Brown Recluse Advise?

[Bulletdance]

Last week I discovered I had been bitten 5 times by a venomous spider. I have nerve problems so where I do think the bite happened outside I can't be sure as when I felt something I just assumed it was my nerves again. I didn't even look >_< When I saw the bites I didn't really think much of them, but my sis saw and said since they had lines coming from them it was venom and I had to go to the dr right away. Some antibiotics later I feel just fine and the bites are mostly gone, but I discovered we have brown recluse living in the garden. I have killed one in the house,but it was maybe a year ago. We have an exterminator coming out, but I'm growing more fearful at night when I try to sleep. I was wondering if anyone had any advice on this. I've checked around the house and have not found any, but I was wondering if anyone has had dealings with these spiders and knew the best places to check or the best way to avoid getting bit again.

[Makoes]

Chestnuts scattered around the house act like a natural deterant for spiders. Get a bunch, spread them around the rooms (along the walls, in corners, by doors, etc)

[Boven]

While I can't offer any advice for keeping spiders out, I can say it doesn't sound like it was a brown recluse that got you.

I've known a few folk who've been bitten by them and they all mentioned getting an itchy painful blister where they were bit. A few days or a week later, it'd develop into an ulcer.

[Bulletdance]

thanks guys, yeah I wasn't 100% sure if it was a brown recluse or not I was concerned though since I've seen them around in the garden. I did figure it would be a lot worse I saw some pics online that looked like mine and some that looked a million times worse. I can't wait for the exterminator to come lol

[Kirrandria]

I actually took the time to study a bit about brown recluse when a friend of mine managed to capture one in her room and we looked to see what it was and why it was there. Lemme see...

Brown recluse are unlike a lot of spiders in that rather than having sticky hairs on their legs, they have hook-like claws at the end of their feet. This means that they can't climb completely smooth, vertical surfaces, so if you find one you can always try to trap it in a smooth plastic container or a glass. They can still climb anything that's even slightly uneven, though, so it might be hard to find a good enough container.

Recluses also happen to be generally laid back spiders, and they rarely bite people. The time they're most likely to bite a person is when they feel trapped, and usually that's when they've found their way into someone's clothes. Just make sure to not to put on any clothes that have been lying around on the floor without checking them first, and the edges of bedsheets aren't lying on the floor, and the chances of being bitten by a brown recluse are suddenly very reduced.

And lastly, brown recluse bites aren't always as dangerous as their reputation says. Some people barely have a reaction, and those who do do often heal without the bite even scarring. Many "brown recluse bites" are likely infections and skin conditions mislabeled as a bite. There are also no documented cases of anyone dying from a proven recluse bite, either. I've actually been bitten by one myself (Felt a sting on my side, looked at it, and saw a brown spider scurry out from my shirt. Freaked me right out!) and stupidly didn't get any medical attention, but I turned out fine. Like Boven's sources have claimed, the bite developed into a sort of red blister, my skin was puffy and both itched and stung a good bit, but it ended up healing before it ever developed into an ulcer. Granted, I didn't realize it was a recluse at the time. I only did a couple of days later when I found the spider in the same room and got a better look at it. Don't follow my example though, and if you suspect you've been bitten by anything, recluse or otherwise, and notice you suddenly have a painful or itchy mark on you, then definitely get it looked at right away, but there also is little reason to panic.

[Rawr]

Brown Recluse are common in some parts of AZ, I see them and Fiddle Backs in barns often. Brown Recluse bites normally mean you get the area cut out as the flesh rots fast.

Yeah, so get rid of them fast. I hear using a tazer on the bite helps, also works with Rattle snake bites.

[Glassdragon]

Get rid of them and be careful!

A member of another game forum I go to got bit on his finger while he slept and his bite turned into Necrotizing fasciitis - flesh eating disease. Below is the original post and his pictures are still up.

Definitely makes me want to kill all of them I see - and I even like spiders!



"hfingers
01-25-2008, 03:32 PM
Updated April 29th
from a spider bite that turned into a flesh eating bacterial infection. 4 surgeries and crazy amounts of antibiotics. It was a life threating bacterial infection and i had between a 106.2 and 104 tempature for 2 days. Scary shit. I just got a few pics from my daughter, check them out.

Link to bacterial infection.
Necrotizing fasciitis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necrotizing_fasciitis)

Link to the bastard spider.
Brown recluse spider - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_recluse_spider)

http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii23 ... 081802.jpg
Within 36 hours of the bite but after they lanced all of the blisters.

http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii23 ... 81140a.jpg
After 4 surgeries to physically remove deep tissue that was infected.

I have to have surgery again to graft skin from hip to the back of my hand. Then total reconstructive surgery to my finger(multiple surgeries) if it can be saved. I have no feeling in my middle finger on the top side of it but i do have some feeling on the bottom side.(palm side)


I will throw up some more pics as i get them from people. GREAT start to the new yerr. :cheers:

http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii23 ... 081140.jpg
Another pic after surgery.

*edit: updated pic's

Feb 7
http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii23 ... 207002.jpg

http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii23 ... 207001.jpg

Still nasty but coming along. The skin on the back of my hand grew in itself, so need for a graft there. The human body is amazing.

*Updated pics as of April 7th

http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii23 ... -07001.jpg
They have to break my finger and straighten it out. Then do a skin graft on top.

http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii23 ... -07002.jpg


http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii23 ... -07006.jpg

Update: April 29th

They have given 4 options at this point. All 4 are different ways of cutting my finger off. They cant save it at all. I wish they would have done this months ago, it would have saved me alot of pain."