Spider web
Spiders are a groups of creatures that belong to the arachnid group. While many spiders have a small amount of venom that they can inject into prey, some spiders are much more poisonous than others. North Carolina, in the southeastern section of the United States, is home to a wide variety of spiders, with two types being significantly poisonous.
Black Widow
The black widow spider, whose proper name is "Lactrodectus mactans," can inject a painful, venomous bite. While males are capable of biting, females are more poisonous. The female also has the most distinguishable markings, with a black body and red hourglass shape on the abdomen. The females are about 1 1/2 inches long. The males are smaller and have markings similar to young black widow spiders: tan or gray color with white and orange abdominal stripes.
Black widow spiders prefer cool, dark, protected spaces. They often reside under rocks, plants, appliances and woodpiles, as well as in crawl spaces and sheds. A black widow's bite can cause pain, nausea, muscle spasms, breathing difficulty and elevated blood pressure. An anti-venom exists, although it usually is reserved for severe cases. Narcotic pain killers are often administered to provide relief to the victim.
Brown Recluse
The "Loxosceles reclusa," or brown recluse, is another poisonous spider found in North Carolina. They also prefer cool, dark living areas such as woodpiles, rocks, dark corners, storage areas and shoes left outside. The adults grow up to 1/2 inch long and have a fiddle-shaped marking on their backs, as well as eyes that are grouped into three pairs. A bite from a brown recluse often results in a lesion that blisters and begins to rot. Victims often experience stinging, itching, nausea and fever.
Anti-venom is most effective if it is administered early. If a bite goes untreated long enough, doctors may have to perform surgery to remove dead skin in and around the bite to prevent infection from spreading.
First Aid
Many spiders in North Carolina, as well as in other locations, possess a certain amount of venom. For most people who are bitten by these spiders, a bite will result in only minor discomfort. For some, however, a spider bite can trigger a dangerous allergic reaction. Spider bites also often take place without the victim knowing it at first. Once the bite is noticed, it may be too late to identify the spider. Therefore, if you are bitten by any spider, or if you have a painful bite that mysteriously emerges, seek medical treatment at once.
If you have to wait for a period before you are able to be treated medically, clean the wound, elevate the area, and apply cool compresses. If you happen to kill the spider that bit you, use a paper towel or tweezers to place the spider in a bag or container so that your doctor can positively identify it. If a child, pregnant woman or person with high blood pressure is bitten by a poisonous spider, the risk for complications rise, and immediate medical intervention is even more critical.
Tags: North Carolina, amount venom, black widow, blood pressure, cool dark, more poisonous, poisonous spider
