Brown Recluse Spider 101
By
Mike Daciek
About four years ago when we were in Columbia, Missouri my wife and I met a college girl at a party. The subject of recluse spiders came up and the young girl said she had recently been bitten by a recluse spider on her inner thigh midway between her hip and her knee. She had tossed her blue jeans on the floor before going to bed giving the spider an opportunity to crawl inside. This was very unusual since the recluse prefers dark spaces and wood piles. The next morning she put her jeans on and soon felt a burning sensation on her thigh. Removing the jeans she spotted the spider and had the sense to capture it, placing it in a jar. The doctor said that was a very smart thing to do because the recluse spider was the most dangerous spider in the United States. Now they knew what action to take to begin an immediate treatment.
She watched her flesh slowly being eaten away for weeks before regeneration began to take place. We were horrified at the circular cratered scar which was about five inches in diameter. She assured us that this was a definite improvement over a very long healing process.
After seeing that you'll never catch me throwing any of my clothes on the floor, I guarantee. (If this hasn't got your attention please view the attached pictures of a man who had been bitten on the finger).
The next day Joan and I drove down to visit some friends near Springfield, Missouri. They lived in a heavily wooded area on a hill top out in the boon docks. After leaving a paved road we drove on a dirt road for about a mile and then entered a trail just wide enough for one car. At this point we were seriously discussing reversing course and going back to Columbia...but we couldn't! We continued on for about a half mile listening to the tree branches as they scraped the sides of the car.
We slowly made our way to our friend's humble abode which had been built by his Indian girl friend several years before my male friend had moved in with her. Her first husband was an Indian Medicine Man who had been buried next to their garden. His grave site was decorated with various Indian symbols and paraphernalia. (I bet you think that I'm making this up). It was a three-story wood frame on the side of a hill with one room on each floor. At first sight it reminded me of a wood frame shack with an airport control tower sitting on top. And, of course, we were met by three large, mongrel, barking dogs and something that quickly darted off into the woods, possibly a large cat or a small domesticated mountain lion.
Our friends soon appeared, welcomed us as we sat in the car with the windows up, while the dogs jumped against the car doors. I left the engine running. Our friends explained to the dogs that we were harmless. They had to be extremely intelligent dogs, capable of barking, jumping up and down, and listen attentively all at the same time. Satisfied, the dogs returned to the front porch where they assumed the prone position.
Our friends welcomed us into their home, gave a tour of the premises, and then invited outside to see the garden, cemetery, and storage shack. We were told to avoid the poison ivy, which we did nervously, as they picked leaves to demonstrate their immunity.
It was inside the storage shack that determined where Joan and I would be sleeping that night. Did I mention that our friends had insisted on us staying over for the night? We could use their bed in the "loft" which was a king size mattress tossed on the floor.
Anyway, inside the storage shack I noticed spiders scurrying hither and yon.
I asked, "What kind of spiders are those?"
"Recluse," he replied. "They're all over the place."
An hour later we checked into the Holiday inn.
Note: BROWN RECLUSE SPIDERS are located mainly in the central Midwestern states southward to the Gulf of Mexico, primarily in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Missouri. However, they are found throughout all of the United States and its bite injects a strong and harmful poison. It is very important to be treated within the first 24 to 48 hours. Capture the little devil so you can show your doctor the real McCoy.
Most bites occur while you are sleeping or getting dressed with clothing hanging on walls or in closets for a long time. Remember, they like dark places but can be found anywhere.