View Full Version : Anyone ever bitten by a Brown Recluse?
I was bitten this past monday, visited my NP early wednesday morning and was given a prescription of anti-biotics. Am now waiting to see if necrosis sets in. I understand this may take a week or more. Anyone else ever been bitten? If so how did if affect you and what else should I do?
It is in the crook of my elbow so I don't have a lot of flesh there to be removed if surgery is required.
I got bitten by one on my left heel in my sleep, and it sucked. I went to the doctor and got anti-biotics and it cleared up. Couldn't put a shoe on for about 1-1/2 weeks and it was quite painful. I had about a quarter size area the rotted away a bit, but it healed back fine. Good luck.
I got bit twice. Both times stuff Doc gave me worked just fine.
I saw a horrid scar on someone that decided to go against his doctors orders, so my suggestion would be to follow them to a tee! They are really common around here, and the two people I know that got bit and did what Doc said were fine. The other guy, not so much...
FromMyColdDeadHand
05-05-11, 22:59
. Am now waiting to see if necrosis sets in.
Dibs on shooting him if he turns into a zombie.
Dibs on shooting him if he turns into a zombie.
Me or the spider?:blink:
LowSpeed_HighDrag
05-05-11, 23:14
I had a bite on my calf from one a few years ago. Left a black rotten spot about the size of a half-dollar that oozed orange puss. Nasty stuff, but not too painful. Lasted for about 2 weeks.
D. Christopher
05-05-11, 23:40
Bitten twice. First time in 1998, on my right lower back just above the belt line. Didn't know what it was at first and it went untreated for nearly 6 days before I went to a clinic. When I saw the look in the doctor's eyes I knew I had a problem. They couldn't do much due to infection and swelling but they did inject antibiotics at 4 locations around the wound and referred me to a specialist. I didn't have insurance at the time and couldn't afford surgery so the doctor agreed to try and cut out all the necrosis under local though he recommended against it. It was the most intense, concentrated pain I have ever endured in my life. The doctor said I was lucky to have been bitten where I was and that if I had been bitten closer to my head or heart I would have been in serious trouble. Must have been a pretty good dose. I don't know if it was in my bed or in my clothes but it got me good. Today, nearly 13 years later I still have a divot and a rough, scaly patch of skin that itches and drives me crazy several times a day, every day.
The second bite happened about 2 years ago and I think I crushed the little bastard when I put both of my arms up on my desk. It bit me on the inside of my left arm right above the elbow. I felt a little something at the time but didn't realize it was a bite until the next day when the red spot appeared. I think I killed the spider before it could get off a good shot because while the bite was scary and painful for a week and almost made me go to the hospital, I was able to watch it carefully and deal with it myself. I do not recommend this approach to anyone. In retrospect both bites were accompanied by intense headaches and joint pain, and those were the first indications that I should have picked up on but missed.
If the doctor has seen it and you're on antibiotics, then keep a close eye on it and keep it clean and dry and you should be okay. Best of luck and I hope you crushed the little bastard before he was able to give you much of a dose.
Got bit at least once if not twice(once on the ass). Both times antibiotics with steroid cream. Both had some black nasty-ness that healed up eventually. have little scars where both bites occured.
PdxMotoxer
05-06-11, 04:40
Biten by a Brown Recluse (but turned out to be a hobo spider)
and like others said... follow doc's orders to a T and the skin around
it still turned black and pitted pretty bad and took a few months to heal
into yet another scar with a not very interesting story behind it.
Mine was small of the back to the right.
I had some script steroid cream but as i said still took months to heal.
Good Luck!!!
(like Dr House M.D. says... if it's wet, Keep it DRY... If it's dry, keep it wet.)
Did you see the spider that bit you? Necrosis from BR bites is rare and most people have another skin condition causing the problem. I see 4-5 people every day who think they were bitten by a spider, but actually have an abscess caused by a bacterial infection of the skin. This most often comes from MRSA which often has a necrotic center. If it is draining pus, red, and indurated then you have an abscess that needs to be drained. This is especially true if you or other household contacts have had similar wounds since MRSA colonizes the host and the colonization spreads among contacts.
Did you see the spider that bit you? Necrosis from BR bites is rare and most people have another skin condition causing the problem. I see 4-5 people every day who think they were bitten by a spider, but actually have an abscess caused by a bacterial infection of the skin. This most often comes from MRSA which often has a necrotic center. If it is draining pus, red, and indurated then you have an abscess that needs to be drained. This is especially true if you or other household contacts have had similar wounds since MRSA colonizes the host and the colonization spreads among contacts.
I am 99.9% sure it was a BR, although I didn't acutally see it. The house we live in has somewhat of an infestation. Two summers ago we were helping to finish the third floor. We put up the walls, (log home), ran the final wiring, sanded and sealed the wood walls and ceilings. We would see 5-6 a day on many occasions. I was curious as to what kind of spiders we were seeing so I started researching it. I postiviely identified nearly everyone of them as BR's. My father-in-law, who lives on the lower floor, uses firewood stored in an attached room on the lower floor (natural wood, covered with bark). We still see 1-3 a week, still positively identified as BR's. I was bitten this past monday, I became curious about a BR bite on tuesday and called my wife from work to research it. It turns out I had some phase of every symptom listed. The research said the necrosis starts 1-2 weeks after the bite. I visited my NP on wednesday morning who prescribed an antibiotic. She felt the anitbiotics would take care of the bite and didn't prescrib any creams. I have a tube of cream left over from a tick bite last year. I may need to start using that cream as well.
It sounds like you may be a doctor, if so, any other advice I should follow. I was bitten in the crook of my elbow and don't have a lot of flesh to lose here.
I'm no doctor, but I've been around enough of these bites to know a thing or two.
1) Do not apply heat to the area, especially if the tissue around the wound has already begun to deteriorate.
2) Do not apply hydrocortisone creams to the affected area.
What I recommend is to see your doctor as soon as possible. There are things the doc can prescribe that will allow you to recover from the bite a bit quicker. Benadryl prescriptions generally help for the burning/itching, and if the wound has begun to show signs of necrosis, there is a patch that can be prescribed that will help heal once the doc has removed the dead tissue.
As someone else mentioned, be alert for MRSA however, as the spider bite could be what is known as a distracting injury.
Get well.
H
One bit me on my right cheeck (no, not on my face...:p) about twenty years ago in Texas. For days it felt like I had a burning silver dollar under my skin. The necrosis never progressed beyond a dark reddih/purple ring and it eventually went away.
I am 99.9% sure it was a BR, although I didn't acutally see it. The house we live in has somewhat of an infestation. Two summers ago we were helping to finish the third floor. We put up the walls, (log home), ran the final wiring, sanded and sealed the wood walls and ceilings. We would see 5-6 a day on many occasions. I was curious as to what kind of spiders we were seeing so I started researching it. I postiviely identified nearly everyone of them as BR's. My father-in-law, who lives on the lower floor, uses firewood stored in an attached room on the lower floor (natural wood, covered with bark). We still see 1-3 a week, still positively identified as BR's. I was bitten this past monday, I became curious about a BR bite on tuesday and called my wife from work to research it. It turns out I had some phase of every symptom listed. The research said the necrosis starts 1-2 weeks after the bite. I visited my NP on wednesday morning who prescribed an antibiotic. She felt the anitbiotics would take care of the bite and didn't prescrib any creams. I have a tube of cream left over from a tick bite last year. I may need to start using that cream as well.
It sounds like you may be a doctor, if so, any other advice I should follow. I was bitten in the crook of my elbow and don't have a lot of flesh to lose here.
I am an emergency physician and the good news is that you will probably be fine without any treatment other than Motrin and topical Bacitracin or Neosporin cream. Significant necrosis is rare and there is no evidence to support many of the prescribed treatment such as Dapsone and antibiotics (provided that the wound does not show evidence of an infection). Some people have mentioned wound debridement or excision, but this practice has been abandoned as some limited studies have shown that cutting on BR bites actually inhibits wound healing. I've seen hyperbaric therapy used in extreme cases, but you are no where near that stage if you are reading this message. I bet you will be just fine with the Motrin, topical Bacitracin and twice daily dressing changes. The first 2 weeks will suck, but remember that pain is the sensation of weakness leaving you body. You have problems if you have redness spreading from the wound, purulent drainage, fever, etc.
I got bit on the top of my foot by a brown recluse that decided to crawl into my bunker pants and down into my boot about seven years ago. I put my foot into the boot for a call and apparently got bit, although I don't remember feeling the actual bite.
I got off shift the next day and went home and mowed the yard. The next morning my foot felt a little stiff, and I noticed what I assumed was a fire ant bite on top of my foot...a really huge fire ant bite with a reddish head and large, angry, warm, red circle around it that continued to grow. Foot proceeded to get very sore over the course of the day and began to hurt.
I limped back into work the third day and had show and tell. The bite looked remarkably like the one in a rookie's paramedic book (just like it did in my old book, but I wanted a few second opinions), so off I go to the City doc. I ended up with an orthodedic surgeon who put me on antibiotics and return for daily debridings and flushings for four or five days.
It was nasty...I changed the packing on my own between debridings and for about a week after. It healed over the course of about a month but left a pretty good scar. Treatment appears to have changed over the past few years, but I wouldn't mess with it.
Grayling14
05-10-11, 05:21
Sorry all. I had some great pictures of the necrotic effects of a BR bite that a family member had sent to me in an e-mail. I realized after the fact that they may not be public domain. Better safe than sorry, so I deleted them.
I was bitten near my hip by one of those bastards. It was quite an ordeal, due to the low fat content on my hip. I went to an old country doctor who gave me a Z-Pack and told me to soak it in hot epson salt after the necrosis set in; then to get tweezers or needle nose pliers and pull the rotten flesh plug out of it. After about a week, it looked like I had a quarter size bowl of queso on my hip with a black edge and red rings around that. I did what she recommended and pulled the rotten flesh out and I had a perfect hole, no more than an inch deep, which was funny looking. It was a little sore to the touch for a couple weeks, but healed up nicely. Have fun!
Rob Haught
05-10-11, 08:20
After arriving home last year from South Africa, my wife noticed a red mark just above the belt line on my back. It got the trademark ring and black center of a spider bite and I went to the Urgent Care in our town. It was diagnosed as a spider bite and I was given an antibiotic. In two days with no relief I went to family Doc who had also traveled in Africa and she called some specialists who determined that it was probably a Fiddleback bite. A close relative of the BR and also that the original prescription was not right. A change in meds and after a couple days I started to see improvement. I had fevers and chills for the first few days after I got home and it was nasty. Took a couple weeks before I was back 100%.
Never knew when I was bitten, could have even been on the plane ride home for all I know. Still have the scar.
Rob
Bionic Dead
05-12-11, 10:34
My pitbull sat on one in my basement a few years ago and a quarter sized area of skin came off of his sack. We got some cream from the vet, and it heeled up in a bout a month. He is a fawn colored dog and the fur that grew back in the area of the bite turned black:blink:
Just thought I'd throw that out there
ArRazorback
05-12-11, 13:31
As said above, if you follow the doc's orders, it should turn out just fine. Not seeking treatment seems to be where people get into trouble. Last week I was in the back of a court room when it came up that the defendant had a spider bite. The judge immediately recessed and ordered the woman to go straight to the ER around the corner.
Later, he told that his sister nearly lost her hand due to complications from a brown recluse bite that went untreated for too long.
Rob Haught
05-12-11, 15:57
My pitbull sat on one in my basement a few years ago and a quarter sized area of skin came off of his sack. We got some cream from the vet, and it heeled up in a bout a month. He is a fawn colored dog and the fur that grew back in the area of the bite turned black:blink:
Just thought I'd throw that out there
Who put the cream on?:laugh:
This one damn near got me today. Not a Brown Recluse, but a Black Widow.
I was wearing a good thick leather work glove.
Definitely watch for the small creepy crawlies.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/Tim_Orrock/Bugs/2011-05-12_16-33-42_789.jpg
My pitbull sat on one in my basement a few years ago and a quarter sized area of skin came off of his sack. We got some cream from the vet, and it heeled up in a bout a month. He is a fawn colored dog and the fur that grew back in the area of the bite turned black:blink:
Just thought I'd throw that out there
Damn...blackballed.
Have done very well after this bite. Only have a small scar about 1/8 inch across.
I have another question, will this bite help me build resistance to future bites?
A friend of the family was bitten 2 years ago by a brown recluse. She was misdiagnosed and went into a coma overnight and died. If there is one thing I don't like, it's creepy crawly shit.
I was in Africa for the last month and my first week there I got malaria. Fortunately I kicked it quick with the meds.
A friend of the family was bitten 2 years ago by a brown recluse. She was misdiagnosed and went into a coma overnight and died. If there is one thing I don't like, it's creepy crawly shit.
I was in Africa for the last month and my first week there I got malaria. Fortunately I kicked it quick with the meds.
Sorry to here that IG, sometimes it's hard to understand why such things happen.
A close friend of mine is a Viet Nam vet, he got malaria while there. He had told me that it returns every year but decreases in severity each time. He said he no longer knows if the malaria has returned or if he simply has a cold. Hopefully todays meds are much better.
BTW, I just killed the biggest B recluse today I've ever seen. Fortunately it was in the sink in the shop building an not in the house.
This one damn near got me today. Not a Brown Recluse, but a Black Widow.
I was wearing a good thick leather work glove.
Definitely watch for the small creepy crawlies.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/Tim_Orrock/Bugs/2011-05-12_16-33-42_789.jpg
If it makes everyone feel better, an arachnologist can find a Black Widow in just about any house in every state. Sleep tight! :)
Logicalpath
06-12-11, 23:04
Anyone know the anti-biotic prescribed for this?
Anyone know the anti-biotic prescribed for this?
I don't know how much experience my NP has with this or what guidelines they follow but she prescribed DOXYCYCLINE HYCLATE 100mg. I was also told to use Neosporin on the bite site.
If it makes everyone feel better, an arachnologist can find a Black Widow in just about any house in every state. Sleep tight! :)
Never heard that.
Anyone know the anti-biotic prescribed for this?
Although oral antibiotics are frequently prescribed, there is no real evidence that they improve outcomes. I generally reserve them for people who have impaired immune systems (i.e. diabetics) - especially if the bite is on the foot or hand. I'd also use them if there is evidence of an infection such as surrounding/streaking redness, fever, or purulent drainage.
Reasonable options for treatment of an active infection should cover skin flora which is usually Strep and Staph. If there is no evidence of infection and the bite is on the foot, I generally would start with Keflex which covers most of the common bugs except MRSA. Patients who demonstrate an active cellulitis that is mild would get Keflex + Bactrim to cover for MRSA. Doxycyclin and clindamycin are reasonable alternatives to Bactrim in persons with sulfa allergy, but there is growing MRSA resistance to these. Patients with severe symptoms, diabetics with foot infections after the bite, etc. get admitted for IV antibiotics. Some people have mentioned Z-packs in the thread, but this would be a poor choice since azithromycin has poor coverage of skin flora.
Keep in mind that antibiotics for these bites is largely voodoo. Wound excision is now considered to be counterproductive unless there is an abscess that needs to be drained (which should call into question the accuracy of BR bite as the diagnosis).
I got bit 4 summers ago. My wife a nurse (GF at the time) told me to see a doctor. Since I didn't have insurance I did not go. After about 48 hours the bite on my inner thigh turned into a pear sized dark welt (I could barely bend down it hurt so bad). I called my grandmother and asked her what old home remedies take care of poisonous spider bites. She told me to saute an onion, and wrap the hot onion on the bite. After about 4 hours and 2 applications of hot onion, the welt turned into a crater/scar about the size of a half dollar. I still have it to this day. I had no idea at the time but apperantly hot onion will suck the poison out. Yes I know this sounds crazy, but shit it worked.
I got bit by one on my pinky finger. I was in the Army in AIT at the time. I went to bed feeling fine. When I woke up I noticed my pinky finger felt funny. I looked down and the whole finger was black and about 3 times the normal size. The CQ went pale when he asked why I needed to go to the hospital and I showed him. I went to the hospital, they gave me a shot and some pills and sent me on my way. The finger is fine now.
I had a neighbor that was bitten and went to the doctor with no problems later on. Another neighbor was bitten and let it go for a while. It turned out pretty nasty. Follow the doc's orders and you should be good.
I am 99.9% sure it was a BR, although I didn't acutally see it. The house we live in has somewhat of an infestation. Two summers ago we were helping to finish the third floor. We put up the walls, (log home), ran the final wiring, sanded and sealed the wood walls and ceilings. We would see 5-6 a day on many occasions. I was curious as to what kind of spiders we were seeing so I started researching it. I postiviely identified nearly everyone of them as BR's. My father-in-law, who lives on the lower floor, uses firewood stored in an attached room on the lower floor (natural wood, covered with bark). We still see 1-3 a week, still positively identified as BR's. I was bitten this past monday, I became curious about a BR bite on tuesday and called my wife from work to research it. It turns out I had some phase of every symptom listed. The research said the necrosis starts 1-2 weeks after the bite. I visited my NP on wednesday morning who prescribed an antibiotic. She felt the anitbiotics would take care of the bite and didn't prescrib any creams. I have a tube of cream left over from a tick bite last year. I may need to start using that cream as well.
It sounds like you may be a doctor, if so, any other advice I should follow. I was bitten in the crook of my elbow and don't have a lot of flesh to lose here.
Ok, I'll say it.
1) Kill it with fire.
2) MOVE THE **** OUT
Get better man, I hate creepy crawly shit.
I used to work in a jail which had an infestation of BR Recluse spiders. The standard treatment was applying axel grease to the bite. This had a placebo effect and made the inmate feel better.
Get better man, I hate creepy crawly shit.
Thanks, as it turns out I did not have a terribly severe reaction. I had flu like symptons for three or four days then began to recover. Thankfuly I had no necrosis. A co-worker of mine was bitten a few years back. He got very sick that day and the next was in emergency surgery, he now has a baseball size scar in his kidney area.
Here's a suprising tid bit, my older brother had asked me awhile back what a BR looks like. About two months ago I caught one in a small glass bowl, about the size of an ashe tray and capped it with a plastic lid that seals very tight (air tight) and gave it to him. Two months later and that little SOB is still alive.
Nuke the site from orbit, it's the only way to be sure.:sarcastic:
Paraclete comes
12-26-11, 17:05
I got bit twice while out in the field. Got a pretty good hole, well two in the right hip area toward the back. Pretty much rotted two holes out and was fairly nasty. But never went to the doc and it ended up being just fine.
Although oral antibiotics are frequently prescribed, there is no real evidence that they improve outcomes. I generally reserve them for people who have impaired immune systems (i.e. diabetics) - especially if the bite is on the foot or hand. I'd also use them if there is evidence of an infection such as surrounding/streaking redness, fever, or purulent drainage.
Reasonable options for treatment of an active infection should cover skin flora which is usually Strep and Staph. If there is no evidence of infection and the bite is on the foot, I generally would start with Keflex which covers most of the common bugs except MRSA. Patients who demonstrate an active cellulitis that is mild would get Keflex + Bactrim to cover for MRSA. Doxycyclin and clindamycin are reasonable alternatives to Bactrim in persons with sulfa allergy, but there is growing MRSA resistance to these. Patients with severe symptoms, diabetics with foot infections after the bite, etc. get admitted for IV antibiotics. Some people have mentioned Z-packs in the thread, but this would be a poor choice since azithromycin has poor coverage of skin flora.
Keep in mind that antibiotics for these bites is largely voodoo. Wound excision is now considered to be counterproductive unless there is an abscess that needs to be drained (which should call into question the accuracy of BR bite as the diagnosis).
Good info Doc. Thanks.
After arriving home last year from South Africa, my wife noticed a red mark just above the belt line on my back. It got the trademark ring and black center of a spider bite and I went to the Urgent Care in our town. It was diagnosed as a spider bite and I was given an antibiotic. In two days with no relief I went to family Doc who had also traveled in Africa and she called some specialists who determined that it was probably a Fiddleback bite. A close relative of the BR and also that the original prescription was not right. A change in meds and after a couple days I started to see improvement. I had fevers and chills for the first few days after I got home and it was nasty. Took a couple weeks before I was back 100%.
Never knew when I was bitten, could have even been on the plane ride home for all I know. Still have the scar.
Rob
I got the same thing while working in Zululand, we all did... but it was a tick .... Tickbite Fever. My partner had 2 spots rot out on him and he was twice as sick as I was. We would have tick checks 3-4 times a day and pull off hundreds of pepper size ticks tucked in nooks in crannies, but mostly just below the belt line. It looked like a belt of ticks.
Ok, I'll say it.
1) Kill it with fire.
2) MOVE THE **** OUT
Get better man, I hate creepy crawly shit.
Seems a tad extreme....but I frickin' hate spiders almost as much as I hate walking face first into a spider web in the woods. Did it once while trying to quietly move to the deerstand with a buddy.... I pretty much blew the whole quietly thing but my buddy thought it was the funniest thing he had ever seen in his life!
Scotter260
12-29-11, 14:08
10 years ago I moved into an apartment and woke up the morning of the second day to find a cluster of three large bites on my shin. Shortly after both ankles became huge with the one on that leg being the largest. I also could hardly move, my joints ached so badly. Nothing odd about the bites other than they were large and red, didn't do much else.
Saw an asshat doctor who said I had congestive heart failure ("that's why your ankles are swollen") and discounted the bites when I told him about them. I told him over the phone that he was full of shit. Wasn't prescribed anything, well, except for him wanting to test me further for my congestive heart failure :rolleyes:, and it went away after a couple of weeks.
Not sure if it was a brown recluse as I don't believe they're usually this far north but many of the symptoms sure seemed to fit.
The Hobo Spider which is related to the BR and is also poisonous is VERY common in the North. When I lived in MT there were 100s of them in my basement and they creeped thru the house. Drove me nuts as I really hate spiders. I killed several hundred in one go that were under my dog's outside dog house. They seem to be impervious to cold. This could be what got your leg.
got bit as a kid, 8 or 10 years old. never knew i got bit until maybe 2 weeks later i had what appeared as a white pimple. maybe week after that it expanded out into a puss filled hole on the outside of my leg, below my knee.
my parents took me to the ER when they realized the wound was not getting better. the doc took a sample of the material, came back and said it was a BR bite.
numbed up my leg, took a scalpel and cut out all the necrotic flesh. hurt like hell even with novacain. deep hole.
after surgery the skin had to be left open to heal. the hole was too big/deep to stitch closed. took several weeks for the skin to fill in the hole.
doc said another week and they would have had to take my leg off so that the toxin wouldn't get my heart. close one.
freakin' little beasts.
Got bit years ago and will never forget the hole that was in my leg. Still have the memory of my thigh being the size of a large watermelon.
Even with a local, that shit still hurt when they cut away and scrubbed the at the dead meat. I consider myself lucky that it wasnt any worse than that.
Needless to say, I hate spiders.
My sister was a couple years back - on the toe. Minor sluffing and severe swelling but the meds took care of it in about 3 weeks. She did say it was pretty painful for the duration of the swelling.
Many people have written experiences about their suspected BR bites that strongly suggest an alternative diagnosis. They have also mentioned treatment recommendations that contradict modern guidelines.
First, BR bites are rather rare and most suspected spider bites are actually soft tissue infections. Most of these infections are abscesses (collections of pus) caused by strains of Staph bacteria. MRSA (Methicillin-Resistent Staph Aureus) has become the most common infectious cause of these abscesses. The distinguishing feature of an abscess in significant amounts of pus which is not seen in BR bites. Instead, BR bites result in necrotic tissue that does not require drainage or excision. In fact, cutting on these wounds is CONTRAINDICATED and results in worse outcomes. This is important since the treatment of choice for an abscess is incision and drainage. In addition, there is NO evidence that antibiotics improve outcomes which is intuitive since a BR bite is not an infectious process. Simple wound care with dressing changes, topical Bacitracin or Neosporin, and analgesia is all the is necessary except in rare instances.
Unless you actually saw a spider bite you, it is doubtful that any wound was caused by a BR.
Many people have written experiences about their suspected BR bites that strongly suggest an alternative diagnosis. They have also mentioned treatment recommendations that contradict modern guidelines.
First, BR bites are rather rare and most suspected spider bites are actually soft tissue infections. Most of these infections are abscesses (collections of pus) caused by strains of Staph bacteria. MRSA (Methicillin-Resistent Staph Aureus) has become the most common infectious cause of these abscesses. The distinguishing feature of an abscess in significant amounts of pus which is not seen in BR bites. Instead, BR bites result in necrotic tissue that does not require drainage or excision. In fact, cutting on these wounds is CONTRAINDICATED and results in worse outcomes. This is important since the treatment of choice for an abscess is incision and drainage. In addition, there is NO evidence that antibiotics improve outcomes which is intuitive since a BR bite is not an infectious process. Simple wound care with dressing changes, topical Bacitracin or Neosporin, and analgesia is all the is necessary except in rare instances.
Unless you actually saw a spider bite you, it is doubtful that any wound was caused by a BR.
Since I have been bitten by a BR and the outcome was not very bad at all, do you have any idea how I would react to another bite. Would I have a stronger resistance or a more severe reaction? I ask because a young man near here died from a bite from a Copperhead, but he had been bitten a few years ealier and had a severe reaction to the second one that took his life. I have often wondered about this situation.
Seems a tad extreme....but I frickin' hate spiders almost as much as I hate walking face first into a spider web in the woods. Did it once while trying to quietly move to the deerstand with a buddy.... I pretty much blew the whole quietly thing but my buddy thought it was the funniest thing he had ever seen in his life!
I only advocate moving out since he mentioned his cabin is "infested" with BR. ****. THAT.
Same to the hundreds of hobo spiders guy.
If I lived in a place that had regular appearances of poisonous spiders, I would burn that mother****er down.
I HATE creepy crawly shit.
Since I have been bitten by a BR and the outcome was not very bad at all, do you have any idea how I would react to another bite. Would I have a stronger resistance or a more severe reaction? I ask because a young man near here died from a bite from a Copperhead, but he had been bitten a few years ealier and had a severe reaction to the second one that took his life. I have often wondered about this situation.
The phenomenon that you describe with the copperhead bite is called anaphylaxis. The unfortunate person's immune system was exposed to proteins in the venom and became "primed" after the first bite. This involves large numbers of inflammatory cells (mostly mast cells) having antibody "receptors" (IgE) specific to that protein in the venom that wait for a subsequent exposure. The second bite results in the protein binding to the preformed antibody receptors which results in the mast cells dumping massive amounts of inflammatory chemicals such as histamine. Histamine shuts down the lungs, cardiovascular system, etc. Basically, victims of anaphylaxis die from their own body's exaggerated immune response rather than any direct effect from the poison. For example, certain proteins in peanuts can cause anaphylaxis in succeptable people.
While people's immune system can be "desensitized" thru repeated micro exposures, this is a risky process for people succeptable to anaphylaxis. People (who are not succeptable to anaphylaxis) can also develope protective antibodies to toxic components of venom. This antibodies bind to toxic molecules in venom and neutralizes them much the same way that anti-venom works. However, this also takes repeated, small exposures before any measurable protective effect is appreciated. Thus, you are likely to suffer a similar mild effect from another BR bite provided that you are not one of those rare cases who is prone to anaphylaxis.
To OP
I have been in the Pest Control Industry for 18 years. If in fact you got bit in your home I HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you have your home treated by a professional pest control company.
By their nature spiders are very difficult to control. They don't absorb many residual pesticides well. The only one I have found is a product called Demand CS. It has an active ingredient of Lamda-Cyhalothrin. It works fairly well. Sticky traps are effective also because BR spiders are hunters and mobile.
I will warn you that you should expect to pay around $40-$50 a month for a good company but it is well worth it.
To OP
I have been in the Pest Control Industry for 18 years. If in fact you got bit in your home I HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you have your home treated by a professional pest control company.
By their nature spiders are very difficult to control. They don't absorb many residual pesticides well. The only one I have found is a product called Demand CS. It has an active ingredient of Lamda-Cyhalothrin. It works fairly well. Sticky traps are effective also because BR spiders are hunters and mobile.
I will warn you that you should expect to pay around $40-$50 a month for a good company but it is well worth it.
Thanks for the recommendation, we use sticky traps and they work well. It has definitely reduced their numbers. However, as far as pesticides, we have two dogs in the house. What effect might these pesticides have on them?
Dibs on shooting him if he turns into a zombie.
That's awesome.
Thanks for the recommendation, we use sticky traps and they work well. It has definitely reduced their numbers. However, as far as pesticides, we have two dogs in the house. What effect might these pesticides have on them?
I would just recommend having your dogs outside or crated while the Pest Tech does treatment and until it dries. Will not harm the dogs. This product is a low odor material. Most folks do not even smell it at all. The rate it is applied at is .06%. So it is a very small amount of material.
I bet it's an awesome accelerant too when you finally decide burning your house down is the only real option.
lengthofpull
01-05-12, 10:42
I bet it's an awesome accelerant too when you finally decide burning your house down is the only real option.
This is my favorite non-firearm related quote on m4c. I laughed so hard scrambled eggs came out of my nose.
The Hobo Spider which is related to the BR and is also poisonous is VERY common in the North. When I lived in MT there were 100s of them in my basement and they creeped thru the house. Drove me nuts as I really hate spiders. I killed several hundred in one go that were under my dog's outside dog house. They seem to be impervious to cold. This could be what got your leg.
Sounds like you need to set your thermostat on about 75 degrees for a couple weeks and unleash a couple dozen geckos in your house. When I lived in Hawaii the only bug I really had to control was theneighbors cockroaches, only because they were too big for the geckos to eat. Ants and spiders were no contest.
Sounds like you need to set your thermostat on about 75 degrees for a couple weeks and unleash a couple dozen geckos in your house. When I lived in Hawaii the only bug I really had to control was theneighbors cockroaches, only because they were too big for the geckos to eat. Ants and spiders were no contest.
This ends with having to unleash a few Bengal Tigers to kill the thing you unleashed to kill the thing you unleashed to kill the thing you unleashed to kill the thing you unleashed to kill the geckos you unleashed to kill the spiders.
But seriously, that would likely work. I'd rather have lizards than spiders.
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