Are brown recluse spiders dangerous? The short answer, absolutely! A brown recluse spider bite can often need medical attention. The necrotic venom the spider carries puts them in the list of 3 Wichita spiders you should seek a doctors care for, the other 2 being the black widow and chilean recluse. The poison transmitted in the bite can cause skin necrosis (skin cell death) resulting in ugly scar tissue. The venom spreads quickly after a bite and can be especially harmful to the elderly or children. Although rarely fatal, most fatalities are in children under 7 years of age. Other side effects can be nausea, vomiting, fever, muscle and joint pain (flu like symptoms). Our climate here in Kansas is perfect for these pests to thrive. In 2001 more that 2,000 brown recluse spiders were removed from a heavily infested Kansas home!
The name recluse is given because of personality traits of this spider. The brown recluse is rarely aggressive. Bites are considered to be uncommon, but not unheard of. This spider likes to hide in places in which they will not be disturbed. Most bites are a result of the spider being in shoes or clothing and bite when the item is put on the skin, or a hand finds it by accident. Really be careful before cleaning out a shed or closet, you don’t want to startle this spider.
The brown recluse builds irregular, disorderly webs so be on the lookout for this. In appearance brown recluse spiders have 6 eyes positioned in pairs, not 8 like other spider species. They also have a sand to dirt brown colored body with darker brown “violin” shaped marking close to its center. The darker this marking gets, usually, the more mature the spider is. Some can have almost a grey appearance. The legs are tapered and slender and usually a lighter brown color.
Any indication you have this spider in or around your home should be addressed by calling the best pest control professionals available which is All Star Pest Control. Call today! 316.854.3096
