In horror movies, tarantulas and black widow spiders made frequent appearances, but it’s the brown recluse that gives me a real-life jump scare.
According to the National Institute of Medicine, brown recluse spiders are found mostly in the south, west, and Midwest areas. They are usually in dark areas such as under rocks, in the bark of dead trees, attics, basements, cupboards, drawers, boxes, or bedsheets. In other words, if you are doing some projects around the house this summer, you might encounter them.
The brown recluse spider is not aggressive but will bite anyone if it feels threatened, such as if you disturb it’s home, even unintentionally. A bite from these spiders will not be instantly noticed because their bite is painless. Yet Healthline reports that the venom of the brown recluse spider is more toxic than that of a rattlesnake. The Cleveland Clinic notes that while the bite may not be immediately apparent, the area of the bite typically becomes sensitive and red within three to eight hours. Then the bite site can change color. It can have a bullseye look or can bruise and have a blueish color. Blisters and ulcers can then result, depending on how much tissue was affected. The majority of brown recluse bites will heal after three weeks if the bite is not severe. Seeking treatment at the first sign of a brown recluse bite will ease recovery time.
Avoid bites by wearing gloves when moving wood and shaking clothing and shoes before wearing them.
Resources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537045/
https://www.healthline.com/health/brown-recluse-bite-stageshttps://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22946-brown-recluse-spider-bite
