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Backpacker Magazine – September 2011
Rip & Live: Spiders
Itsy bitsy? Sure, but spiders loom large in hiker phobias. They shouldn't: Only a few subspecies of the black widow and brown recluse can inflict enough damage to cut short a hike. Here's what you need to know about North America's most venomous spiders, from how to avoid them to treating their bites.
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Tags:
- Health & First Aid |
- Wildlife |
- Threats |
- Survival |
Know Your Arachnid / Assess the Risk
Bothersome Biters / Avoid an Encounter / Bitten? / Venom Science
Anatomy of a Spider / Spider Bite First Aid
Bothersome Biters / Avoid an Encounter / Bitten? / Venom Science
Anatomy of a Spider / Spider Bite First Aid
Anatomy of a Spider
>> Chelicarae
These scary-looking mouth parts include fangs and venom glands. Usually, they’re not robust enough to penetrate human skin.
>> Scopula
Tiny hairs cover spiders’ bodies, allowing them to sense sounds, smells, and vibration. Scopula, thick tufts on the claws, provide purchase so spiders can scale walls.
>> Eyes
Most spiders have eight eyes (the brown recluse has just six), and many hunting spiders can see ultraviolet light, which makes their prey pop.
>> Legs
The arachnid calling card, leg arrangements are also subspecies identifiers. Each leg has upwards of seven segments and 30 muscles: Some spiders can jump 50 times their own length.
>> Spinnerets
Producing steel-strength silk, these amino-acidexcreting organs help spiders build egg sacs, spin prey-catching webs, and parachute to new homes.
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Spider Bite First Aid
Treat any arachnid attack to minimize painful symptoms and prevent infection.
>> Use soap and water (hand sanitizer works, too) to clean the bite. “In the past 15 years in the U.S.,” says Westerfield, “two people have died, not specifically from the bite, but from secondary skin infections.”
>> Ice or cool the wound. “Cooling prevents blood vessels from pumping the spiders venom much farther than the bite spot,” says Verret.
>> Elevate the bite site to heart level, which will further decrease swelling. Also remove rings, watches, and anything that may restrict circulation.
>> Pop an anti-inflammatory (like ibuprofen or aspirin) or the strongest painkiller you have. “The symptoms of a black widow bite are very painful cramps,” reminds Westerfield, and medical attention may ease patient anxiety, nausea, and pain.
>> If there are signs of a secondary infection—the bite site is hot to the touch, red, or swelling after six hours—go to a doctor right away.
>> Contact the Poison Control Center (800-222-1222) to report a bite and for information about symptom management if you suspect one.
>> DO NOT cut the wound to try drawing out the venom, or use batteries to try and neutralize it. These old-wives’-tale treatments can make the wound worse and kill more tissue.
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I was bitten in 2007 by a brown recluse at work. While researching for information on remedies I came across the Brown recluse first aid kit at http://www.brown-recluse.com/spiderinfo.html I bought one of the kit rush delivery and after using it quickly reversed the narcosis in the wound in 1 day and I was completely healed in 4 days. The product worked for me then and also worked this week when my wife came home form work claiming she had got bitten on the leg at work. I examined the wound and could see two puncture holes and concluded it was a spider bite. The bite swelling was already about 2" round. I applied the product twice a day for 3 days and it never reached the narcosis stage is completely healed now.
Congress should all have testicle bites, lmfao!
Testicle bites.... Ouch! lol
I can deal with spiders. But congress is another problem.
It's the ticks here in the northeast that scare the hell out of me FAR more than any other living thing in the woods!
Should I use my bee sting epipen if bitten by a spider or snake??
Thanks for the article. Snakes, bears, scorpions, and now the lowdown on spyders. Guess I'll wear a HAZMAT suit next time I go out hiking. Let me google that.
Thanks for the article. Snakes, bears, scorpions, and now the lowdown on spyders. Guess I'll wear a HAZMAT suit next time I go out hiking. Let me google that.
Lets not also forget the Corvair Spyder. Infamously tagged as being "Unsafe at any Speed" by Ralph the Green Nadar
This is a nice article. I don't really worry about spider when hiking or camping, I see them all the time. What I try to watch out for is snakes. I still don't worry about them, but I do watch for them more than spiders.
This is a nice article. I don't really worry about spider when hiking or camping, I see them all the time. What I try to watch out for is snakes. I still don't worry about them, but I do watch for them more than spiders.
Excruciating testicle bites? Liquified tissue? Are you kidding me? That's it- all of my backpacking gear is going on ebay and i'm taking up world of warcraft. Now i'm afraid to step foot outside my house! Thanks alot.
Black Widow venom messes with the victim's nervous system. For a child who has been bitten unknowingly, they may not feel any pain anywhere but might cry uncontrollably for no reason. Look for swelling and apparent location of bite. This happened to me when I was 4. For several yrs the location of the bite would swell about once a yr. There is no feeling at the end of my thumb where I was bitten. My grandmother was bitten at age 90 and after 3 days in ICU she was legally blind as the venom caused her retinas to rupture. Search your property for webs during the day then with a flashlight carefully re-visit those sites at night and kill the spider if you see it. If you can see where the spider may be hiding, you can spray spider poison at the hiding spot until it pools below and you may kill it that way. This proves to be successful as many times I check the following day and find the spider dead on the web or on the ground.
A mother in Australia wrapped gauze around the wrist of her baby daughter who was bitten on the hand by a deadly spider. The Drs in the ER said that action is what saved her. We saw this on a cable show about arachnids. I have never read that we should do that as part of first aid so I am wondering if it is a good thing to do or not??
A mother in Australia wrapped gauze around the wrist of her baby daughter who was bitten on the hand by a deadly spider. The Drs in the ER said that action is what saved her. We saw this on a cable show about arachnids. I have never read that we should do that as part of first aid so I am wondering if it is a good thing to do or not??
Try not to smash the spider when seeking an ID- this makes it very difficult. You can pop in an old pill bottle or plastic film can with a some 70% rubbing alcohol, or if live, put in a leaf or lightly damp paper towel. Check with your local university or nature center for ID help. Most alleged spider bites are really something else. These bites are rare and most spiders are great to have around for pest control and beauty. With very rare exception they only react in self-defense.
Ohio Spider Society member
I know a guy who lost his arm and another who lost his life to brown recluse bites. Both developed gangrene because of the open soars that would not heal. So technically the brown recluse didn't kill him or cause the loss of the are, thus I suspect the death and maiming rate is a bit lower than reality.
Agree with Chris. My dad ended up in the emergency room and nearly died from a Hobo spider bite. He had such severe head pain that they thought he was having a brain aneurysm, and it took four doses of morphine to even touch the pain. Admittedly, his experience was a bit extreme, but Hobos can be incredibly problematic for PNW hikers.
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