Hundreds of spiders may have moved into your house with you.
According to Illinois Department of Public health, brown recluse spiders (Loxosceles reclusa) primarily enter homes by hitching a ride on moving furniture, boxes, and other items. This species likes to hide in dark, secluded places, making it hard to notice and control them.
Unlike other spiders, the brown recluse spiders are nocturnal predators, meaning they do not catch their prey in their webs, but roam for their prey at night. These spiders can survive months without eating and are adapted to the hot, dry conditions that they are most commonly found in.
As their name suggests, these arachnids are brown in color. Adult brown recluse spiders are about the size of a US quarter and are distinguished by a violin-shaped mark on their back with the neck of the violin facing their rear.
Despite being the second most dangerous bite in Pennsylvania, these spiders are rarely aggressive, as reported by University of Kentucky College of Agriculture. It is common to live in a house infested with brown recluse spiders yet never get bitten. Most bites occur due to body pressure, when the spider is inadvertently trapped against bare skin.
The initial bite is usually painless, and the victim is oftentimes unaware they have been bitten until 3 to 8 hours later when the bite becomes red, swollen, and tender. Most bites will heal within 3 weeks without medical intervention. Nevertheless, it’s always best to check with a professional like our SHS Nurse Haubrich.
Nurse Haubrich says, “Spider bites should be washed with warm water and mild soap, then apply antibiotic ointment three times a day. If it’s painful or swollen, ice or a cool compress can be applied for 15-minute increments several times a day. If symptoms such as severe pain, abdominal cramping, difficulty breathing, trouble swallowing, loss of consciousness, fever, flu-like symptoms, enlarging wound site, muscle cramps, or a fast heart rate– you should seek treatment immediately at the ER. For venomous spiders: always wash the area with soap and water, contact poison control, or go to the closest ER for evaluation.”