Posted on 04/26/2011 1:07:00 AM PDT by Daffynition
ScienceDaily (Apr. 23, 2011) — One of the most feared spiders in North America is the subject a new study that aims to predict its distribution and how that distribution may be affected by climate changes.
When provoked, the spider, commonly known as the brown recluse (Loxosceles reclusa), injects powerful venom that can kill the tissues at the site of the bite. This can lead to a painful deep sore and occasional scarring.
(Excerpt) Read more at sciencedaily.com ...
I only felt like there was that much web. We had one that would build a web between trees in our front yard. The trees were 50 feet apart.
That’s the Cross Orbweaver, if you were wondering or didn’t know.
Nearly all spiders are very beneficial. Where I am, we have tons of flying insects outside (especially mosquitoes, which are disease vectors) so we don’t bother the vast majority of the spiders inside. You know what? They do a wonderful job controlling other bugs. I periodically check and relocate the young outside, but otherwise I just let them go as long as they locate their webs out of the way.
I’ve found the best way to keep spiders out of my house is to keep other bugs out. If there’s nothing to eat they tend to stay outside.
Whatever it is that I do, there is always plenty of food available for the spiders. The mosquitoes here are almost unbearable - I don’t go outside without protection, whether it be spray or long clothing, really between May and October. They always find a way in even though we don’t keep windows open. It’s just much easier to let the spiders kill them all (they are surprisingly efficient).
I have lived in SE Texas over 50 years, and I don’t anyone who has ever even bit by one. Anything for an AGW scare I tell ya.
Missouri has more Brown Recluse than any other State. I avoid attics, crawl spaces in warm weather. These are nasty critters. Can leave baseball size holes in one's body...
It destroys tissue and opens you up to secondary infections. There is a doctor in Texas who believes the toxins can linger unnoticed after the initial symptoms and hit you again later.
If I remember correctly, the brown recluse doesn’t have a venom per se. but injects an enzyme solution that sticks around and spreads slowly through the tissues.
I do remember reading an article that said that using electric shock across the bite area or the spreading necrotic flesh will disrupt the enzymes and stop the damage from spreading.
The brown recluse is extremely rare outside of its range. Spiders don’t seek out mammals, and most necrotizing skin lesions are not caused by spiders.
If I pulled that out from under my sink or couch or whatever, I’d sell the house and never come back.
I say that because we live in Wyoming, where we just came through a winter with weeks down to -20F.
Didn’t know we were neighbors.
Now to the important stuff. Are you sure you just came through winter? We have a snow and cold forecast for this coming weekend. Winter has a way of sticking around until June around these parts. Last year I replanted the tomatoes at least once because of freezing in May.
“Its range is poorly known”
And its scarey looking and poisonous.
And they are making predictions on its range due to that scarey global warming.
This is a perfect recipe for making nebulous claims that sound good and scarey to the average person. “Stop doing bad things that warm the globe or this spider is going to get you!!!!”, LOL.
I’m on the edge of the spider’s range and already this spring the neighbor’s dog got bit by something that necrotized the sking causing a wound 4 inches x 1 inch. It looks nasty but is now healing. Our guess is that a spider did it, too early for copperheads.
“most necrotizing skin lesions are not caused by spiders.”
So are you arguing that brown recluse bites can do that?
If so your source of information is incorrect. They can be a nasty nasty bite, fortunately they only inject their venom in about 50% of their bites.
A co worker here in Western Washington got bit by a Hobo while picking up leaves. It ate away flesh on his hand clear to the bone. Had to wear a protective cast for a few months
Global warming is startig to annoy me. The polar bears are using their claws to scratch the palm trees in my yard here in northern Wisconsin.
Penguins are going to need crossing guards here. I feel your pain.:)
People carry stuff with them everywhere they travel, bedbugs, German roaches, pythons to the Glades, lot's of critters.
The official charts only show established breeding populations, individuals can show up anywhere.
Every fall just like clockwork the first coldsnap will result in a tub full of wolf spiders. Well not full, but always 2 or 3 huge hairy spiders that can’t climb back out of the tub. They get in the sink too. They come in from the cold and get caught in the porcelin trap. So I rescue them and put them on the floor to go catch the other bugs that escaped the cold too.
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