Brown Recluse and Black Widow Spiders

In the United States, we have only two spiders that are known to have potentially fatal bites when they bit a human. Those two spiders are the brown recluse spider and the black widow spider. Knowing what the spiders look like and what to do in the event that you or someone you know is bitten can save a life.

According to www.brown-recluse.com , the brown recluse spider gets its name because of its color and its behavior. It is yellowish-tan to dark brown in color. It has a distinctive fiddle or violin shape on its back. Sometimes, the brown recluse spider is called a “fiddle back” or a “violin spider” because of the mark. A brown recluse spider commonly hides in dark, secluded places. Common places to find a brown recluse spider would be in a dark attic, a brush pile, a wood pile, or in a dark part of a garage. They are most active at night.

Indoors, a brown recluse spider will seek refuge in a warm, dry place. Typically, if a brown recluse spider is indoors, they can be found in shoes, inside dressers, in a shower or bathtub, underneath furniture, in bed sheets, boxes, and stacks of clothing, behind pictures or furniture, in closets, storage sheds, garages, basements, in a pile of firewood, and near furnaces and hot water heaters. You should always check these areas for spiders.

The brown recluse spider will often feed on cockroaches and other insects. These spiders do not spin webs to catch their prey, they hunt their prey. When a brown recluse catches their prey, they will bite them and wait while the venom takes effect before eating them. The venom in a brown recluse can easily paralyze their prey, making escape impossible.

In a human, the brown recluse bite can cause rapid deterioration of the tissue and nerves at the site of the bite. The damage can spread if the bite is not treated. Most people are bit by accidental contact with the spider, and the bite will often go unnoticed until the person notices swelling in the area of the bite. If you think that you may have been bitten by a brown recluse, first, look at the site. If it is a brown recluse bite, you will see two tiny, but distinctive fang marks in the area. If you believe that you have been bitten by a brown recluse, and you don’t notice any fang marks, take precaution anyway.

The black widow spider is another spider whose bite can be potentially fatal to a human. A black widow spider is black in color. The female black widow spiders have a distinctive hour-glass shape on their abdomen. They hour-glass shape can vary in color from white to yellow, to orange, and most commonly, red. The younger the spider, the brighter the markings.

According to www.newworldencyclopedia.org , the black widow spider does spin a web to catch its prey. Once their prey is trapped, they quickly come out to wrap their prey tightly in the web, then; it will bite the prey to administer their venom. The venom takes about ten minutes to take effect, and while they are waiting, the black widow will continue to hold on to their prey so it cannot escape. When the prey finally stops moving, the black widow will release digestive enzymes into the wound to prepare the prey for eating. The black widow will not eat their prey immediately; rather, they take their prey to their hiding place to save it for future consumption.

The venom in a black widow spider is 15 times more potent than that of a rattlesnake. It has also been reported as being more potent than the venom of a cobra or coral snake. The bite itself does not sting, nut it may feel like being stung. The black widow only needs to inject a small amount of venom to have fatal effects.

The venom of a black widow spider attacks the nervous system and even a small amount of venom can cause a human to become paralyzed. Often, a person does not know they have been bitten until they notice swelling in the area of the bite. As with the brown recluse, a black widow bite will have two distinctive fang marks.

A black widow spider can be found in the same places that a brown recluse spider can. It is important to check those areas for spiders to avoid getting bit. If you check the area and do not see two fang marks, seek medical help anyway, just as a precaution.

If you think you or someone you know has been bitten by a brown recluse or black widow spider, it is important to act quickly. According to the American Red Cross, you should first wash the wound with soap and water. This cleans the area and makes it easier to check for fang marks. Apply a cold compress to the site to help minimize swelling. Call 9-1-1 or your local emergency number. Tell them what has happened, and they will give you further instructions to follow. If you have it, give the person anti-venom. This is a medication that blocks the effects of a spider’s venom on the body. Seek medical attention if you have not already been instructed to do so. Even if you have administered an anti-venom, it is important to have a doctor check the person for potentially fatal conditions.

The best solution to avoid being bitten by a brown recluse or black widow spider is to keep them away. Spray pesticide around your house, including in crack and crevices around windows, and eves. Try not to have brush piled up in your yard and only keep what wood you need.

Prevention is the best way to protect yourself and others from potentially fatal spider bites. If you are bitten, know how to handle the situation. As in all emergency situations, the most important thing to do is to act.