SPIDERS DANGEROUS

Of the nearly 3000 species of spiders that live in the united states, only two groups are considered dangerous to people and both are found in Florida. The better known are BLACK WIDOW SPIDERS; the lesser known are BROWN RECLUSE SPIDER.

The BLACK WIDOW SPIDERS is found outdoors in all kinds of protected cavities. Around homes she prefers garages, gas and electric meter boxes, furniture and many other unbothered places. A Black Widow bite feels like a pinprick and sometimes is not even felt. Usually, a slight local swelling and two red dots surrounded by local redness indicate the location of the bite. Pain becomes intense in 1 to 3 hours and may continue up to 48 hours. Symptoms include abdominal pains, a rise in blood pressure, nausea, profuse perspiration, leg cramps, tremors, loss of muscle tone and vomiting. The toxin also causes breathing difficulties and sometimes unconsciousness.

The BROWN RECLUSE SPIDER is a non-aggressive creature that spins a white or grayish, nondescript web. Its body and legs cover an area about the size of a quarter and its color varies from an orange-yellow to dark brown to almost black. The most distinguishing characteristics of this spider are its eyes and its back markings. It has three pairs of eyes arranged in a semicircle on the forepart of the head. The eyes also form the base of a violin-shaped marking on its back. The Brown Recluse often lives around human dwellings and is found in bathrooms, bedrooms, closets, as well as under furniture, behind baseboards and door facings or in corners and crevices. It also seems to prefer cluttered garages. Sometimes people are bitten while asleep; others may be bitten by spiders in stored clothing. Usually the bite causes a stinging sensation and then intense pain. Within 24 to 36 hours, a systemic reaction may occur, characterized by restlessness, fever, chills, nausea, weakness and joint pain. The bite also produces a small blister surrounded by a large congested and swollen area. The venom usually kills the affected tissue, which gradually sloughs away and exposes underlying tissue. Healing may take 6 to 8 weeks, leaving scars that might require plastic surgery to repair.

If you are bitten by either of these spiders, seek medical aid immediately.