[southernnaturelover]

Originally Posted by rogerbacon

Not only do we have poisonous snakes but we also have poisonous spiders. My friend almost lost an arm to a brown recluse. Never stick your hand in a dark area without first looking and making sure its spider-free.
I've never seen a poisonous snake in Suth Florida (except in the old Serpentarium) but I've seen a lot in Central Florida.

Brown Recluse are rare in Florida, they are typically more of a midwestern spider. You sure it wasn't a black widow?

What most people think are brown recluses in the South are actually just harmless southern house spiders.

[Nomadicus]

Wife's sister lost a portion of her leg to a brown recluse in central FL. She took it to the doc.

[Rabflmom]

Originally Posted by southernnaturelover

Brown Recluse are rare in Florida, they are typically more of a midwestern spider. You sure it wasn't a black widow?

What most people think are brown recluses in the South are actually just harmless southern house spiders.

I personally know 3 people that have been bit by brown recluse spiders. One was barefoot going to pick up her newspaper. One got bit when he put his foot in his shoe that he left on the porch so he wouldn't ruin the carpet and one was bit on her hand when she was taking things out of a box in her garage. They are here. 2 of them were in the hospital for over a week and looked dire for them for a while.

[southernnaturelover]

Hmm, maybe they're coming out of peoples bags and furniture when they move down here?

Here's a map of their native range, the red area is the common brown recluse.
http://department.monm.edu/biology/r...olorloxmap.gif

[rogerbacon]

Originally Posted by southernnaturelover

Hmm, maybe they're coming out of peoples bags and furniture when they move down here?

Here's a map of their native range, the red area is the common brown recluse.
http://department.monm.edu/biology/r...olorloxmap.gif

I think they probably need to update that map to include more of Florida in it. We have them down at Homestead (South of Miami). At the airport they get in the wheel coverings of the planes. I was taking the wheel covering of the left wheel off to put air in the tire after not flying for a month and I saw a nest of spiders. The mechanic there identified them as brown recluses. He said that a lot of the planes have them in the wheel coverings because it is dark and dry there. Who knows, maybe the hitchhiked on a plane from their native area and now they've spread. That would explain why they are more common at the airport.

[Strel]

Originally Posted by southernnaturelover

Brown Recluse are rare in Florida, they are typically more of a midwestern spider. You sure it wasn't a black widow?

What most people think are brown recluses in the South are actually just harmless southern house spiders.

My aunt was bitten in her sleep by one of those damn things. It left her with a necrotic wound that never really heals. Very nasty.

[Strel]

Originally Posted by southernnaturelover

Hmm, maybe they're coming out of peoples bags and furniture when they move down here?

Here's a map of their native range, the red area is the common brown recluse.
http://department.monm.edu/biology/r...olorloxmap.gif

I think their range actually extends farther east into the Panhandle. I personally saw one - not a house spider, the real thing - in atownhouse on the east side of Tallahassee...