Deadly Bugs: Brown Recluse & Fiddleback Spiders
The Brown Recluse is a small, but very poisonous spider identified by the violin-shaped area on the back of the head, with the base of the violin pointing to the head and the stem pointing to the abdomen. The Fiddleback Spider is a nearly identical species that is equally poisonous.
DID YOU KNOW?
All spiders have fangs! And, yes, they almost all have venom in them. Lucky for us, most spider poison will not harm people because it is quite weak. Most spiders use their venom to paralyze its insect victim long enough to devour it. For other spiders, their poison is strong enough to kill their prey. Of course, this also comes in handy when being attacked by a predator.
People usually associate Tarantulas with the people-killing kind of poison. This is untrue. They have small poison glands and will be about as painful as a hornet or bee sting.
Where it lurks - The Brown Recluse is an indoor spider that likes to build webs behind or beneath furniture and appliances, and in the corners of closets. They are commonly found in shoes and clothes that have not been worn for awhile, and in folded bedding that has been stored in a closet. Most people are bit putting on shoes or clothes that have not been recently worn. To avoid being bitten, shake out shoes and clothes before putting them on.
How serious is the bite? - The Brown Recluse bite does not normally result in death. However, about 3 times as many people in the U.S. have died from Brown Recluse bites as have died from Black Widow bites. Because of this fact, and because of the long-lasting damage that often results from a bite, Brown Recluse are the more deadly spider. The seriousness of a bite will depend on the individual, where on the body they are bit, and how much venom is injected.
Brown Recluse venom destroys tissue around the bite. Typically, a large swollen area develops not long after the initial bite, with a white blister on the actual bite. This blister soon develops into a "volcano lesion", characterized by a hole that extends into the wound and oozes puss. The hole is the result of gangrenous tissue that develops around the bite.
No anti-venom is available, but Cortisone is often injected around the bite to help minimize tissue damage. Unfortunately, the effects of Brown Recluse bites are long lasting, and recovery can take weeks, even months. Plastic surgery is typically required afterwards.
