On Wed. on my way back from Houston. We stopped somewhere between Llano and Brady for a pit stop for the chihuahua puppies. On the side of the road was a dead deer that was pretty much gone. In the rib cage a black widow had a web. I could see the bright red on it. Scared me silly. Mainly because on the way down there the night before, we stopped on the other side for me to "squat". They told me that the distance across the road for a spider was like us crossing an ocean. HELLO- if there's one there could be others. I watched Charlottes Web. Remember how many "babies" she had.
That's only the second time in my 35 yrs I've seen a black widow in person.
As if a dead deer wasn't enough, but to see a spider inside the ribs Yuck and scary
black widow spider
I bet that was unnerving. My theory has always been ... if you see one, you probably can bet there are more.
Exactly my point. How embarassing that would be at the ER with a spider bite, black widow at that, on my bottom. I was watching a show on A&E and they talked about brown widows. Has anyone ever seen one of them? The black one is very noticeable, but brown?
I've never heard of a brown widow, but the brown recluse is another poisionous one that is found here. They are seriously bad news if you get bitten by one.
Crow
I've heard of that one, but on the t.v. show The Exterminators, the guy talked about brown widows. They are in Louisiana though. I might just go look it up. I'll let you know:)
I found it. I don't know how to send links but I went to ask.com and typed in brown widow spiders. They had pictures of them plus a picture of a finger that had been biten. If I knew how to send links I would have sent it.
I had a friend who went out to "squat" and heard a rattling sound in the brush. Yes, it was a rattlesnake no, she didn't get bit. But all I could think of was how were we going to explain THIS to the ER staff. This was years ago but it just shows what can happen when alcohol and youth are mixed together.
Lisa
I have never seen a brown widow. I have been bitten by a baby brown recluse spider. Thank goodness it was a small one. The pain was almost unbearable and lasted for days. My skin was destroyed at least a half inch down in a circle with a diameter about the size of a large pencil eraser and the inflammation was about 4 inches in diameter. It took months for it to heal and 4 to 5 years for the 4 inch "bump" to shrink. I was fortunate to not have received a lot of poison from this spider.
My goodness, something so small can pack such a bite. You are lucky. Last year my son brought a "worm" to me. It turned out to be a Texas Blind Snake, harmless but scary nonetheless. that's my biggest fear with 2 boys. They're clueless to what's harmful and what's not.
htop- any side effects left over from the bite?
Luckily, it was a small amount of poison. I went to my doctor because my leg muscle began to "jerk", my heart began palpitating strongly (maybe from the pain and fear not the poison) and my blood pressure was very high. I received an allergy shot and that was about it. The excruciating pain lasted for 2 or 3 days and dull pain for months. I just have a small indentation on my leg now. People that receive a lot of poison have severe damage.
We built a new house in the country and a middle-sized storage building and workshop 3 years ago. The first year with the metal building, there were black widows in EVERY corner and at every exposed wall stud. I am not ashamed to say that I sprayed the inside of the building heavily with a chemical pesticide toxic to spiders. Apparently breaking the reproduction cycle once was enough, because I haven't seem them since. I figured that the risk of exposure to the pesticide was a better risk than having poisonous spiders in our storage and workshop.
David
I'm scared of spiders anyway, but the thought of what you went through htop makes it worse.
dreaves- don't blame you for spraying. I would too. You can always air it out but spiders can drop down on their silk and land on you. to me that's scarier.
David, I would have done the same thing. I never realized how many babies spiders produce until I took a spider to my classroom to teach my students about it. I had it in a jar that had a metal lid in which I had punched small holes with a nail. I produced eggs. Over the Christmas holidays, the babies emerged from the eggs and escaped the jar through the holes in the jar lid. Upon my return to work after Christmas, 100s of baby spiders were all over my room. It had to be exterminated. My school principal gently told me to never bring spiders into the school again. :o)
ejennings, I am sorry that I added to your fear of spiders. The brown recluse is the only spider that has ever "gotten" me. I had placed a large cardboard box that I had broken down and folded next to my trashcan so that I would remember to put it in the trash on trash day. I picked it up to carry it to the street and one side pressed against my thigh. Unfortunately that was where the baby spider was. I searched for other babies and the Mama; however, I did not find anymore which was a bit strange. I never wear gloves when I clean oak leaves from my flowerbeds. I should start to do so.
I was wondering how you got bit. That is scary especially since it had only been there a day. I jump if I feel anything on my skin when I am gardening. Usually it is just a twig but who knows what lurks............
That is a great spider hatching story! Did you still enjoy Charlotte's Web after that?
bananna18, the box had been leaning on my house on the side yard for about a week before I carried it around to the front of my house.Yes, I still enjoyed Chartlotte's Web. :o)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070510083028.htm
Here ya go...
"eyes"
i love Charlotte's Web. That's how i knew there would be more than one spider around:) LOL
I will save any snake/worm i find or my boys find for you.
You didn't had too much more fear. Spiders are just everywhere they want to be and can drop from anywhere also. Scary thought to me.
we have seen lots of black widows here in the area where I live. I haven't seen them yet at our new place but found them a lot at the old one. I was bit by a brown recluse while we were moving last october. little sucker was hiding in a box.
Ewwww! I don't like spiders. I know they eat a lot of pests but I still don't like them. We get gobs of Black Widows in the wood pile. Always have to be careful when grabbing wood for the BBQ pit or fireplace.
A few years back we had an infestation of Brown Widow Spiders - just as poisonous as the Black Widows but these have a tendancy to curl up and drop to the ground when disturbed - they are quite timid and will remain curled up for a long time...unlike the Black Widows which are brave buggers and will rear up on their hind legs in an aggressive stance! Must say the SBWS have some interesting markings - almost like fancy racing stripes on their sides and backs.
~ Cat
Last year, my husband was bitten - didn't see it but was very painful. Doc gave him antibiotics and bandages. I got online and ordered "Brown Recluse First Aid Kit" (www.brownrecluses.com or call 1-888-RECLUSE). Even though I did not expedite shipping they ask if it is for existing bite and we got it very quickly. We used according to directions and it healed very quickly and with out the deep tissue damage htop mentioned. On a follow-up with the Dr, he was very impressed with the healing and another pt remarked having been bitten several times and has purchased several of the Brown Recluse kits to have handy. It's a great product especially for those of us who play in the dirt and leaves!
I didn't know such a thing existed! thanks for the link...I am going to order one to have on hand!
digger_satx, thanks ... I am ordering some too!
I will also order some thanks. I had to hire an independent adjuster after Ike. When he came back out his index finger between the knuckle and first joint up was a huge red welt. He was going to the dr. he thought it was a brown recluse that bit him when he reached into a womans attic something bit him. Sure enough it was a brown recluse. I hope he is doing ok as he said the pain was horrid.
My fiance came here in July and was worried about snakes. He went back to Baltimore and was at work when he let out a few choice words. We were on the phone. He ask what a rattler looked like. I told him and he said oh ok, I said did a snake bite you? what did it look like. He said 2 colors of brown. I said could be a copperhead and he ask how to tell and I said the head is trianglar. Sure enough it was and he went to the manager and she rushed him 2min to the hosp. He put his belt around his leg to help keep it from spreading fast.
The hospital gave him the shot before placing the IV. They gave him 4 or 5 times and did blood work. Of course he was out of it between the pain and painkillers. They told him he got enough to kill him. I was so scared and his manager would not answer his phone. I did not talk to him for 5 hours. Then she let him drive 30 min home. I stayed on the phone he was so out of it I did not think he would make it home. It was sunning in the grass and he was picking up trash at the storage place he works at. He did not see it till it was too late. It got him right in the side of the knee. He is so lucky he did not lose the use of his knee.
Then a month later here my doxie was smelling around an empty plant pot. I was taking pictures of a cactus I have. I thought oh no sounds like a rattle. I scared her away from it and inside was a copperhead. it was young and it was hitting its tail against the dry leaves in the pot. So I ran in the house and the shovel I came to first had a flat end I thought how will I kill it wilth this. So I used it and set the pot upright and covered the pot with the shovel. I decided which way to knock the pot so it would be in the open. I hit the pot and smacked at it with the shovel at the same time. I cut its head off with one swing knocking the pot away at the same time. That was shear luck as I could not have planned that., I buried it right there deep to keep the dogs from getting it.
When they are babies the end of their tail ir like a hard piece of lime green cartlidge. That is what was rattling the leaves. It still had that hard part on it's tail but looked like a teenager. I was so scared. But luckily kept my head straight till I killed it.
I don't want to see another. :o) that was the 3rd in 20 yrs here. I can live another 20 and hope not to see another.
the pictures I got were blurry but you can tell what it was.
ilovejesus99, the adjuster was wise in going to a doctor. The brown recluse kits will sure ease my mind. Your fiance is lucky to have had someone take him to the hospital so quickly. I am surprised that the hospital permitted hm to drive home in that condition. I am more fearful of copperheads than rattlesnakes; although, I have encountered more rattlesnakes than copperheads . Coral snakes are the ones of which I am most fearful. They don't just bike you, they chew a bit and it is difficult to remove them. You were quick with that shovel! Thank goodness its tail was rattling the leaves so your dog could show you where it was. Thanks for sharing.
I am blessing in both cases as with my fiance and my little dog. It was a lucky swing and kept us all safe. I am so happy it did not get my Doxie too. I think some snakes are getting more agressive and standing their ground.
The manager where he worked took him back to his car and she let him drive home, not the hospital. After he almost died she let him drive under all those pain killers. Some people don't think past their own self getting home.
And yes to the doctor was the best place the insurance man could run. He saved him self alot of trouble and pain.
You are so welcome. If it would even help one person it is worth telling. :o)
I've heard of snake kits but never for spiders. Thanks and I'm sure alot of us can use that information and kit.
I'm glad someone has heard of brown widow spiders. But I grew up being told to be careful of black widows because they will curl up and act dead. Which the only other one I ever saw was in a country bathroom. It was curled up and didn't move. We kept messing with it and BAM it came back to life crawling- scared us to death. Guess it's like the opposum? Kinda scarey though!!
All the stories are good helpful information. You never know when something you read like this will come in handy.
Great info about the spider kit - I'm wondering what's in it, whether you could put it together yourself from the drugstore.
Before we moved here, we had a bluebird house on a post right outside the kitchen window that was occupied every year. One day I was at the window and noticed the male bluebird fluttering frantically around the house and called my husband. There was a five-foot cottonmouth in there! Paul and the next-door neighbor beat on the post and the birdhouse with shovels until the snake tired of it and came out. They promptly assassinated the gross thing while next-door wife and I cringed on top of the car. The guys got to strut manfully around for days.
~Kate
Glad to know there are kits - I think I need to stock up. I see black widows here occasionally, and with four kiddos I probably need to have a spider kit as well.Haven't seen the brown widows - are they a separate species? My audubon spider field guide shows immature black widows to be brown with some white and then thin faint black lines. Can't find a pic of a brown widow though so I'll go hunt it down on the internet. Thanks for the info about the spider kits.
Stacey
Kate - the kit contains a bottle of activated carbon (powder), and a bottle with a dropper (liquid) containing (active ingredients) proprietary (of Progeny Products) blend of Comfrey, Echinacea, Lobelia and Plantain preserved in pure grain alcohol. You mix them together with a little water to make a poultice and cover to keep it from drying out. The carbon is a little messy. I know I was a little leery when we first got it, but I'm a believer having seen it work!
Thanks, Digger. Sounds like I need to just order the kit!
~Kate
Stacey- I went to ask.com and put in the search box-picture of brown widow- if you do something like that I'm sure you can find some pictures and info. on them. When I did it, I didn't think it looked like the black widow.
I'm going to look up those kits, that's neat!
Here's a good link to brown recluses
http://www.brown-recluse.com/
Here's one for brown widows
http://sarasota.extension.ufl.edu/ipm/brownwidow.htm
Hope this helps?
This message was edited May 10, 2009 12:41 AM
OK I looked up the brown widow pics, so if I run across one I'll know what it is. I read that they are pretty fast though (unlike the black ones) so I hope if he bites me, he'll stick around long enough for me to get an ID! Usually we have LOTS of the wolf spiders, who are pretty aggressive and fast but not really dangerous. In late Summer, we find female wolf spiders with all the babies on their backs walking around. Really neat, but creepy looking.
I have a coral snake in my back yard and I see him occasionally. They are timid and not aggressive at all. I leave him alone and he runs from me. Works for me.
Coral snakes look like another kind of snake right?
I keep finding some spiders that have white designs on their back? I thought maybe jumping spiders? What do yall think?
Yes, Coral snakes look like corn snakes. However, Coral Snakes are red next to yellow and the corn snake is Black next to Red.
Kate-you have me laughing with tears in my eyes. I'm the one who deals with snakes here. My kids' dad would have been the one standing on the car all 6' 5" and 260lbs of him. One time, when we lived in town a bat got in the house and he ran out into the front yard in only his underwear yelling "animals are your department".
Lisa
had to laugh Lisa. Hubby and I were laughing the other day. My daughter, her hubby and their oldest(he is 6) are all deathly afraid of spiders. the youngest, who is 4, isn't afraid of anything. we said he would have to be the spider killer one of these days. knowing him he will probably terrorize them with it first!
LOL ... have enjoyed the stories on this thread. I am a "visitor" from the Mid south forum but thought I would join in if you don't mind. I have always had a phobia of spiders but my sister has NEVER been the least bit bothered by them until 2 yrs ago when she was bit by a black widow. She called me at work because she couldn't reach her husband and told me that a spider had bit her and she had "knocked him off of her" but now the pain was REALLY bad (editing because I can't repeat exactly what she said about the pain), She didn't even realize that she had been bit by a black widow until I started questioning her. .... she was in SEVERE PAIN for days - the type where they threw every pain killer in the hospital at her - she was admitted to the hospital on 3 different occasions because the pain would come back so intense that the pills they sent her home with would not cut it. I am the one who got to stay at the hospital with her most of the time and I told her all she was doing was CONFIRMING that I was right all those years to have a fear of spiders! ^_^ I do think that part of her problems was that the ER doc that treated her first administered an epi ..... and I think that spread the toxin all over her body....because when we returned to the hospital later that evening and another doc was on duty and I listed off all the meds she had been given - he questioned the epi part......he seemed shocked that it was administered, but didn't say anything against the other doctor.
On top of her being bitten - we have had a massive black widow invasion at our new home ever since we moved in 5 yrs ago. It was not uncommon to walk outside and have 3 or 4 in plain site without even HUNTING for them. One day I was moving rocks that I had unloaded about a week before to line a flower bed and killed 15 in one afternoon!! I was totally beside myself and decided after her experience it was time to wage war. I did some research and realized how many hundreds of babies they could produce and realized if we didn't do something we would be taken over by them!! I purchased some Demon WP and went to work spraying window sills, doorways, the eves of the house, the foundation, etc. even had to spray inside my chicken house because they were in there at EYE LEVEL!! I was terrified one would get on me! The Demon WP tells you on the package to use at double strength if you have brown recluses or BW infestations so that is what I did. I have only seen 1 BW since then. It is about the time of year for me to be seeing them alot and so far so good. I may have to reapply the Demon as it was only supposed to be good for 3 -6 mos....... Someone complained about the cost of the demon - I think I spent about 25 dollars to spray all around my house, inside my garage, the porches, etc..... I tell them I would rather spend that than have to experience the pain my sister went thru - not to mention the medical bills for all those hospital visits!!
Genna
Genna...I have heard how painful black widow spider bites are. makes me hurt just to think about it! yikes on all the black widow spiders you had. makes me shudder! reminds me also of the scorpians that hubby and I had in our first little home...it was a rent house...and it was infested. we had to pull the bed away from the wall and put the legs in big bowls of water. no amount of exterminating would get rid of them. needless to say, we didn't stay there long.
Yikes - wouldn't want to deal with scorpions at all!! Years and years ago, my parents said when they first moved into the home that I grew up in they occasionally had scorpions..... When I was about 8 or 9 I remember us killing a tiny one in the hallway in the house - first one they had killed in years and years and the only one I ever remember seeing alive in my life! I thought it was so strange that this baby scorpion just "appeared" in the middle of the hall....and we never saw another!
My sister experienced excruiating muscle spasms all over from the bite. .... actually, it was pretty weird because her back spasmed for 2 days, then it moved to her upper legs, then to her lower legs..... and then she moved to milder, although still painful, muscle aches all over. I have talked to one other person who got bit, and she did not experience any of that .... just some pain in the face - which is where she got bit - so I am not sure if the epi is what made it so bad, or if my sister had a much larger dose of venom. But she said it started intense pain down the arm within seconds of being biten - on her thumb......
I hope I have made a major dent in the population at my house.... But, I have a feeling we will have to be alert any time that we pick up anything off the ground, or move things..... the only one I have seen this year was under a piece of cardboard that got laid on my concrete slab....and I went to pick it up to put it in a trashbag a few days later and found a "friend"..... I screamed because I wasn't even LOOKING for them and I KNEW better - it had just been a while since I had seen one and I was getting complacent!! She dropped to the ground and balled up in a little ball playing dead....and when my husband came over - he said "oh you have already killed it - and I said no, it is playing possum" so he promptly stomped it for me! ^_^
By the way, just so everyone knows to watch .... my sister has some pots that she puts flowers in every spring, and she was repotting them that day when she reached in to pull out the "old" plants from the previous season, is when she bite her. I am still notorious for reaching in to repot something, or look for a tag without LOOKING for spiders first... I really need to get better at that!
Genna