# Why I'll probably never sleep again (pic)



## Fredster (Apr 11, 2011)

My wife found the awful creature below *IN OUR HOUSE* this morning. What makes it even worse is that she was bitten by _something_ a couple of weeks ago that I suspected was one of these all along. She ended up having to go to the doctor because it was swelling and hurt so bad, and took a round of antibiotics. Thankfully, she didn't rot away.

Can anyone tell how I feel about spiders? Especially these, and black widows, which are at plague levels outside our house.

Did I mention THIS THING WAS IN OUR HOUSE?










(if you don't know what it is, let's just say it's named for its color and reclusive nature)


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## samanthawarren (May 1, 2011)

My friend was bitten by one of those in Louisiana a few years back and a chunk of her side rotted away. Nasty buggers.


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

Where do you live so I know where not to move to?


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## Fredster (Apr 11, 2011)

Sandpiper said:


> Where do you live so I know where not to move to?


South of you -- Alabama. 

(but close to TN, so they're not _that_ far)


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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

You're saying you have multiple brown recluses and black widows in your house?

You really need to call an exterminator.  Now.  No joke.


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## ◄ Jess ► (Apr 21, 2010)

Eaaaguuuhh! I like spiders a lot, but not THOSE! Especially in your house!? I don't blame you for never sleeping again.


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## Fredster (Apr 11, 2011)

swolf said:


> You're saying you have multiple brown recluses and black widows in your house?
> 
> You really need to call an exterminator. Now. No joke.


Believe me, if I thought I even had one black widow in the house, I'd probably put it on the market. 

We've ordered 60 glue traps already, to see how bad the problem is.


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

Sandpiper said:


> Where do you live so I know where not to move to?


Not to ick you out too much, but according to Wikipedia, this is the general area you can find them:


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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

Fredster said:


> Believe me, if I thought I even had one black widow in the house, I'd probably put it on the market.


Oh, I thought you said you did have black widows in your house:



Fredster said:


> Especially these, and black widows, which are at plague levels outside our house.


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## JennaAnderson (Dec 25, 2009)

Umm - eeew!! 
I love sticky traps. They work well for bugs. Buy a few and put them under your bed or in your closets, etc. My little dog doesn't crawl under our bed. I guess you'd have to be careful if you have cats.

YUCK!!

Jenna


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

A number of summers ago I got bit on the top of my foot by what I would guess was a spider.  Must have been in my shoe.  Didn't feel it.  Never hurt or itched.  But red spot kept getting bigger and bigger, so it was infected.  After a couple weeks, went to a nurse practitioner.  Put me on Augmentin for a few weeks.  That took care of it.


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## Fredster (Apr 11, 2011)

JennaAnderson said:


> I guess you'd have to be careful if you have cats.


There is a great deal of unintentional humor in your comment. 

We're fosters for a no-kill cat shelter, and currently have ten of theirs, plus even more of our own.


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## JennaAnderson (Dec 25, 2009)

Fredster said:


> There is a great deal of unintentional humor in your comment.


People laugh at me often and I have no idea why. 

But seriously - eeew. I hate spiders.


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## JETaylor (Jan 25, 2011)

I can deal with snakes - but spiders - not so much.  

Although I don't scream and run - I do get the major creepy crawlies when seeing something like this and I would bomb the house with foggers the second I found something that nasty inside.  

I certainly wouldn't sleep until I knew every creeping thing was dead.  

I feel for you.


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## rho (Feb 12, 2009)

Geoffrey said:


> Not to ick you out too much, but according to Wikipedia, this is the general area you can find them:


The only problem with that map is I live waaay out on the eastern end of LI (NY) and we have black widows and brown recluse here too...


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## vg (Oct 28, 2008)

rho said:


> The only problem with that map is I live waaay out on the eastern end of LI (NY) and we have black widows and brown recluse here too...


... my daughter was bitten by one in California and I am today heading out to spray a condo we rent because the tennent saw a black widow in the garage. They're everywhere, they're everywhere!


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## Fredster (Apr 11, 2011)

I have launched my opening salvo, a round of permethrin around the baseboards upstairs, and in the now-scary closets. It's amazing how finding one little recluse can completely change your outlook toward dark spaces filled with hanging clothes, boxes, and folded linens.

Makes me start to regret living in an old (81 years) house with wooden walls, floors, and ceilings.


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## StaceyHH (Sep 13, 2010)

We have quite a few Giant House Spiders (Tegenaria duellica) around our house, and occasionally they get inside the house. I understand if they bite you, it hurts like mad because their fangs are so large. But the bug guy tells me that having a healthy population of House Spiders around will actually deter the Hobos (T. agrestis) from moving in, since they are both territorial, and use the same resources. 

I still don't like them. They're HUGE.


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## Raffeer (Nov 19, 2008)

swolf said:


> You're saying you have multiple brown recluses and black widows in your house?
> 
> You really need to call an exterminator. Now. No joke.


I second this. Get an exterminator in there. We are in south Florida, home of the creepy crawlies, once a month we get a visit from our local creepy crawler killer. Life is a lot more peaceful now.


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## *DrDLN* (dr.s.dhillon) (Jan 19, 2011)

You need to get exterminator. Some people are more allergic than others. Doc should take care. Then sleep well or get out of that area if you can. These are the only choices I can think of. All the best.


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## D/W (Dec 29, 2010)

I don't mind spiders in general, but THAT would creep me out!  We have lots of black widow spiders in our area, but I've never seen a brown recluse.  I'm glad your wife is okay, Fredster!


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## JFHilborne (Jan 22, 2011)

What an ugly spider. I'd have to move if I found one of these in the house. All creepy crawlies bug me (sorry, couldn't help it), but I especially hate spiders.


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## ◄ Jess ► (Apr 21, 2010)

StaceyHH said:


> We have quite a few Giant House Spiders (Tegenaria duellica) around our house, and occasionally they get inside the house. I understand if they bite you, it hurts like mad because their fangs are so large. But the bug guy tells me that having a healthy population of House Spiders around will actually deter the Hobos (T. agrestis) from moving in, since they are both territorial, and use the same resources.
> 
> I still don't like them. They're HUGE.


For anyone who has never seen one of these, let me share a couple pictures with you:

















Yeah, they're pretty freaking creepy. The first time we found one, we thought it was a hobo spider, so we killed it. Then we found like 5 more within the next few days and managed to identify them as giant house spiders. Still pretty huge and creepy, but not so scary. I still did not appreciate lifting up a jacket (as seen in the picture) to find it crawling about under there!


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## Erin Zarro (Apr 30, 2011)

Oh God, that thing is huge and scary.  I can't stand them and they freak me out.


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## Brem (Jun 29, 2011)

Thank goodness I live in Michigan. I freak out when it comes to bugs and spiders. Never moving to a state where there is poisonous anything.


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## intinst (Dec 23, 2008)

Scientists say that there is a spider within three foot of you where ever you are in the world, for all of you arachnophobians out there. (I don't like them either!       )


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## NapCat (retired) (Jan 17, 2011)

intinst said:


> Scientists say that there is a spider within three foot of you where ever you are in the world, for all of you arachnophobians out there. (I don't like them either!  )


I REALLY did not need to know that !


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## Coral Moore (Nov 29, 2009)

intinst said:


> Scientists say that there is a spider within three foot of you where ever you are in the world, for all of you arachnophobians out there. (I don't like them either!  )


That's it, I'm ordering a plastic bubble! We had a ton of spiders early in the spring, but they were all small and nothing dangerous. That did not stop me from shrieking and calling my husband every time I saw one.


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## Ksenija (Jul 1, 2011)

Hehehe, my mother-in-law freaked out when she saw a myriapoda in my house ... She wanted me to kill it and was not happy when I only caught the animal and took it outside. Luckily when she was around no big spider or scorpion decided to show up.   We usually vacuum the spiders and flush the scorpions down the water. Or we catch them and release them outside the house. I don't particular enjoy sharing the house with them, but I am not scared of them either. I actually prefer them than mosquitoes!


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## herocious (May 20, 2011)

I just added Arachnophobia to my queue and moved it to the top. Watch out.


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## lpking (Feb 12, 2011)

That Wikipedia map is nuts. There are black widow spiders here in B.C. My mother-in-law lived in Ashcroft for years. She had a double-wide mobile home and underneath it was crawling with the friendly critters.


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## VincentHobbes (Jun 13, 2011)

Well, I'm creeped out....appreciate that!


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## Fredster (Apr 11, 2011)

Ugh. Every time I moved during the night, I wondered how many brown recluses were scurrying to get out of my way...and how many I touched. It doesn't help that I'm such an extreme morning person I'm practically a night-owl (generally wake up around 3:00), and have to shamble barefooted through a dark house when I get up, thinking about all the things I can't see.

On the upside, if you've ever seen any of those graphic brown recluse bite photos, I learned that the necrosis actually happens in less than half of the cases. So there's that.


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

rho said:


> The only problem with that map is I live waaay out on the eastern end of LI (NY) and we have black widows and brown recluse here too...


heh ... well it is Wikipedia.  Or yellow is being rationed on the internet from heavy emoticon use ...


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## PG4003 (Patricia) (Jan 30, 2010)

Very interesting to see this conversation, a friend of mine just posted on Facebook that she came home last night to find one of these in her shower!  This must be their active time of year.


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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

Geoffrey said:


> heh ... well it is Wikipedia.  Or yellow is being rationed on the internet from heavy emoticon use ...


But Wiki's source is this:

http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1603/0022-2585%282005%29042%5B0512%3AASASBR%5D2.0.CO%3B2



> Arachnids Submitted as Suspected Brown Recluse Spiders (Araneae: Sicariidae): Loxosceles Spiders Are Virtually Restricted to Their Known Distributions but Are Perceived to Exist Throughout the United States
> 
> Richard S. Vetter
> Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521; and Biology Division, San Bernardino County Museum, 2024 Orange Tree Lane, Redlands, CA 92374
> ...


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## StaceyHH (Sep 13, 2010)

Except that article is 6 years old, and bug habitats spread over time, and also it only addresses one species of recluse (Loxosceles reclusa), while there are at least 3-4 other endemic recluse species in the U.S.  Granted, most of those are confined to the South, SW and SE, a few have traveled, and can now be found across all the lower half of the country.


Around here, we have Hobo spiders (Tegenaria Agrestis,) which are also necrosing spiders, and which many people call "brown recluse," although they are not. You can have your spiders ID'd at various places, sometimes for a fee, sometimes not. OSU has an extension Ag campus who will do not only plant IDs but bug IDs. It's pretty cool. They are not endemic, having been imported from Europe by accident on commercial ships, only about 80 years ago. They have spread quite far in that time, starting from Seattle, and moving South and East, and is now quite common in most of the NW right up to the Rockies. I suppose it's just a matter of time before somebody's moving van transports Hobos to the rest of the U.S., since they seem to be quite good at surviving and adapting.

It would be highly unlikely to find any kind of Recluse in some areas of the country like the NW, but there are several Tegenaria and Agelenopsis species that look very similar to the Recluse (which looks quite a lot like the Hobo,) until you get them under a microscope, which is the source of all the confusion. Some of the differences are so subtle, that it is much easier to determine that a spider is NOT T. agrestis, L. reclusa, or other variety of hobo/recluse, than to determine that it IS in fact. But the truth is, it doesn't really matter what people call them, there are certainly necrosing spiders found in almost all the mainland states, so it's all pretty academic when you have an infestation of brownish fiddleback spiders in your house, it's wisest to assume they are necrosing spiders, and take care of the problem.

Same thing with Widow spiders, which have a much larger range, and can be found in every state, Canada and Mexico. There are at least 2 other Widow species in the continental U.S., but the Black Widow Spider is the most common by far, and the most venomous.


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## JFHilborne (Jan 22, 2011)

This thread makes me itchy


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## cc84 (Aug 6, 2010)

I'm sorry but no, i would move to a different country if i had those in my house. I always hate creepy crawlies in my house, but there's never any that big so i should stop moaning.


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## Fredster (Apr 11, 2011)

Ah, life in the country. 

I was just outside, moving the chicken feeders further under the shade structure in preparation for the coming thunderstorms. When I picked the first one up, I found a 3-foot rat snake curled up underneath, with two very distinctly mouse-shaped lumps partway down his body (the coop mice love to belly up to the chicken feeders at night). I thought about leaving him there to provide pest control, but since we have some chicks right now I thought it prudent to relocate him. So, I picked him up, brought him up to the house to show my wife, then released him into the ditch separating our property from the church next door. 

Snakes? No problem. Spiders? I'm like a little girl.


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## Geemont (Nov 18, 2008)

Hobo spiders are pretty nasty too.


> The United States has five groups of spiders that can cause serious injury. The Black Widow and Yellow Sac spider are found throughout the country, although the Yellow Sac's range has yet to be mapped precisely. The Hobo Spider has expanded its range in the Pacific Northwest, while the Brown Recluse is found in the South and lower Midwest. Other Recluses are found in the Southwest.
> 
> *Spider Maps*


DON'T LOOK! Brown Recluse bite pictures

 Bite Picture 1

Bite Picture 2


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## lpking (Feb 12, 2011)

Yeah, I'll take snakes any day over spiders. Though I've managed to kill three nasty ones over the last week, and hardly batted an eyelash. I just tell myself they're harmless. The spiders here pretty much are annoying rather than dangerous.


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## nomesque (Apr 12, 2010)

GAHHH!!!! Spider photos!!! *shudder*

Right, you lot asked for it.










This is a slightly larger version of the 'pretty', 'harmless' spiders in my back yard!


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## Kali.Amanda (Apr 30, 2011)

Dude, you have to move!


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## Vegas_Asian (Nov 2, 2008)

Bugs and snakes are the two things I have with a passion. That is why I plan on getting myself a set rig when I get my own place cuz that is what they have a tendency to eat

Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk


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## Not Here (May 23, 2011)

JFHilborne said:


> This thread makes me itchy


Ditto that. I keep feeling like somethings crawling on me. Ugh!

Lived in Missouri most of my life and aways had spiders to deal with. When I moved to Phoenix it was big cockroaches and scorpions. Up here in Wisconsin I'm sure there are plenty of spiders but my biggest problems are ants, earwigs and centipedes. Now I've got the heebie-jeebies.


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## Lisa Scott (Apr 4, 2011)

I've been avoiding looking at this thread for a few days now, concerned _I_ also wouldn't be able to sleep.
I wish I hadn't looked.  Good luck with _that_! yikes, yikes, yikes


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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

StaceyHH said:


> Except that article is 6 years old, and bug habitats spread over time, and also it only addresses one species of recluse (Loxosceles reclusa), while there are at least 3-4 other endemic recluse species in the U.S. Granted, most of those are confined to the South, SW and SE, a few have traveled, and can now be found across all the lower half of the country.


I find it hard to believe an entire spider population would spread across the country in 6 years.

Any data to back that up?


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## StaceyHH (Sep 13, 2010)

swolf said:


> I find it hard to believe an entire spider population would spread across the country in 6 years.
> 
> Any data to back that up?


Of course not, because that is not what I said.


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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

StaceyHH said:


> Of course not, because that is not what I said.


Well, the discussion here was about Brown Recluses in California and Long Island, and the comment was made that the Wiki map was wrong. That's why I posted Wiki's source. If you're not talking about them spreading throughout the country, then your point isn't relevent.


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## StaceyHH (Sep 13, 2010)

swolf said:


> Well, the discussion here was about Brown Recluses in California and Long Island, and the comment was made that the Wiki map was wrong. That's why I posted Wiki's source. If you're not talking about them spreading throughout the country, then your point isn't relevent.


  Yes, and we were also talking about Black Widows, scorpions, and other spiders that are misidentified as "brown recluse," such as those found in Long Island. There might have even been some discussion of snakes, but okay. And if you really want to get nitpicky and pedantic about allowing discussion of only one species of spiders, you really should be using scientific taxonomy to specify which exact species of spider everybody is allowed to talk about in this thread, so nobody gets off track and talks about other spiders which might be misidentified as the spider about which you wish to confine Fredster's discussion. Which is why I specifically referenced species.

And also, the fact of the matter is, a 6 year old bug habitat map is prone to being outdated, especially when referencing any non-endemic species. And last but not least, YOUR OWN LINKED ARTICLE referred to several species of spiders which may be misidentified as L. reclusa, which have wider range than L. reclusa, and which have expanded distribution since that article was published.


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## Alle Meine Entchen (Dec 6, 2009)

I should state that this thread is ooky and I thought it was going to be about babies.


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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

StaceyHH said:


> Yes, and we were also talking about Black Widows, scorpions, and other spiders that are misidentified as "brown recluse," such as those found in Long Island. There might have even been some discussion of snakes, but okay. And if you really want to get nitpicky and pedantic about allowing discussion of only one species of spiders, you really should be using scientific taxonomy to specify which exact species of spider everybody is allowed to talk about in this thread, so nobody gets off track and talks about other spiders which might be misidentified as the spider about which you wish to confine Fredster's discussion. Which is why I specifically referenced species.
> 
> And also, the fact of the matter is, a 6 year old bug habitat map is prone to being outdated, especially when referencing any non-endemic species. And last but not least, YOUR OWN LINKED ARTICLE referred to several species of spiders which may be misidentified as L. reclusa, which have wider range than L. reclusa, and which have expanded distribution since that article was published.


Actually, I haven't restricted anyone from talking about anything. I merely posted the article backing up Wiki's map, which was brought into question by anecdotes posted here about Brown Recluses being found in California and Long Island. The article shows that most of the time, what people think are Brown Recluses are in fact, not.

You seem to want to counter this with unsubstantiated claims that the article is outdated and the species has spread. Proof?


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## StaceyHH (Sep 13, 2010)

#1: The discussion has been about the "brown recluse," AND other spiders that may be misidentified as such. 

#2: Your habitat map is outdated, (the article is from 2005, but the habitat map is MUCH older,) and bug populations do spread, usually slowly, sometimes quickly through other means such as modern transportation as stowaways. "Brown recluse" (L. reclusa, specifically,) HAVE been found outside of their native habitat, as backed up by the references to the article YOU POSTED. It's rare, but it happens. 

#3: Loxosceles species are on the move, and always have been, as have Tegenaria, which most people ALSO call "brown recluse," even if their common name is "hobo spider." 

#4: If you want to get specific, you need to stop saying "brown recluse," and specify the species before you go calling out other people who ARE using species names. Your own referenced article uses taxonomy. As long as you insist that I'm talking only about L. reclusa, but keep saying "brown recluse," when I've clearly stated multiple times I'm talking about other (specified) varieties, your slurs are meaningless.

So if you're asking for proof of my comments, look no further than the references at the bottom of your own posting.


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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

swolf said:


> Proof?





StaceyHH said:


> #1: The discussion has been about the "brown recluse," AND other spiders that may be misidentified as such.
> 
> #2: Your habitat map is outdated, (the article is from 2005, but the habitat map is MUCH older,) and bug populations do spread, usually slowly, sometimes quickly through other means such as modern transportation as stowaways. "Brown recluse" (L. reclusa, specifically,) HAVE been found outside of their native habitat, as backed up by the references to the article YOU POSTED. It's rare, but it happens.
> 
> ...


I'll take that as a 'no'.

While you're obviously free to blather your opinion about any topic, I'm under no obligation to listen, so you're dismissed from my attention.

Carry on.


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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

Fredster said:


> Snakes? No problem. Spiders? I'm like a little girl.


I'm the same way. We used to go snake hunting when we were younger. Go out in the field and turn over rocks and find them lying upside down. Grab them on the neck and put them in a jar.

But spiders - I hate them. There was a huge hairy one near my baseboard one day, and I stepped on it and discovered it wasn't hairy - it was just covered with little baby spiders. They were all running around and I was jumping and dancing, trying to get them all before they got away under the baseboard. Ugh.

I do allow the spiders in my garden though. They're very efficient at keeping the bugs away.


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## StaceyHH (Sep 13, 2010)

Here you go: http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0017731

This article backs up what you claim was my assertion (but was in fact, not.) Irony. And oh hey! 2011 data which suggests that the old (old) and reused map might indeed be outdated. Imagine that!


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## StaceyHH (Sep 13, 2010)

More: http://www.americanarachnology.org/JoA_free/JoA_v36_n1/arac-36-1-150.pdf

Especially the part on p. 153 that questions some of the habitat findings of the 2005 Vetter study, which you are attempting to use to corroborate a map on Wikipedia that is from 1940 - some 70 years ago.


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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

StaceyHH said:


> Here you go: http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0017731
> 
> This article backs up what you claim was my assertion (but was in fact, not.) Irony. And oh hey! 2011 data which suggests that the old (old) and reused map might indeed be outdated. Imagine that!


From that article:



> At present, the spider's range is centered in the USA, from Kansas east to Kentucky and from southern Iowa south to Louisiana.


That matches the Wiki map.

All the rest is global warming crap about what MIGHT happen.



StaceyHH said:


> More: http://www.americanarachnology.org/JoA_free/JoA_v36_n1/arac-36-1-150.pdf


The map in that pdf matches the Wiki map:












StaceyHH said:


> Especially the part on p. 153 that questions some of the habitat findings of the 2005 Vetter study, which you are attempting to use to corroborate a map on Wikipedia that is from 1940 - some 70 years ago.


You mean this part?:



> The map of
> Gorham (196 then became the basis for the inclusion of the
> entire Gulf coast area in recent maps in Vetter (2000),
> Swanson & Vetter (2005) and many publications citing these
> ...


You did read that, right? Because it's talking about how the Vetter maps may be TOO extensive, and the Brown Recluse may not be as prevalent in some of the included areas as they once thought.

And the PDF goes on to actually use the Vetter study to make the very point I made:



> Although recluse spiders obviously can be found outside their
> endemic range, they still are quite rare and are not nearly as
> common as perceived by the medical community and general
> public (Vetter 2005).


And here they even talk about why the spider doesn't spread outside of its endemic areas:



> However, one aspect that reduces the
> potential for Loxosceles establishment outside endemic areas
> is that egg number and fecundity diminishes with successive
> egg sacs when re-mating is prevented.


And,



> Because of their inability to balloon, Loxosceles spiders are
> not well adapted to disperse from an infestation point. In nonendemic
> areas, they may develop large populations within one
> structure but they will not easily spread from that focal point
> ...


That section refutes your first link about the spider spreading because of global warming.

Did you even bother to read your own links?

That's pretty funny. You spent all that time googling just to prove my point.


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## StaceyHH (Sep 13, 2010)

Way to selective quote. Thanks for worrying about my time spent googling. I did have to google a little to find a link to the article, which my office neighbour gave me when he did a microscopic ID on a tegenaria sp. for me. But okay. Seems you need a reread of the articles though, but don't hurt yourself. Regardless, you still seem to be missing the point that other Loxosceles sp. are on the move, and are frequently referred to as "brown recluse," by laypeople and medical providers, and are also dangerous. 

But I understand that some people are averse to specificity, so unless you want to talk about what I've actually said about necrosing spider varieties, instead of about what you'd like to imagine I've said, I really don't see the point.


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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

StaceyHH said:


> Way to selective quote. Thanks for worrying about my time spent googling. I did have to google a little to find a link to the article, which my office neighbour gave me when he did a microscopic ID on a tegenaria sp. for me. But okay. Seems you need a reread of the articles though, but don't hurt yourself. Regardless, you still seem to be missing the point that other Loxosceles sp. are on the move, and are frequently referred to as "brown recluse," by laypeople and medical providers, and are also dangerous.
> 
> But I understand that some people are averse to specificity, so unless you want to talk about what I've actually said about necrosing spider varieties, instead of about what you'd like to imagine I've said, I really don't see the point.


Selectively quoting? I quoted directly from the page you asked me to read, and the only mention of Vetter was in that paragraph. And then I quoted other paragraphs that were applicable. If you can find anything in those articles that disproves my claims, then post them yourself.

Of course, you're now resorting to vaguely accusing me of not reading it correctly, when it's obvious you're the one who didn't read your own links, since the second one completely contradicts the first.

So, let's sum up: I asked you to prove your claims that the map and data were outdated and that the Brown Recluse had spread since that map and data were relevant.

In response, you posted two articles. The first agreed with the endemic region on the Wiki map, and then went on to make silly predictions about the spider spreading because of global warming.

The second article you posted not only trashed the theory that the spiders would spread because of global warming, but gave multiple reasons why the spider was not prone to spreading, and even provided evidence that the spider isn't even as widespread as the Wiki map claims.

And you want me to believe you actually read and comprehended these articles when you posted them? As if they supported your claims?

Thanks for the laugh.


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## UnicornEmily (Jul 2, 2011)

Oh, that's horrifying.  I don't usually kill spiders (I trap them and I take them outside -- I like spiders), but a brown recluse would definitely freak me out.  Do noooooooooooot want poisonous spiders living near me!


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## UnicornEmily (Jul 2, 2011)

Alle Meine Entchen said:


> I should state that this thread is ooky and I thought it was going to be about babies.


So did I! I know what you mean!


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## Hoosiermama (Dec 28, 2009)

Years ago, I was bitten by a brown recluse. Let's just say I couldn't sit down for a looong time. I missed 6 weeks of work and still have dead "hole" in one hip. I had actually gone to the doctor for a routine "female" exam, and he said "Uh oh." Not a good feeling. It was lanced multiple times, and even the weight of a sheet at night was agony. Our doctor said that if it had bitten one of my children, it probably would have killed him. Eventually, the rotted area was about the size of a fist.

We have had a pest control company service our house every quarter ever since--and this isn't even the same house I was bitten in. We think it may have gotten in our sheets when I hung them on a laundry line outside. I've never hung clothes out to dry since.

*shudder* Even the pictures in this thread freak me out.


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## Lisa Scott (Apr 4, 2011)

Hoosiermama said:


> Years ago, I was bitten by a brown recluse. Let's just say I couldn't sit down for a looong time. I missed 6 weeks of work and still have dead "hole" in one hip. I had actually gone to the doctor for a routine "female" exam, and he said "Uh oh." Not a good feeling. It was lanced multiple times, and even the weight of a sheet at night was agony. Our doctor said that if it had bitten one of my children, it probably would have killed him. Eventually, the rotted area was about the size of a fist.
> 
> We have had a pest control company service our house every quarter ever since--and this isn't even the same house I was bitten in. We think it may have gotten in our sheets when I hung them on a laundry line outside. I've never hung clothes out to dry since.
> 
> *shudder* Even the pictures in this thread freak me out.


OH my god. I'm so sorry. How horrible. I would have had to gone to counseling. Seriously. Any idea how it got you?


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## StaceyHH (Sep 13, 2010)

swolf said:


> And you want me to believe you actually read and comprehended these articles when you posted them? As if they supported your claims?
> 
> Thanks for the laugh.


Wow, all this because I pointed out that you were using a 70 year old range map? Well, don't I feel special now.


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## Hoosiermama (Dec 28, 2009)

> Any idea how it got you?


The only thing we can come up with is that it got in the sheets as they hung on the line. I never felt it bite me, and the first time I realized something was wrong was at the doctor. Thought I had a little pimple or something, and really hadn't paid any attention...until that "Uh oh" from the doc. Then he brought in all sorts of literature and talked about what would happen, and when to come in, and what to watch for.

We were living outside of Chicago at the time, and "supposedly" they hadn't migrated that far north (this was in about 198. Apparently one of them did!


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

Ewww.  And eeek.  I don't like spiders, and brown recluses scare me.  

We're in NW Florida and there's a big banana spider outside one of our front windows.  I've left her alone, they build cool webs and she's out of the way and I know she'll just hang there in her web & chow down on whatever flying bugs happen by - but I'm sure my DH will eliminate her next time he does yard work.  I'll spare y'all the pictures though - they're big & freaky looking.  And you can bet if she got lost and in my house I'd be shrieking my head off and finding something to kill her with.

Oh and the worst spider "thing"?  When you go to squish one and hundreds of baby spiders come out.  Total ick and yuck.


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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

StaceyHH said:


> Wow, all this because I pointed out that you were using a 70 year old range map? Well, don't I feel special now.


Actually, 'all this' is because you tried to run some b.s. by us and pretended you knew more about this than you do. Then you posted links to back up your claims that you obviously didn't read or comprehend.

As for the map, I wasn't 'using' anything. It was from Wiki, which someone else posted. Also, whether the map is 70 years old is irrelevant, since the two links YOU POSTED agree with it. (Which you would know if you actually could understand your own links.)

But of course, all this is somehow my fault.  F'ing unbelievable.


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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

Hoosiermama said:


> Years ago, I was bitten by a brown recluse. Let's just say I couldn't sit down for a looong time. I missed 6 weeks of work and still have dead "hole" in one hip. I had actually gone to the doctor for a routine "female" exam, and he said "Uh oh." Not a good feeling. It was lanced multiple times, and even the weight of a sheet at night was agony. Our doctor said that if it had bitten one of my children, it probably would have killed him. Eventually, the rotted area was about the size of a fist.
> 
> We have had a pest control company service our house every quarter ever since--and this isn't even the same house I was bitten in. We think it may have gotten in our sheets when I hung them on a laundry line outside. I've never hung clothes out to dry since.
> 
> *shudder* Even the pictures in this thread freak me out.


That's scary. I hope you've physically recovered. It's probably even harder to get over the fear of it happening again. I know it would be for me. I wish you good luck in recuperating.


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## JFHilborne (Jan 22, 2011)

What grosses you out most about spiders? All the legs or all the eyes? Didn't realize most spiders have 8 eyes. EIGHT! Ick. No wonder they scuttle when they see the boot coming towards them.


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## planet_janet (Feb 23, 2010)

That is terrifying!  I was under the impression that brown recluse spiders could be found where I live (CA), but I guess not and I am glad for that fact.  We have black widows and that is one dangerous spider species too many as far as I'm concerned.


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

On a related note - and the complete opposite side of the spectrum - in the last week I've seen geckos in the house on two different occasions ... Hurray!!  We didn't have any lizards in the neighborhood but they've slowly been moving in over the past 5 years or so .... hopefully they will stay in my house and in the yard and help keep the insects under control.


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## Holly A Hook (Sep 19, 2010)

I wouldn't even want to find that (referring to the first pic) and I handle tarantulas on a regular basis.  Brown recluse bites are nasty from what I hear, though I've never experienced any spider bite.


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## ◄ Jess ► (Apr 21, 2010)

Hoosiermama said:


> We were living outside of Chicago at the time, and "supposedly" they hadn't migrated that far north (this was in about 198. Apparently one of them did!


Oh my god, I wish I hadn't read where you were living at the time! We have quite a few spiders in the basement and I often see them crawling on the wall. Last night, there was a big spider in my blanket, so I just flicked it down on the floor. Now I am never going to be able to be that relaxed!


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## Alle Meine Entchen (Dec 6, 2009)

Geoffrey said:


> On a related note - and the complete opposite side of the spectrum - in the last week I've seen geckos in the house on two different occasions ... Hurray!! We didn't have any lizards in the neighborhood but they've slowly been moving in over the past 5 years or so .... hopefully they will stay in my house and in the yard and help keep the insects under control.


I have 2 brothers that "went to college" in Hawaii (that is sarcasm, they lived a mile from the beach, so I really doubt they were studying books) and they would catch Geckos and put them in their apartments. Those things are apparently natural bug catchers. If only it would work in freezing cold WV. I can handle lizards. Not snakes and spiders, but I can handle lizards.


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## Hoosiermama (Dec 28, 2009)

> That's scary. I hope you've physically recovered. It's probably even harder to get over the fear of it happening again. I know it would be for me. I wish you good luck in recuperating.


Oh yea, it was a long time ago, and I'm fine now. It just took a long time to heal and left a nice big scar (about the size of a quarter). I still freak out at spiders. Of course, that probably wasn't helped by having two little boys, who thought it was great fun to bring in an ant on a stick, yell "SPIDER!" and watch mom freak out.    Boys are so entertaining!

I still shudder at spiders, but I can kill them myself now, instead of letting out a blood curdling scream!


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## 4Katie (Jun 27, 2009)

I may never sleep again either after reading (and looking at) this thread. Yuck!



> Oh and the worst spider "thing"? When you go to squish one and hundreds of baby spiders come out. Total ick and yuck.


I'm SO glad you mentioned this! It happened to me once, and no one believes me. I stepped on a spider in the garage (attached to my house - yuck again), and TONS of babies came shooting out in all directions. SERIOUSLY yuck!!!


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## Fredster (Apr 11, 2011)

This is my life: I was spraying in the garden shed for brown recluses, and got stung on the neck by an angry wasp, which caused me to make an incredibly loud and embarrassing vocalization. I'm glad the corn was tall enough to shield me from view of the neighbors.


ETA: We have a metric buttload (the scientific term) of glue traps spread around in the house now, which I check obsessively. So far, we caught two dust bunnies and a cat toy.


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## R. M. Reed (Nov 11, 2009)

I have heard that brown recluses live here in the L.A. area but I haven't seen one. I did see a black widow in this area once, and after hearing about them all my life I was quite surprised to see that clear hourglass on her back.


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