[ElleTea]

I was listening to KKLZ online today and they discussed this story:

Brown Recluse Spider Bite: Nikki Perez Almost Blinded In Texas

It's about a woman in Texas who was bitten by a brown recluse spider causing her face to swell up twice its normal size and almost lost her eyesight as a result. Horrible for the woman. Now, the DJ on the radio said something like "Watch out for those brown recluse spiders, they ARE in Las Vegas!" another DJ agreed.

I known I have read on here in other threads that those spiders are NOT in Vegas. So which is it? The article above does say that these spiders are spreading across the country, so I was wondering which was true.

I hate spiders. :::shudder::: But most of the time I will catch and release them. If I saw one of these I would NOT spare its life though. Ick!

[ScoopLV]

Originally Posted by ElleTea

I was listening to KKLZ online today and they discussed this story:

Brown Recluse Spider Bite: Nikki Perez Almost Blinded In Texas

It's about a woman in Texas who was bitten by a brown recluse spider causing her face to swell up twice its normal size and almost lost her eyesight as a result. Horrible for the woman. Now, the DJ on the radio said something like "Watch out for those brown recluse spiders, they ARE in Las Vegas!" another DJ agreed.

I known I have read on here in other threads that those spiders are NOT in Vegas. So which is it? The article above does say that these spiders are spreading across the country, so I was wondering which was true.

I hate spiders. :::shudder::: But most of the time I will catch and release them. If I saw one of these I would NOT spare its life though. Ick!

As mentioned in another thread, when doctors don't know what kind of insect bite to put on the diagnostic sheet, they write in "brown recluse."

UCR Spiders Site: Myth of the Brown Recluse

[ElleTea]

Originally Posted by ScoopLV

As mentioned in another thread, when doctors don't know what kind of insect bite to put on the diagnostic sheet, they write in "brown recluse."

UCR Spiders Site: Myth of the Brown Recluse

I think in the case of the woman in the article, they knew what kind of spider it was because they actually saw it on her face (and maybe the squished spider on the ground?). OMG, I'm getting all itchy thinking about that! Can you imagine a big spider crawling across your face to your eye!?

:::runs away sreaming:::

[ScoopLV]

Originally Posted by ElleTea

I think in the case of the woman in the article, they knew what kind of spider it was because they actually saw it on her face (and maybe the squished spider on the ground?). OMG, I'm getting all itchy thinking about that! Can you imagine a big spider crawling across your face to your eye!?

:::runs away sreaming:::

The brown recluse gets it's name because.... wait for it.... it spends most of it's time hiding. Almost nobody from Arkansas ever gets bit, and there can be dozens of recluse spiders in their house.

Spiders don't generally bother people. Ignore them, and they'll ignore you.

[ElleTea]

Originally Posted by ScoopLV

The brown recluse gets it's name because.... wait for it.... it spends most of it's time hiding. Almost nobody from Arkansas ever gets bit, and there can be dozens of recluse spiders in their house.

Spiders don't generally bother people. Ignore them, and they'll ignore you.

I know but they are still creepy. And the woman in the story was waiting for a flight at the airport when she felt something bite her neck. The spider then crawled around her head to her face. I think the bite would be the least of my worries as I would have a heart attack!

I lived in an apartment once that had centipedes. They didn't bother me; they eat spiders!

[unf0rgiven6262]

They can show up anywhere in the world when they hitch a ride on something. I remember one came in when I worked at a grocery store as a teenager with some produce shipment.

Just be glad there's no bird eating spiders here.

[unf0rgiven6262]

Originally Posted by ElleTea

Now I have the heebies AND the jeebies!

Well, in all honesty you have about as much cause for concern to worry about brown recluse spiders as you do to worry about what you'll do when you win a jackpot here. Just be careful about reaching into dark corners here. Black widows ARE here and in much larger numbers but they too have zero interest in bothering you.

[Everdeen]

It is my understanding that brown recluse spiders are more deadly than black widows.

[ScoopLV]

Originally Posted by Everdeen

It is my understanding that brown recluse spiders are more deadly than black widows.

Their bites are necrotic -- like a flesh eating disease. So even when not fatal, it is usually very debilitating. A recluse bite can lead to permanent disability and disfigurement.

[SouthernSarah]

Originally Posted by ScoopLV

Their bites are necrotic -- like a flesh eating disease. So even when not fatal, it is usually very debilitating. A recluse bite can lead to permanent disability and disfigurement.

I was bit by a brown recluse multiple times on the back of my leg. I had wood delivered, apparently it came with the wood and crawled up my pant leg. When I sat in the car to drive to town I felt it bite but it was VERY mild so I thought I had just sat wrong. I moved a little and it happened again, and again etc. I didn't think anything of it until a few days later when the back of my leg was on fire. I went to the doctor who clearly defined brown recluse bites. Anyway, a course of antibiotics by mouth and some antibiotic cream for 10 days and I was fine. My doctor told me that the only reason brown recluses have such a bad rep is that the only time we hear about them is in the media when the really BAD reactions occur. He said that many MANY people are bit each year and have no reaction or mild reactions and because we never hear about those in the news we have the idea that brown recluse bites are "usually debilitating".