[kcvl]

[DaughterofEve]

WOW! What a shot! What in tarnation is/was that body part! Ewwwwwww!

[Uni-Poster]

Maps like the coverage map in your post don't mean alot these days. Non native insects are relocated to all points of the US every day by moving vans, motor home, etc. Even here in SoCal we have had fights with Fire Ants from Texas relocated in a move. Was such a threat for a while that any moving van from Texas was fumigated upon arrival in CA.

Have even had relocation of Formosan Termites from Louisiana to California in moves. Luckily have nipped those in the bud.

[knuthom]

I don't think that map is accurate. My son got bitten by a brown recluse when we lived in Michigan, more than 10 years ago. I expect that they travel easily because they like to hide packing boxes and the piles of junk stored in garages. Any moving van from a state where they are native is a potential carrier.

My dog was bitten in Missouri where we now live. It was very nasty. The vet had to anaesthetize her to cut away all the dead tissue. It eventually healed, but she still has a bald spot where no hair grows.

[Mamzelle]

Tell me about the map you have posted...are these the areas where the recluse is common? What do the two different colorings mean?