawlspaces (any dark areas) but once it get hot outside...look out! They come out and you'll find them in the sinks and bathtubs...looking for water (and A/C), I guess. When we first moved in to this house we never saw them-but once the temperature hit about 95 degrees they were everywhere! Talk about paranoid! Upon going to bed, lift up you pillow, and see one sitting there...yikes! You learn quickly to 'shake' out your clothes before putting them on once you find one in your underwear drawer. Or pull a bowl out of the cabinet to eat some cereal...and there is one sitting in it! Found one in the dog food dish the other morning!

If you live in the south and don't think you have them just get some of those "sticky" insect traps, put then in the corners of your rooms, your closets, and up in the attic (and basement), and be prepared for a rude awakening. The reason you place the traps along baseboards, in corners, and in windowsills is because the like to follow edges...as their eyesight is poor. Must be those extra eyes or something......

Oh yeah, they are not as "reclusive" as you might think. I was watching TV on the couch one night, caught something out of the corner of my eye...and a big ol' BR was sitting one the arm of the couch...watching the History Channel with me. Lights, noise, movement...they are not the least bit fazed.

It's is not nearly as bad as when we first moved in because we had the entire house fogged and dusted in between the walls and up in the attic. We also had all the trees that were overhanging the house removed. Still, even with repeated and regular treatments we are using the traps...and still catching them. They are vey hardy...and hard to eliminate. :cry:

[maple city]

Before working in the lawn care field, I worked on an ambulance as an EMT for the state of Indiana. We were taught about spiders. There are two kinds to worry about in the US. Black widows and brown recluse.

BROWN RECLUSE:
Dull brown in color, smaller than black widow. Has a dark violin-shaped mark on it's back. Mostly found in the Southern and Central US, but moving to other areas of the US. They live in dark areas, corners, unused buildings, woodpiles, under rocks, etc. Bite area not painful at the time of the bite. There should be no vomiting, nausea, breathing difficulty, or other problems that are common with black widow bites. The bitten area will beome red, swollen, and tender. It will develop a pale, white/bluish center. A small blister may form. Then the ulser develops. Quick treatment from a doctor can keep the patient from developing the ulser.

BLACK WIDOW:
These are not large spiders, approx. 1 inch long with legs extended. It is a glossy black and has a bright red-orange marking in the shape of an hourglass on it's abdomen. They are found in every state except Alaska. They prefer dry, dim places around buildings, in woodpiles, and among debris. This type of bite is sometimes overlooked because the victim may not recall the bite because the area may become numb after the bite. Usually, though, there is pain at the area of the bite. The venom is poison to nerve tissue and attacks the spinal nerve centers. The symptoms are:severe cramps, tightness in the chest, breathing difficulty over the first 24 hours. Dizziness, sweating, vomiting, nausea, skin rashes also occur.
Death is not common. These bites are more dangerous to children or elderly.
This bite is very painful. If the site of the bite can be identified, apply ice to this area. Get the person to the Emergency Room as soon as possible.


If you kill the spider, it is useful to bring it to the Emergency Room with you. This goes for snakes, too, if you ever need snake bite treatment. Do not endanger yourself further by trying to catch it.

I hope this helps you guys. Sorry it's a long post, just thought you might be interested.

STAY SAFE!
:angel:

[bob]

Found this spider bite photo,

http://www.ernieshouseofwhoopass.com/pic/spidy1.jpg

[kutnkru]

Cin was bit the same. the Docs here said that only the Brown reclouse, Black Widow or Scorpion have enough venom to do that to a persons leg.

Needless to say after several months of bs -- it was finally a skin graft that healed the legg.

[Gravely_Man]

I must say that picture of the wound is a bit unsettling as I was (key word was) eating lunch when I looked at the picture.


Gravely_Man

[LAWNS AND MOWER]

How could someone let it get that bad? I got bit 2 years ago, saw a doctor and got an anti-biotic. Healed in 1 week.

[Tony Harrell]

Something must have bitten me in the last several days. I noticed a lump on my left bicep. It didn't hurt, it was just hard. Then it started to turn red and now there are two "zits" in the middle of it. It also may be from a cat that I got out of a tree the other day. I had a cat scratch a long time ago that made a lymph node in my neck swell up like a grapefruit.

[nu83]

BR bites are so over diagnosed its almost to the point of an urban legend. Not to say anyone is lying, I dont think that at all. There have been many deaths and amputations caused by the BR and I they can be infested in areas. I read of a case where 144 BR's were found under 1 waterbed, made me check my own bed thats for sure. However, they get the sole blame for necrotic lesions when rarely ever is a spider even seen.

The link below illustrates where BR's are typically found.

http://dermatology.cdlib.org/DOJvol5num2/special/map.gif

[southerngent]

I was bitten between my toes about 4 months ago by a BRS. Man, I have never in my life experienced a wound that responded to NOTHING!. Since being bitten I have done massive research on the BRS , and could probably get a degree in recluseology or something. There is NO antidote for the bite. Even the Black Widow has an antidote, but nooooooo, not the brown recluse. The bite was between mt left big toe and the next one. Never felt the bite, I guess (I go barefooted a lot, not anymore! )I think it was in a pair of old tennis shoes I keep in the back room for MY yard work.

It took two Dr.'s and three diagnosis, to conclude that the BRS did me in. After 4 months of soaking in salt water, cippro, polysporin, asprin....and cussing .......the Dr. is gonna put me in a hyperbaric chamber to flood me with oxygen. 9o mins. a time, for 20 sessions. It's a hole about 1in.wide and 1/2 in deep, and it dosen't seem to be improving. The Dr. has even mentioned amputation...good grief!!!!!

Well, just rambling now....but suffice it to say, the BRS is one bad SOB!!! The EIGHT LEGGED FREAKS!!!!!!LOL

[SLS]

southerngent:

If you want to take your BR bite cure a step further may I recommend contacting Vanderbilt University Hospital here in Nashville?

Vanderbilt is the nations leading facility for dealing with the dreaded BR bite. My next door neighbor was bitten last year and was able to identify the bite promptly. The local HCA hospital immediately referred him to Vanderbilt...saying that they were set up to deal with BR bites.

It seems that Vanderbilt has been studing the BR problem for many years and has a serum that is made from rabbit's blood (I kid you not). This makes sense as Vanderbilt is centrally located in the area in which BR's are most prevelant. I was told that rabbit's blood has a very high white (or red...can't remember which) cell count and is the stuff from which the serum is developed.

I asked my exterminator if he had heard about this and he said "yes"... that Vanderbilt had developed the serum as an innoculation which was supposed to be marketed to pest control people as an antibody. He told me that he had received it as a 'test subject' and has been bitten twice...with no ill effects besides a bit of swelling, redness, and discomfort. He said it was gone in a couple of days. He said that the serum has not been marketed pending FDA approval...and that Vandy is weighing the costs of approval vs. the projected profit of potential sales of the antibody.

My neighbor, who had received the serum for his bite, was fine in 2 or 3 days.


I hope this helps. A trip to Nashville sure sounds alot better than losing a toe or two. Besides...you might run into one of these hot country music babes while your here! :)


Tony,

I'm no doctor...and I'm not diagnosing....but that is what my neighbors bite looked like one day after he was bitten. Ony difference was he had 1 'zit' on the mound instead of two. I hope it's not the BR...and you get it solved-fixed quickly.

[southerngent]

SLS...oh man....thank you ever so much!!!! The first thing in the morning, I'm going to try and get in touch with them. You're absolutly right, I don't wanna lose anymore of me (hair is getting bad, lol ) than I already have.This has been going on to long , and I'm about ready to try anything!!!

Again, thank you very much!!!

This lawnsite.com has the nicest and most helpful people!!!.....and most humble :blush:

[southerngent]

Tony...I really hate to say it...but that looks all the BRS bites I've seen....I really can't see mine without a mirror..it's on the bottom inside of my big toe. I went to a web site and a DR. is texas is reccommending nitro-glycerin patches , cut to fit the ares. I told my doc, and he wrote a prescription for me. Apparrently the best results happen if the patches are applied before an ulcer appears. It';s supposed to open up the arteries that have shut down due to the poison in the bite.

Good luck....and GO SEE A DR. ........NOW!!!! :)

[southerngent]

SLS...I ment to ask earlier but forgot...you wouldn't happen to have a phone number to the hospital wouldja? :)

[Turtle II]

I'd reather see a snake then a spider.

[Tony Harrell]

I think mine is from the cat. It's actually getting smaller and the "zit" heads are more pronounced. I had forgotten about the cat when I first started the post. Spiders give me the willies and I've been an exterminator for years. I'd rather face a cornered norway rat than think there was a spider in my bedroom. Tuesday night I felt something on the back of my neck while in bed. I jumped up, threw the covers off and switched the light on all in one motion. I was up for 2 hours doing a search on "deep root feeding" after that. I'm an expert at killing spiders and the black widow, I consider my specialty. I found some in a strange location back in 1995 and studied them more than any other pest I've dealt with. That's why they give me the willies. I know they can go just about anywhere. Thorough perimeter service with pesticides is a good start, but not enough. Hatchlings float on spun silk through the air and can land on a second story eave to make their way into a structure. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

[Wesley's Lawn]

Hey what about all the spiders we swallow when were sleeping I thought i saw a studied that said on average we swallow like 7 spiders a year. :eek: :dizzy:

[Swampbeast]

Brrrrr! Yuck! *shiver* yes! Spiders give me the willies as well! The only creature God made that I truly cant stand. Just something about them that freaks me out. Yuck.
I had a friend get nailed by a Brown Recluse, it was a woman, and she didnt notice it for a long time. It bit her on her right buttock, where she couldnt really see anything. Well, to make a long story short, one day about 6 weeks later, she sat down really hard, and a 5 inch diameter ball of dead skin and muscle rolled out of her leg. There is a monsterous hole in her leg now. No amount of surgery can fix it. It goes deep, she says you can poke your finger in there and feel the bone through a couple layers of skin and muscle.
Same thing with Coral snakes, I hate those things. Since they are pretty, a little girl in my church picked on up and got bit, fortuneately a boy of about 11 years old in my church also saw what happened, and being a responsible youth, he quickly picked the girl up and brought her inside, and she was in the ICU at the nearest hospital within 15 minutes of the bite. She lived.
Ack! Now look what yall have done! Talking about spiders has gotten me all jumpy! My skin is crawling! I am going to turn some lights on in this computer room.....spiders......


:cool:

[SLS]

southerngent:

Heres some info for you:

Vanderbilt University Medical Center
1211 22nd Ave S
Nashville, TN 37232
(615) 322-5000

LINK: http://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/


"A quarter century of scientific contributions by Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s dermatology chief, Dr. Lloyd E. King Jr., was honored last Friday with a symposium in Light Hall featuring Nobel laureate Stanley Cohen, Ph.D.

King’s work has ranged from helping to determine the function of epidermal growth factor and its receptor, to improving the treatment of brown recluse spider bites."

http://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/reporter/index.html?ID=2136


Here's an interesting article that appeared in our local paper about the subject...with some Vandy mentions:
http://www.tennessean.com/sii/health/99/07/13/cover13.shtml


Another 'Vandy-related' article:
http://www.embbs.com/aem/bite-d.html


There is another local Vandy-grad, Barry E. Yarbrough, M.D., F.A.C.E.P., at Green Hills Medical Center (here in Nashville) that is an expert in BR bites...you may try him:
http://www.greenhillsmedicalcenter.com/bey.htm


Some interesting reading about Hyperbaric treatments of BR bites...sounds promising (scroll to bottom of page to see BR info):
http://www.midsouthhbot.com/therapy.html#Anchor-47383


I hope this helps! :)

[southerngent]

SLS...you the MAN!!!...LOL..thanks...I'm getting on the phone as soon as I type this post. If Vanderbilt can help....they're my new favorite college to root for!!

Thank you again!!!

[SLS]

"If Vanderbilt can help....they're my new favorite college to root for!!"


Now...let's not get carried away. ;)

To sing the praises of the medical facility is one thing....for they are indeed excellent....


...but to root for their sports program is entirely something else! :p


That's why we have the University of Tennessee! :D

GO BIG ORANGE!!!


I hope you get some answers, and relief, southerngent. :)

[lakegastonlawn]

Turtle, what in the heck is that a picture of?? Looks mean n' nasty

[IBGreen]

I just caught myself checking out my feet under the desk. I hate those d*%$ things!:(

[Tvov]

Originally posted by Turtle II
I'd reather see a snake then a spider.

MY GOD, what the heck is that in the picture??!! And how big is it?!

That looks like a job for Winchester! (the shotgun, that is)

[Tvov]

Originally posted by nu83
BR bites are so over diagnosed its almost to the point of an urban legend. Not to say anyone is lying, I dont think that at all. There have been many deaths and amputations caused by the BR and I they can be infested in areas. I read of a case where 144 BR's were found under 1 waterbed, made me check my own bed thats for sure. However, they get the sole blame for necrotic lesions when rarely ever is a spider even seen.

The link below illustrates where BR's are typically found.

http://dermatology.cdlib.org/DOJvol5num2/special/map.gif

I've always heard that they are around in CT.

[eslawns]

You all know the potency of smaller snakes!

I have always heard this, but saw a show about venomous snakes on Discovery Channel. Herpitologists beleive that the smaller snakes' venom is not more potent, but that the younger snakes don't know how to control how much venom to inject.

Stay safe.

[Turtle II]

I'm not really sure what that is to tell you the truth.......

It was crawling around our work center one day over in Kuwait...

There was all kind of weird stuff over there.......

On one trip the base commander had to set a general order
"not to play with scorpions" because guys were catching them and housing them as pets and others would throw them in cages letting them fight each other.......

[Swampbeast]

So thats where Hiss went to! That looks just like my old pet snake! Ha! What the heck is he doing in Kuwait I wonder?

:cool:

[SDlawndawg]

I can't believe the size of the hole in that leg! Whoa! I think I might call the local exterminator to see if they ever see these nasty little fellas in my neck of the woods. Or maybe the county extension office. These stories are freakin me out. Especially the one of the girls butt falling off. That's crazy!

[GreenQuest Lawn]

I did read an article from the department of ag in Michigan that they have recorded the first overwintering of a BRS in Michigan. It was thought that our temps were too cold but they fear the little suckers are hardier than they thought.

[Tony Harrell]

What I've noticed during my career in pest control is, brown recluse is generally found indoors, black widow is generally found outdoors. I've found both in opposite areas but the general rule stands as far as I've seen. For instance, you'll almost always find black widows in "weep holes" in masonry retaining walls. Like the ones following a driveway to the house. Or inside drive thru signs at fast food places. I've had brown recluses found inside cases of #10 cans of food at Cracker Barrel (Statesville, NC) and found black widows in the rodent stations outside that very place. I must say, they make very good marketing tools. Especially if you can show the manager/owner a live specimen.

[Tidycut]

Originally posted by Wesley's Lawn
Hey what about all the spiders we swallow when were sleeping I thought i saw a studied that said on average we swallow like 7 spiders a year. :eek: :dizzy:

I remember this study also, but I think it stated that the average adult swallows 8 spiders in a lifetime. Never the less, it's still VERY disturbing.

Rick

[MPhillips]

Those dang things are really bad...Is there anything to throw in the first aid kit to help. We already carry spider spray in case we need to go into a sprinkler box.

[MJStrain]

I remember this study also, but I think it stated that the average adult swallows 8 spiders in a lifetime. Never the less, it's still VERY disturbing.

Rick

Actually I saw one study that said on average it's 3 or 4 spiders per YEAR. Yuck. One good thing is that they are usually quite small.

[FERT-TEK]

I noticed a little bump on my leg while in the shower about 10 weeks ago, thought it was some kinda bruise. It got red and swelled up and I went to a dermatologist and he said it might be a spider bite. Well, to make a long story short, several weeks and 3 different doctors and numerous anti-botics later, on Friday last week I had surgery on a brown recluse spider bite and have a hole about 3" by by 2" in my leg and don't know when I will be able to go back to work. Please, if you ever have any type of skin irritation that won't heal in a few days get to a hospital and get it checked out.

Caught this little guy setting up camp on my pool deck. Poisonous spiders ar not a real big problem in the Chicago area though.

[MJStrain]

I remember this study also, but I think it stated that the average adult swallows 8 spiders in a lifetime. Never the less, it's still VERY disturbing.

Rick

After posting below I decided to check further into this spider swallowing. According to Paula E. Cushing, Ph.D., curator of entomology and arachnology for the Denver Museum of Nature and Science:

Question: Is it true that we will inevitably swallow (some number of) spiders in our lifetime?

Answer: No, this is not true. I’m an arachnologist and I’ve never swallowed a spider.

Here is the address if you'd like to read it or check some other cool facts on spiders.

http://www.dmns.org/main/minisites/spiders/faq.html

[Lawn Dog2001]

Caught this little guy setting up camp on my pool deck. Poisonous spiders ar not a real big problem in the Chicago area though.


FLC Dave, what kind of spider is that? I have come across several of those here. Always the same thing. Just sitting in the center of its web, just like that one. I see them a lot when mulching beds.

I was told that they are bananna spiders. But I didnt think bananna spiders were in PA.

[DLCS]

I was told that they are bananna spiders. But I didnt think bananna spiders were in PA.


You are right its a bananna spider. We have lots of them here in Illinois, usually you find them on tomato plants and in tall weeds.

[pjslawncare/landscap]

Wow guy! That sucks having a big hole in your leg. Keep us updated on your condition. Good luck!

[op4_camper]

Actually I saw one study that said on average it's 3 or 4 spiders per YEAR. Yuck. One good thing is that they are usually quite small.


Talk about grave digging.

[maelawncare]

I had a BRS bite about 2 years ago. On my left arm. Didnt think anything of it. Till it started to get BIG, and red. It was about 3in wide and about 2in high off of my arm. It was scary. The doc just lanced it, bleed it out, and stuffed it. Nothing to it. Now im perfect, besides the little scar. All i gotta say is, dont wait too long. Cause it could be too late.

[FERT-TEK]

Lawn Dog and DLCS I will take your word for it. Are they poinsionous? I have never seen anything like it before. When I saw it I thought of that saying for snakes "red touches yellow KILL a fellow red touches black friend to Jack" promptly tucked my tail between my legs and ran for my mother. HAHAHA Seriousily, when I got back to dispose of it my new friend was gone never to be seen again.

[DLCS]

Lawn Dog and DLCS I will take your word for it. Are they poinsionous? I have never seen anything like it before. When I saw it I thought of that saying for snakes "red touches yellow KILL a fellow red touches black friend to Jack" promptly tucked my tail between my legs and ran for my mother. HAHAHA Seriousily, when I got back to dispose of it my new friend was gone never to be seen again.


I don't think so, never been bitten by one though. When I was a kid we would ride our dirtbikes through the tall weeds in the fields and i would end up with those bananna spiders all over me. I don't remember getting bit once by them but thats not to say they are not poisonous.

[Geezer]

Everyone should be very cautious about the Black Widow whenever you are checking out irrigation valveboxes, etc. They love dark and wet spaces and are more likely than not, to be living there. You should ALWAYS look for them!!

[JKOOPERS]

i heard that once you get bit you will continue to get bit. i have been bit about 6 times in the last 5 years. 3 times i had to go to the hospital. then ijust started to lance them myself. i got bit one time right above my knee and 3 days later i couldnt even walk . it swelled up the size of a baseball. hurt like hell.

[newbomb]

This whole post gives me the creeps. I hope you heal well and believe me if anything bites me and I swell up I will be at the doctor's day one. I wish you the best now lets never speak of spiders agian.

-Paul

[Lawn Dog2001]

Lawn Dog and DLCS I will take your word for it. Are they poinsionous? I have never seen anything like it before. When I saw it I thought of that saying for snakes "red touches yellow KILL a fellow red touches black friend to Jack" promptly tucked my tail between my legs and ran for my mother. HAHAHA Seriousily, when I got back to dispose of it my new friend was gone never to be seen again.

I dont know how poisionous they are. But I do know they are not very aggressive. Twice at the same property, there was a web and spider exactly like you have pictured across two young shrubs in a mulch bed. My first thought was to kill the thing. But it never moved from the center of its web. So I left it alone and worked around it. It(or its offspring) has been in the same location, at the same property, two years in a row. I will be mulching there again in April. I certainly have learned to pay attention while working though. I sure wouldnt want to walk right through its web while the spiders attached. Im sure that would wake him up. Me too I assume. :dizzy:

[brucec32]

This kind of thing is one reason (but not the only) that I have no love of heavy shrub trimming, spreading pinestraw, or anything that involves me getting down and dirty on the job. Critters! Be in a bad spider bite or a swarm of hornets, when you're solo they can put you out of business for a while. I have told customers with heavily overgrown shrubs before that I simply won't cut them back till cold weather arrives and I don't have to deal with them.

In between this risk and the risk of injury from heavy physical stuff and straining involved with some of it, it's just not worth the misery. I'll just mow more lawns to make up for the lost income. Even at $60/hour I consider it a nuisance that I do only when I have to to keep a profitable mowing account.

[Bryn]

As a PCO who deals with BR spiders on a daily basis, I suggest you do a search for BR and Rick Vetter. After Dr. King, Rick I would say Rick is one of the leading voices on the BR.

I would be very interested in knowing the name of the PCO and his company in Nashville who did the BR anti venom study. BR venom is a cytotoxin, meaning cell killing, while Black Widow is a Neurotoxin, affecting the nervous system.

Rick Vetter has a very interesting paper on a home in which 2000+ BR spiders where found in a 6 month period. He also has some interesting stories about mis-diganosed BR bites.

Some one showed a map of the BR range, Florida is not among it. This is not to say that BR may not live in FL, but they have not been documented yet. If you find what you think is a BR in Florida, then Rick would be very interested in IDing the spider for you. It might turn out that the map is wrong. Most times when a BR has been found out side of its known habitat, it has generally be transported into the area.

Best Regards