homnspector Posted March 23, 2006 Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 Got this e-mail from my sister today. Something else to worry about. This guy was bitten by a Brown Recluse spider. The following illustrates the progression of a brown recluse spider bite. The affected skin actually dies on his body. Some of the pictures towards the end are pretty nasty, but take a look at the last one -- it is a picture of the spider itself. The Brown Recluse Spider is the most dangerous spider that we have here in the USA. A person can die from it's bite. We all should know what the spider looks like People will be digging around, doing yard work, spring cleaning, and sometimes in their attics. Please be careful. Spider bites are dangerous and can have permanent and highly negative consequences. They like the darkness and tend to live in storage sheds or attics or other areas that might not be frequented by people or light. If you have a need to be in your attic, go up there and turn on a light and leave it on for about 30 minutes before you go in to do your work. Download Attachment: image001Rec.jpg 25.86 KB Download Attachment: image002Rec.jpg 14.52 KB Download Attachment: image003Rec.jpg 13.35 KB Download Attachment: image004Rec.jpg 13.29 KB Download Attachment: image005Rec.jpg 25.7 KB Download Attachment: image006Rec.jpg 17.07 KB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgbinspect Posted March 23, 2006 Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 That's pretty ugly. Here's a link to a very comprehensive article about identifying the spider and where we can expect to find it. http://dermatology.cdlib.org/DOJvol5num ... cluse.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottpat Posted March 23, 2006 Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 I believe that this person is a member of the ASHI Georgia chapter. Shannon Cory the chapter Prez was showing these pictures at the ITA Vegas show last year. If I recall he had to have a skin graft after it healed. I think Shannon said it took about 12 weeks. This spider is very common in the South, I find more of them than Black Widows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobC Posted March 23, 2006 Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 That why we have winters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian G Posted March 23, 2006 Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 I did an old Victorian once that had been restored, crawled all over, under, and around the thing checking it out top to bottom (client was a lawyer, on top of everything else). The deal worked out, everyone was happy. A month or so later the husband calls to ask if I saw any particular signs of spiders...nope. Turned out they were infesting the place by the dozens and the little lady wouldn't set foot in it now. They didn't blame me, but it gave me the chills....I ran my hands all over pipes and stuff in the crawl space, and carelessly intruded into lots of other places they must have been. Jeeeeeeez. Brian G. Spiders Suck [:-crazy] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwg27 Posted March 23, 2006 Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 Originally posted by Brian G. I did an old Victorian once that had been restored, crawled all over, under, and around the thing checking it out top to bottom (client was a lawyer, on top of everything else). The deal worked out, everyone was happy. A month or so later the husband calls to ask if I saw any particular signs of spiders...nope. Turned out they were infesting the place by the dozens and the little lady wouldn't set foot in it now. They didn't blame me, but it gave me the chills....I ran my hands all over pipes and stuff in the crawl space, and carelessly intruded into lots of other places they must have been. Jeeeeeeez. Brian G. Spiders Suck [:-crazy] Not as big a problem along the coast, but I hate 'em as well... I know I spend too much time in crawls looking for snakes when I should be looking for spiders to drop down on me[:-bigeyes I'm thinking about another increase in prices for crawl spaces! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hausdok Posted March 23, 2006 Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 I was bitten by a spider once. It was after I did a house where there was a huge population of wolf spiders (the really big ones), the only natural predator of the brown recluse. I guess it should have occurred to me that there was something attracting them but I ignored them. It happened in my truck after I left the inspection and I thought it was from a bee. Within minutes I got sick and started getting crossed vision. I drove myself to the emergency room and they told me that I'd been bitten by a brown recluse and gave me some kind of stuff. My bite never looked as bad as that though. I did get a little spot of necrosis but perhaps I just got to it in time. I've done so many nasty crawls that I tossed my "spider stick" years ago. I just wear a cap, gloves and coveralls and push on through the damn things and they get out of the way or get crushed. I don't have the time nor the inclination to detour around them. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgbinspect Posted March 23, 2006 Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 Me too. I just terminate them with a quick and stealthy pinch of my mule work gloves if I see them and do clear the web, but just press on. Interestingly enough, in my entire career (8700 and counting) I've only seen two snakes, two opossum and about maybe 30 widows. And that's it! The snakes we just agreed not to bother each other and I pressed on. They never budged. Had they, I'd have beat them to death in a frenzy, no doubt. Now the Opossum, I passed on those crawlspaces. They were both with babies and I din't care to find out how protective they might be... I hate those snaggly sharp teeth and beady eyes! The widows, I ignored hust keeping in mind where there's one, there's more. They've historically been behind insulation along the headeer joist or in a vent and not a problem. I guess I'm pretty lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Katen Posted March 24, 2006 Report Share Posted March 24, 2006 Originally posted by hausdok I was bitten by a spider once. It was after I did a house where there was a huge population of wolf spiders (the really big ones), the only natural predator of the brown recluse. I guess it should have occurred to me that there was something attracting them but I ignored them. It happened in my truck after I left the inspection and I thought it was from a bee. Within minutes I got sick and started getting crossed vision. I drove myself to the emergency room and they told me that I'd been bitten by a brown recluse and gave me some kind of stuff. My bite never looked as bad as that though. I did get a little spot of necrosis but perhaps I just got to it in time. I've done so many nasty crawls that I tossed my "spider stick" years ago. I just wear a cap, gloves and coveralls and push on through the damn things and they get out of the way or get crushed. I don't have the time nor the inclination to detour around them. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike I'm told that the Hobo Spider's bite is indistinguishable from that of the brown recluse. We have tons of Hobo spiders in the PNW. - Jim Katen, Oregon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hausdok Posted March 24, 2006 Report Share Posted March 24, 2006 Could have been, I suppose. I'm no expert on 'em. Tell you what though, it was like having someone rake sharp finger nails across you back continuously for days and weeks on end. Nothing quelled the sensation. Doctor told me it was nerve damage. Took literally months for the fingernail raking to go away and the spot to heal. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Katen Posted March 24, 2006 Report Share Posted March 24, 2006 Originally posted by hausdok Could have been, I suppose. I'm no expert on 'em. Tell you what though, it was like having someone rake sharp finger nails across you back continuously for days and weeks on end. Nothing quelled the sensation. Doctor told me it was nerve damage. Took literally months for the fingernail raking to go away and the spot to heal. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike I kinda like the fingernails-in-my-back thing . . . Oops. Better stop now before the censors have to step in. - Jim Katen, Oregon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hausdok Posted March 24, 2006 Report Share Posted March 24, 2006 Yeah, I used to. No more though. OT - OF!!! M. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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