How do you folks in rural areas deal with spiders? (Sherman: house, scorpions)

[MikeSherman]

I have some relatives that live in a fairly rural area near the border of Oklahoma. The entire area is infested with black widows and brown recluses. While my wife and I stayed with them for a week, we were both bitten by brown recluses (they bit us while we were sleeping, there must have been some in the bed sheets). We were wanting to go to the emergency room, but my uncle thought it was no big deal. Apparently they get bitten by brown recluses multiple times a year. They have this method of using salt to draw the venom out from the wound. My wife and I were both mortified. It seemed to work ok. We just took a few Benedryl's and treated the wound, and we were fine for a couple days. Needless to say, we didn't stay another night at their house. My uncle recounted stories of a friend of his who got bit in the testicles in an outhouse, and had to have them removed... the removal of his testicles destroyed his marriage and his life. Another story of a newborn baby who got bit by a brown recluse and died. Another story of a pregnant woman who got bitten by a brown recluse and then miscarried. I simply cannot believe how you rural Texans can deal with these spiders. My wife was bitten in her ankle, and she had to see the doctor over it, because the bite became infected and necrotic. She still has a nasty scar there.

[highcotton]

The little buggers are tasty to eat too...especially raw and dipped in hot sause. That's why rural Texans sit tall in their saddles... Yup.

[DaveZ]

Spray the yard, and don't kill the mud daubers. they eat the spiders. oh yeah, i got a few toads around as well to eat what's left. general rule is anything indoors gets the shoe, outdoors it may yet live.

[MikeSherman]

How often do you guys get bitten by spiders? Rural Texas terrifies me with all the black widows, brown recluses, and wolf spiders. The snakes don't bother me as much, because you can at least see them.

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

Moved as OP is asking about rural areas.

[DanielWayne]

Originally Posted by MikeSherman

I have some relatives that live in a fairly rural area near the border of Oklahoma. The entire area is infested with black widows and brown recluses. While my wife and I stayed with them for a week, we were both bitten by brown recluses (they bit us while we were sleeping, there must have been some in the bed sheets). We were wanting to go to the emergency room, but my uncle thought it was no big deal. Apparently they get bitten by brown recluses multiple times a year. They have this method of using salt to draw the venom out from the wound. My wife and I were both mortified. It seemed to work ok. We just took a few Benedryl's and treated the wound, and we were fine for a couple days. Needless to say, we didn't stay another night at their house. My uncle recounted stories of a friend of his who got bit in the testicles in an outhouse, and had to have them removed... the removal of his testicles destroyed his marriage and his life. Another story of a newborn baby who got bit by a brown recluse and died. Another story of a pregnant woman who got bitten by a brown recluse and then miscarried. I simply cannot believe how you rural Texans can deal with these spiders. My wife was bitten in her ankle, and she had to see the doctor over it, because the bite became infected and necrotic. She still has a nasty scar there.

What part of Texas are you referring to? I grew up in a sort-of rural area in SE Texas and never saw a brown recluse or black widow in my entire life. Ok maybe once. They were around, but nothing like this. I caught all kinds of creatures as a kid. My favorite was banana spiders since they were relatively non-aggressive.

[MikeSherman]

Originally Posted by DanielWayne

What part of Texas are you referring to? I grew up in a sort-of rural area in SE Texas and never saw a brown recluse or black widow in my entire life. Ok maybe once. They were around, but nothing like this. I caught all kinds of creatures as a kid. My favorite was banana spiders since they were relatively non-aggressive.

I'm in Sherman up near the Oklahoma border.

[BobTex]

Lived in the country almost half my life and for the last 15 years. I see black widows, brown recluses, scorpions, wasps , yellow jackets, centipedes, venomous snakes almost daily. Common sense and awareness can prevent 99% of bites/stings.

I did get bit twice last week by some unknown critter though once while picking peas late one evening got bit on the arm and again when a neighbor called about a possible intruder got bit on the ankle while traversing her lawn in flip-flops. Probably the same type creature as both bites made a small abcess like area. They healed though.

[neddy]

We have a place in the Hill Country that has plenty of spiders,snakes and right now some sort of large cat but never been even stung out there by anything. Like the PP said outside let them live,inside not allowed and will step on them! Spray around the house..it helps.

[lonestar2007]

Like Neddy says, spray around your house. It is impossible to keep them out of the inside of your house completely, but you can make sure all cracks are sealed, etc. to at least lower the amount that gets in. There are the little cardboard traps that you can set out and I've heard they work well. You can also spray inside your house.