Brown Recluse Spider Bites - Now is the time to spray your house! (graphic pictures)

myself ^ | 5/9/03 | brigette

[ibbryn]

Dang. Try viewing this thread right after the ScaryClown thread. Nightmares.

[Ichneumon]

We did learn that Bengal(Louisiana folks) make the BEST over-the-counter roach killer and it doesn't smell like a chemical plant blew up.

We live in Texas also, where "everything's bigger in Texas", including the bugs (and plenty of 'em, thanks to the climate).

And I'd like to heartily second the recommendation of Bengal brand as the *best* bug spray you can buy without a license.

I've tried others, including the "big name" brands, and often even a point-blank blast right on the running roach, soaking it, will have no noticeable effect at all. I even trapped one under a glass overnight after such a treatment, and it was spry and healthy the next morning. And that's after having gotten covered in hugely more bug spray than its friends in the walls would ever get from a treatment.

Bengal, on the other hand, *kills* them on contact, and is strong enough to wipe out the ones deep in the walls or behind the furniture, too, in one treatment.

It costs a lot more than the other brands, but it's entirely worth it because it *works*. Plus a little goes a long way, you don't need to keep re-spraying. I haven't bought any other brand than Bengal in years. Great stuff.

[savagesusie]

I forgot about the ticks!!!

[ChemistCat]

We were going to get riding lessons for our oldest two kids. We took them all out to the stable. This lady had beautiful horses, wonderful dogs, friendly cats, and two sweet little kids. Every living thing on the place was covered with ticks! The kids had them on their faces! Didn't seem to bother the lady, but it really freaked me out. I wanted to call CPS but my husband wouldn't let me, and you know my aversion to getting the State involved in our lives, but I still feel freaked out that I didn't call! We came home and removed ticks from our kids and ourselves for three hours. No riding lessons. You are so right about the ticks here, in the country at least.

[sport]

Bump back to the top.

[stlnative]

Here is an update on my BRS bite - I feel silly doing this - but folks have to know how serious a BRS could be and how even a minor one can get.



Bite 3 days after


Bite 10 days after - Hole is slightly larger than 1/8" in diameter and is about 1/8" deep. The peeling skin circle is about 3/8" diameter. The doctor said I will end up with deep hole area expanding out to the edges of the 3/8" peeling circle area. This picture was taken today right after removing the hard scab to get to the puss area under it and cleaning it. (sorry to be so graphic - but keeping the bite clean and removing the hard scab to clean under it is the best way to prevent infection. I clean it a couple times a day with peroxide and keep antibiotic ointment on it. In the last 10 days I have had pain in my arm and down to my fingers on and off. Even though my bite is a MINOR bite, it goes to show you that even a minor bite can cause problems and possibly can get worse if it is not taken care of. I just have to let it run it's course and watch for infection and watch it to see if it gets bigger than 3/8" in diameter or eats very deep into my arm.

[Neenah]

Thanks brigette for reporting your progress ! In fact, I have been thinking of you today, and as soon as I was done cleaning carpets, I intended to drop you at least a freepmail to see how you were doing.

When I got here, there was a "ping" from you, so now I know. I had forwarded this thread to some friends in various places, and they were soooo appreciative with all the information you, and many others gave on this subject. So a big THANK YOU.

What you are doing is perfect, don't worry about being graphic. LOL..we would scab too if we were bitten !! Keep taking good care of it, and know I am thinking of you.

[stlnative]

PING TO HERE (you have FRmail also)

[TheRedSoxWinThePennant]

I have heard they live in the outhouses in New Hampshire area ski resorts you can imagine the nasty wound they leave on those sensitive areas

[stlnative]

Another FR Brown Recluse Spider Thread

[Lucas1]

I used to live in Southern Illinois...and had about four of those types of bites. I prob killed no less than 100 of these spiders in the years I lived there. They were literally everywhere.

None of my bites ever turned into deep wounds like others.

[AppyPappy]

Need help here. My son has a strange bite on his upper spine near the neck. It's a small red spot surrounded by white surrounded by a red ring. No swelling. I've never seen anything like it.

[ChemistCat]

That sounds like a tick bite that has the characteristic signs of early infection of Lyme Disease. I'm not a doctor but I'd get the kid to the doctor. Hope that helps.

[ChemistCat]

How are you doing? How's your bite? And what have you done to get rid of the spiders?

I have shied off of bug bombing because I have so many health problems right now, and I'm trying to limit my kids' childhood exposure to unnecessary chemicals. But I am so freaked out by this brown recluse thing.

[rond]

Fascinating thread. From Missouri, two cautionary tales:
My mother was bitten three years ago by a BRS. Weeks later, after massive doses of antibiotics (and losing a fist-sized hole in her lower leg), she was finally discharged from the hospital.
Two nights ago I woke up at 2:23 a.m. and felt a tickle behind my left ear. Reached up, squished the tickle and turned on the light. You got it: a brown recluse. No apparent bite, but talk about the heebie-jeebies ...

[One_American]

You probably don't want to move to Japan.

Spiega

Height: 45 Meters
Weight: 8000 Tons
Special Weapons: Poisons victims before encasing them in webbing
Film Appearances:
Son Of Godzilla (1967)
Destroy All Monsters (1968)
Godzilla's Revenge (1969) (Stock Footage)
Origin: Spider mutated by radioactivity

[stlnative]

How are you doing? How's your bite? And what have you done to get rid of the spiders?




Thanks for reminding me as I needed to take another picture of it for the BRS Database (I will update my file there after it has healed up completely)
Believe it or not it is healing and closing back up - This picture is from today exactly 3 weeks since I was bitten. It is itchy and still very sore if I bump the bite area against something. It looks yellowish in the center on this picture, but it looks better in person. This shows the red area of the skin better (which never did go away) but did not show up in some pictures I took before as I had pressed my arm on glass on the scanner in those. I have been cleaning several times a day each and every day. As far as my house it has been can bombed with about 15 bug/spider can bombs throughout it and I found plenty of dead BRS's, but I live in area where they live inside and out and are very common here in the country.


I have shied off of bug bombing because I have so many health problems right now, and I'm trying to limit my kids' childhood exposure to unnecessary chemicals. But I am so freaked out by this brown recluse thing.

If you are afraid to bomb you house. Then do some major spring cleaning, by moving things in your house and cleaning behind and under them. You may be able to buy a pump hand sprayer & chemicals that will allow you to spray under and behind things (beds - furniture - appliances - boxes). Do not leave boxes or clutter where your child spends most of his time. If you have a special area for storage you may be able to close it off (seal off) that area if your not able to move everything around and then set off a can bomb in it. Of course turn of the AC and leave the house when you do it and after you open it up... air it out. That one area will be clear of spiders. You can spray outside around your house and keep cluttered areas away from your house. Closets should have the clothes removed and possibly shook out or even washed if you want to do it the manual way and vacuum out the closet and around all crevices inside the closet. You might want to spray just the area around crevices. (without using bombs)

[sweetliberty]

Thought this might interest you.

[sawoody]

Have you heard of a product called domeboro? My immediate family lives in NE Oklahoma and we come across quite a few BR spiders.

My father got some small packages of domeboro from a nurse and gave some to everyone in our family. It is a powder that you mix with water into a thick paste. Applied to the spider bite, it supposedly draws the poison out of the wound.

Thankfully, we've never had any reason to use it so, I don't know if it works or not. The nurse swore by it though.

sawoody