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Brown Recluse Spiders

^{Brown Recluse Spider}

Although all spiders are capable of biting, most spider bites cause little harm to humans. However, bites from spiders' such as the brown recluse can result in necrosis and severe illness. Long-legged and yellow-tan in color, brown recluse spiders of both genders are best distinguished by a fiddle-shaped pattern close to the eyes. Adults measure approximately ½-inch in length.

Brown recluse spiders dwell in dark, sheltered places and can be found in homes, barns and basements, as well as outdoor habitats. Webs tend to appear disorganized and are built most commonly near ground level. The spider is a hunter, so the web is not intended to catch prey. The brown recluse is throughout the American Midwest and South.

Brown recluse spiders are shy and rarely bite unless provoked. They are incapable of biting through clothing and bites sometimes go unnoticed until effects become obvious a few hours later. A pale blister ringed in red appears first. Fever, convulsions, nausea and weakness set in within one day. If untreated, the early blister may become a lesion, resulting in necrosis and severe nerve damage.