The brown recluse spider bite, like many other spider bites, is extremely hard to feel; if anything, the bite would feel like a pinprick if even noticed at all. The brown recluse is one of four poisonous spiders. In fact, only 60 out of 20,000 species of spiders are actually capable of biting at all.
The brown recluse is not an aggressive spider and the only way on would bite is if they feel threatened. This is usually cased by the brown recluse feeling trapped, which can happen if they are caught in clothes, or pressed between skin and another surface.
Spider Bite Reaction
The Initial Brown Recluse Spider Bite
Two Weeks Later!
The physical reaction to a brown recluse spider bite depends on the amount of venom injected and also the way the victim’s body reacts to the venom. Some do not react at all to a brown recluse spider bite, while other’s can be severely injured. While some notice the bite right away due to immense pain, others do not notice the bite for several hours, which can be extremely dangerous.
Some reactions due to brown recluse spider bites are a fever, the chills, itching, going into shock, vomiting, as well as restlessness. Initially a small white blister will appear where the brown recluse bit, the skin surrounding the newly form blister will also become swollen. Later as the area becomes infected it will get extremely red in color and the tissue also becomes rather hard.
Brown Recluse Bite
The bite from a Brown Recluse Spider is usually dry, blue-gray or blue-white, with an irregular sinking patch with torn edges and extremely red. The deep and sore wound from the brown recluse usually takes a very long time to heal. Death usually will not occur, however the risk is higher in young children and the elderly.
When there is a reaction to the brown recluse’s venom the bite actually forms into almost what is like a volcano lesion. The open wound can range anywhere from a few centimeters to a few inches in size. The open sour can take anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks to heal completely, and after that the entire recovery can take several months.
Brown Recluse Spider Bite Treatment
Victims should seek medical attention immediately after being bit by any spider due to the fact that many are unaware if a spider is poisonous or not. It is extremely helpful to bring in the actual spider, if possible, so that the doctor can identify whether or not the bite is dangerous or not. Many doctors will give high doses of cortisone-type hormones to help defeat hemolysis and other systemic complications. Other treatment depending on the case sometimes is also administered.
Bed Bugs are real and have made resurgence in the U.S. and infect hotels, apartment complexes and homes. We are going to provide you with information to help you determine if you have bed bugs and how to deal with infestations and protect yourself during travel. There are some easy ways to check for these bugs in hotels, before you sleep in the bed!
What are bed bugs?
Before I explain more, take a look at this video - warning: you won’t be able to sleep after this!
Bed Bugs are insects, more specifically, ‘True Bugs’, which have piercing mouthparts that in most species are used for feeding on plants. Unfortunately, there are some species of bugs with mouthparts that have been adapted to feed on human blood while inflicting very little pain (most never feel the blood feeding).
Human bed bugs found in the U.S., Cimex Lectularius, have a flat oval shaped body without wings and range in length from 4 to 7mm long. Their color is shiny reddish-brown but after a good serving of your blood, they appear dark brown and swollen as in the picture below.
There are three stages in the bed bug’s life cycle: egg, nymph and adult as indicated in the picture below:
The eggs are white and about 1mm long. The nymphs look like adults but are smaller. Complete development from egg to adult takes from four weeks to several months depending on the temperature and amount of feed available.
Both make and female bed bugs feed on the blood of sleeping humans during night. In the absence of humans, they will feed on mice, rats, chickens and other animals. Feeding takes about 10 to 15 minutes for adults and less for the nymphs; they feed about every three days. Depending on the conditions, bed bug nymphs can survive for months without feeding.
A good way to tell if you have bed bugs is by looking for blood spots on the mattress seam as in the image below. The spots are dark colored and in groups which indicate current or past infestation.
Can I get a disease from Bed Bugs?
To date, there is not a know case of disease associated with bed bugs and most people are never aware they have been bitten. Bed bug bites usually look like little red bumps which can look a lot like mosquito bites and for those that have sensitive skin, a allergic reaction can occur as in the picture below
If you have such a reaction, check with your doctor who may recommend an antihistamine or topical cream to relieve any itching and or burning. Do not scratch the bites as this may lead to infection.
How do bed bugs get into a home? Usually from hitching a ride on clothing or furniture. Once the bed bugs are in your home, they will gravitate to the sleeping area and will hide out in the following areas:
Seams, creases, tufts, and folds of the mattress and box springs.
Cracks in the bad frame and or head board
Under chairs, couched, beds and dust covers
Between the cushions of couches and chairs
Under rugs and the edges of carpets
In drawers, baseboards and window casings
Behinds electrical plates, cracks in plaster
Televisions, radio clocks and phones (scary!)
Bed bugs can also travel to adjacent rooms or apartments by making their way over plumbing and electrical wiring.
What to do when you find Bed Bugs!
The best way to deal with bed bugs to seal your mattress and pillows with a plastic or hypoallergenic zipped cover. This traps the bugs that are inside your pillow and prevents them from feeding and kills them over time - remember, a nymph can live for two months without feeding.
Do not apply any pesticide to mattresses or surfaces that would come in contact with the skin unless the pesticide specifically states that the product can be used in this manner.
Wash all your linens and place them in a hot dryer for 20 minutes (or you can freeze them at -5 C or below for five days).
You can vacuum to capture bed bugs and their eggs, but because the eggs are embedded to the fabric, you may have to scrape the surface. Once you have vacuumed everything, immediately place the vacuum bag into a plastic bad, seal it tight and dispose.
Seal items mentioned above to prevent the bugs from hiding. You can place glue boards or sticky tape around your bed and in the room to catch the bed bugs as the move around; this gives you a way to monitor the effectiveness of your efforts.
A few ways to prevent bed bugs from getting into your home include:
Hang clothing in the closet farthest from the bed
Place luggage on the folding rack found in most hotels
Place luggage in the dry cleaning bad found in the hotel.
Most important, don’t bring home a mattress that has been used by unknown sources.
If you have been bitten by a bed bug, please take pictures and the bite or even the area with blood stains and drop me an email (see bottom of page for address). I would be happy to post it for everyone to see and will make sure your information stays private. These pictures and / or your story will help others around the world deal with this common problem!
