Fall and winter is the time when spiders seek warmth and shelter inside your home. Most spiders are not poisonous, but there are two spiders that can be deadly if they bite you: black widows and brown recluse spiders. This is why we recommend a fall inspection of your property. This gives us a chance to search for the spiders and exterminate them, keeping you and your family safe. If you’ve been bitten by a spider, look for the following symptoms to determine if it was a widow or recluse spider.
Black Widow Bite Symptoms
Of the two, the black widow is less dangerous than the brown recluse. This being said, you do not want a black widow bite anywhere on your body. The widow will inject poison into your bloodstream that will make you sick. Black widows like to build their webs under things where they are hidden. As such, you should never stick your hand in a place where you cannot see if there is a web. Black widow bites cause
- Pain, redness, and swelling around the bite mark
- Abdominal cramping and rigidity that mimics appendicitis
- Nausea and/or vomiting for a few days
- Sweating and/or uncontrollable tremors
Head to the ER or urgent care right away if you suspect you’ve been bitten by a black widow spider. Call us, too, so we can come to your property and remove all black widows and their webs.
Brown Recluse Bite Symptoms
Brown recluse spiders also like to build their webs in hiding places, hence their name. This spider is not aggressive, but it will bite you if you invade its territory. The most common way to do this is to reach under something and right into a brown recluse web. Also called fiddlers, brown recluse bites cause
- Severe and increasing pain around the bite
- Fever, chills, and uncontrollable body aches
- A blue/purple bite center with a red ring
- An open wound that ulcerates and kills the skin
The latter will spread as the brown recluse poison continues to poison you. If left untreated, brown recluse spider bites can cause organ failure and death. In addition, the open wound will spread uncontrollably. It is absolutely imperative that you get immediate medical attention if you’ve been bitten by a brown recluse spider.
We are here to help prevent these spiders from moving into your home, business, or construction zone. Call us today if you have seen an increase in the spider population on your property.
