Brown Recluse Spider in Northern Virginia? (vanity)

myself | 6/1/2005 | Pyro7480

[Pyro7480]

I share a duplex house with two other people. My room is the basement, while the other two live in rooms on the second floor. We share the living room, dining room, and kitchen on the first floor. Our house is just outside the DC Beltway in northern Virginia, south of Alexandria.

On Sunday, one of my roommates was apparently bitten by a brown recluse spider. She didn't get it looked at immediately, since she thought it was just a really bad pimple. By yesterday, however, it was quite apparent that something was wrong. She went to a doctor, and the diagnosis was confirmed, that she was bitten by a brown recluse. The doctor told her that they get a bunch of these in the summer months in the area.

I was under the impression that the brown recluse was only found in the south central region of the United States. Are they now prevalent enough in Virginia to cause the doctor to say such a thing? It doesn't make sense to me that she was bitten, most likely in her room on the second floor, while I haven't even seen anything that looks like a brown recluse spider in my basement room. You would think that something like that would more likely get into a basement than into a second floor room.

[Pyro7480]

How should I eliminate the threat of being bitten myself? Should I call an exterminator?

[TexasCajun]

You'd better be careful!

Have you seen pictures of bite victims?

Very, very bad little creatures.

[Red Badger]

R - A - I - D ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

[newsgatherer]

Move to Maine

[AppyPappy]

Just bugbomb the house. My wife was bitten by one in NC as was a friend. It's really ugly.

[AppyPappy]

Just bugbomb the house. My wife was bitten by one in NC as was a friend. It's really ugly.

[dead]

I've heard that they can be found as north as Maryland.

[Pyro7480]

Yes, I've seen pictures. Nasty, nasty.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Call a bug man immediately. Leave the place for a day after he's been there. Mention the brown reculse bite and make sure his spray will kill spiders. Have him come back and spray again in three months. These bugs are nothing to fool with and they can be found as far north as Minnesota.

[Phantom Lord]

While the Black Widow is the most well known poisonious spider, the Brown Recluse is actually far more dangerous.

[nuffsenuff]

I've heard that we have them here in Northern Virginia.

How did it "become obvious" that something was wrong? I haven't heard of the effects of a bite.

[righttackle44]

"Very, very bad little creatures."

Very bad, squared.

[dirtboy]

It could be a misdiagnosis:

http://spiders.ucr.edu/

[dead]

Are the bites always really really bad, or do some people just react to it worse than others? I've seen some people (on TV, not personally) whose entire lives were destroyed by the little buggers.

[Pyro7480]

Brown Recluse FAQ's

[PBRSTREETGANG]

http://www.brown-recluse.com/

[ctlpdad]

If you kill a spider you make it rain.

[Virginia Queen]

I was bitten by one - in VA - in 1982 so they have lived here for quite a long time. Also, my nephew - who lives in Poolesville, MD - was bitten 3 yrs ago while sleeping over at a friends house. They like to creep up on you in the night. (Sorry, just could not resist that.) I thought I was going to lose my leg.

[processing please hold]

My husband was bitten 5 times by a brown recluse. By the time he went to the Dr, days later, the Dr. said he was lucky to be alive.

[ErnBatavia]

Tale of Ed ping!

[LesbianThespianGymnasticMidget]

There is some sort of electrostimulation treatment for bites. It isnt exactly a main stream treatment (Nothing seems to work) but I have seen a lot of people swear by it. (Essentially tazer the bite)

WARNING - disgusting pics.

http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/hardin/md/brownrecluse.html

http://www.highway60.com/mark/brs/linda_bite.htm

[caver]

They are in Indiana. A friend got bit and was fortunate that it didn't do a lot of tissue damage. He still has a sizable scar though.

[since1868]

Was bitten once a few years ago, when I lived in the Poconos
IV antibiotics and a few other things seemed to do the trick.I hate spiders.

[Right Wing Professor]

Range map here

Looks like they're moving into Northern VA. There goes the neighborhood, eh?

[TexasCajun]

check this out. sorry for being Html challanged.

http://dermatlas.med.jhmi.edu/derm/IndexDisplay.cfm?ImageID=1467319660

[Gefreiter]

I heard about comedian Bob Schimmel nearly being bitten by one during a show on Cape Cod last summer.

Wasn't there, just what I heard.

[ErnBatavia]

http://images.google.com/images?q=brown+recluse&ie=ISO-8859-1&hl=en

[budwiesest]

The brown recluse spider lives in the Southern United States. There are ten different Recluse species, six of which are confirmed to be poisonous. The spiders are tan to brown and most species exhibit a violin-shaped marking on the top of the cephalothorax. They tend to live in dark dry spaces such as attics, closets and wood piles, and generally they are not aggressive but will bite when forced to.

I'd target the attic, closets, and wood piles ;^)

[Eric in the Ozarks]

No kidding. A young women we know here in mid-Missouri was bitten while helping her dad take down an old shed on their property. The bite grew from a pimple to Quarter size in less than a week and it took a trip to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN to get it stabilized. They thought she was going to lose her arm...

[ken21]

Brown Recluse Spider Bites - Now is the time to spray your house! (graphic pictures)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/908924/posts

[tiamat]

We have them up here in Michigan.

If you store firewood, wear gloves when you go to get some, and DO NOT keep more than a bit of wood in the house. And in the winter, they become active if you bring the wood inside.

I got bitten by a brown recluse years ago, and have th scar on my forearm to porve it.

Was on it fast, though, so not too bad.

[TexasCajun]

I've seen some pictures on the net of very bad reactions.

I guess it makes a big difference as to how soon the bite is treated.

[Sterlis]

Hire an exterminator and get the whole place treated on a regular basis. Now that you know that you have them NEVER put your hand in dark places where they like to hide - closets, under beds, etc. Watch out for shoes that are infrequently used. Their name says it all - recluse. They pick corners and dark spots and the bites are very very nasty. Watch as that bite progresses and the flesh necrotizes and consider yourself lucky.

[theFIRMbss]

>How should I eliminate the threat of being bitten myself? Should I call an exterminator?

I believe you must
call in an air strike. Napalm
does the job for sure.

[beezdotcom]

They've been around Virginia for as long as I can remember. However, I wouldn't stress too much over them. I'm more worried about black widows, myself.

As for the location in the house - I don't see any reason why the second floor would be unreasonable. It might have gotten carried up in some clothes, or boxes.

[Phantom Lord]

How did it "become obvious" that something was wrong? I haven't heard of the effects of a bite.

Take a look...

The Spider

Day 1

Day 2

Day 9

Day 11

[Straight Vermonter]

We have Brown Recluse Spiders in Vermont so I guess they can live anywhere.

[gregwest]

It's kind of silly, but many people get bitten on the but-tocks (pronounce like Forest Gump) by them. These spiders are often found around Little League bleachers. You're sitting there in your shorts watching "Junior" kick at anthills in the outfield and suddenly, "OUCH!" The little critter has crawled up the inside of your shorts and when you move, they bite defensively. Be careful! Check the bleachers before you sit down!

[Socratic]

I live on the South shore of Lake Erie (half-way between Toledo and Cleveland)and although, not common, they certainly do exist here. I'm sure you've been told to look for a violin shape on the under-side as a means of identification. So, yes, they do live further North than many people suspect.

[Brilliant]

I think they are found throughout the eastern US. I don't know about the west.

[azhenfud]

I survived a black widow bite.

Nasty experience. Very bad...

[Tennessee_Bob]

According to what I read at Ohio States website (I just googled Brown Recluse Spider), some people show no reaction at all, some show a drastic reaction. It depends on how much venom is involved and how sensitive the person is.

Personally, I was bit by a black widow when I was in the Air Force. Didn't even realize it until the next day, and all I had was some redness and swelling at the bite.

[ElkGroveDan]

Just bugbomb the house.

But remember to seal your food in trash bags, put out any pilot lights, and use fewer than 30 cans.

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

Sometimes there is a "dry bite" where no venom was injected. Then you also have people who react very badly and people who react very well to the bites.

I had a bad bite about 6 years ago and was able to fight it off after a week. The affected area was around an 8" diameter and about 10 degrees hotter than the rest of my body at the worst. Luckily my immune system kicked in high gear around day five and two days later it had shrunk to the point that the doctor knew I would be OK. I have only a small scar (about the size of a chicken pox scar) left on my arm. On the other hand, a man I know was bitten on the leg and lost a golf ball size hunk of flesh from it. (Ironic since he had been a missionary in Africa for 30+ years and had avoided all sorts of deadly creatures there. Moves to Springfield MO and gets bitten by a brown recluse within a week.)

There is no anti-venom nor treatment.

[kAcknor]

Go here if you dare... Nasty results for sure...

[appalachian_dweller]

Here's some info for you.

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2061.html

[theFIRMbss]

>Looks like they're moving into Northern VA

Oh-oh. "Areas
of Expansion!" They're growing!
Damn global warming . . .

[beezdotcom]

However, I wouldn't stress too much over them

Let me clarify - I meant that in a relative sense. They're not to be trifled with, but of the bite victims I've personally known, the brown recluse victims have all only suffered minor tissue damage. The black widow victims have nearly died. YSMV. (Your Symptoms May Vary).

[LIConFem]

They're not only poisonous, but very aggressive as well. Personally, I'd burn the house down, salt the earth and move! But then, I really hate spiders, so I guess I'm being less than objective ;o)

Seriously, though, I would at least call an exterminator and see what they can do for you. The biggest problem, from what I've read, is creating an environment in which they (the spiders) don't find good places to hide/breed. Oh, and always check your shoes before putting them on...

[LauraleeBraswell]

VACUUM YOUR HOUSE- And keep the vacuum handy. Whenever I see anything with wings or a spider I just vacuum the sucker up. BUT VACUUM every corner!