Folklore would have you believe that all spiders are dangerous, but that’s simply not true. Unless cornered, injured, forced, or mishandled, most spiders will run away from humans rather than bite them.
Poisonous Spiders In Kentucky can be found indoors and outdoors, posing a risk for workers who may be handling objects that could attract them (such as garages and basements). But the risk is generally minimal and bites are easily treated.
Symptoms
Symptoms of spider bites vary depending on the type of spider. Only a few species of spiders in the country can harm humans, and they usually only bite when they are trapped or under threat. For example, if someone touches a box that a spider is living in or wears a jacket with a spider hiding inside, they may be bitten.
Most spiders do not puncture the skin when they bite; instead, they inject toxins into it. These toxins can cause itching, redness, and pain. The severity of the symptoms depends on how toxic the spider’s venom is. For example, a bite from a black widow spider can result in a severe sting and serious wounds. Other spiders, such as the brown recluse and hobo spider, can also be harmful to people.
When a person gets a spider bite, they should first wash the bite area with mild soap and water. They should then cover the bite with a thin layer of antibiotic cream. If the symptoms get worse, they should seek medical attention immediately. Some of the symptoms that are important to look for include redness spreading from the bite, fluid draining from the bite, an increase in pain, or a color around the bite that looks like a halo or bull’s eye.
In some cases, a spider bite can be fatal. For this reason, it is important to get emergency treatment right away if the symptoms indicate that a venomous spider bit you. Some symptoms of a deadly spider bite include vomiting, numbness and tingling, breathing problems, abdominal cramps, and high blood pressure.
To prevent getting bitten by a dangerous spider, people should wear long pants and sleeves when working outdoors. They should also shake clothing and shoes before putting them on and inspect woodpiles and sheds to make sure no spiders are living there. If they need to work with firewood, they should wear gloves and a long-sleeved shirt when handling it. They should also avoid walking into dark places where spiders are likely to hide, such as under fallen rocks and logs.
Treatment
Fortunately, deaths from spider bites are extremely rare. Clinics, poison control centers, and hospitals often have species-specific antivenin on hand to treat a potential bite. Antivenom is a serum containing antibodies to the venom of the spider responsible for the bite.
Antivenom treatment consists of two components: analgesics to manage the pain and sedatives for symptom control. Antivenin is usually administered intravenously. It has been shown to improve pain and symptoms within an hour of administration. It also has the added benefit of preventing the progression of the symptoms to potentially life-threatening complications (eg, priapism, compartment syndrome, hypotension).
In addition to antivenom, several nonpharmacologic interventions are available for patients who develop signs and symptoms from venomous spider bites. The most important is to prevent additional contact with the spider. This can be accomplished by reducing clutter in and around closets, attics, basements, crawl spaces, sheds, and outbuildings where spiders may hide. Also, securing doors and windows with caulk or weather stripping can help prevent spiders from getting inside buildings where they could be trapped.
Employers should educate workers about the presence of venomous spiders in outdoor environments and provide them with appropriate protective equipment to reduce their risk. This includes teaching workers how to identify venomous spiders, including their common names, and how to avoid their bites.
Although venomous spiders are most commonly found outdoors, they sometimes find their way indoors, where they can pose a risk to workers such as machine operators, janitors, and cashiers. In the workplace, venomous spiders can cause serious injuries that threaten the health and safety of employees. Therefore, employers should work with their safety and health staff to develop policies and procedures to minimize the risks of venomous spiders in the workplace. This should include educating workers about the prevention of spider bites and how to protect themselves from them and training supervisors on how to recognize these injuries. In addition, companies should establish a policy on the use of insect repellents in workplaces where spiders are known to be present. This should be reviewed regularly and updated as needed to reflect current scientific knowledge about spiders, their behavior, and the effects of their bites.
Prevention
Although spiders have a bad reputation, they are not aggressive and bite only when trapped or accidentally disturbed. The majority of spider bites occur when people brush a venomous spider against their skin or crush its legs or abdomen as it tries to defend itself by running away or hiding in a corner. Often, these bites are not serious and only cause minor pain and swelling.
Several preventive steps can be taken to help minimize spider encounters and bites. Recognizing the distinctive features of venomous spiders (such as the black widow’s red hourglass shape and the brown recluse’s violin-shaped mark) can aid in prevention. Knowing the signs of a possible bite (swelling, redness, and muscle aches) can prompt people to seek medical attention when necessary.
In addition, sealing cracks and crevices where spiders can hide and gain entry into structures, reducing bright outdoor lighting that attracts insects upon which spiders feed, trimming weeds and grass around buildings, and removing outdoor debris can all discourage widow and other venomous spiders from living near homes. Brushing webs and removing clutter in basements, attics, closets, garages, and sheds also reduces the number of spiders in those spaces.
It is also important to carry a tetanus booster and to be familiar with the symptoms of an allergic reaction to spider bites. If you have a severe reaction, it is essential to call 911 and use an EpiPen if one is available.
In addition to preventing spiders from living near residential areas, professional pest control services can help eliminate venomous spiders. The National Pest Management Association recommends hiring a reputable pest management company to inspect for and remove spiders, including widow and brown recluse, as well as to seal and caulk any outside openings where they may enter. These measures can provide the best protection against venomous spiders.
Conclusions
Spiders have a bad reputation as vicious, venomous creatures that should be avoided at all costs. Despite popular belief, however, most spider species are not harmful to humans. Even those that do possess venom, in most cases, can’t deliver a significant enough dose to cause serious symptoms or complications. Understanding the truth about venomous spiders can help to dispel misconceptions and allow people to enjoy the benefits of these insects as natural predators of pest insect species without undue concern.
The only spiders that pose a significant threat to humans are members of the brown recluse and black widow families. These species are typically found living in basements, garages, and secluded areas around homes. They tend to be shy and rarely bite unless accidentally threatened or trapped, and they inject very little venom with each bite. The venom of these species contains compounds that trigger an allergic reaction in some individuals, resulting in a variety of symptoms including muscle pain, cramps, and even breathing difficulties.
It is important to remember that a bite from these spiders requires several conditions to be met for an allergic reaction to occur. First, the spider must be able to penetrate the skin with its fangs, which is generally impossible in most adults. Second, the bite must be from a species that produces enough venom to cause symptoms. Finally, the individual must be sensitive to the particular allergens in the venom. The severity of a person’s reaction to venomous spiders can also vary due to age, general health, and genetics.
With so many spiders to be found all over the world, it is understandable that some may encounter these species inside their homes. Keeping home environments clean and tidy can minimize the likelihood of encounters, as can taking precautions such as wearing gloves when gardening or working in outdoor areas where spiders may be present.
While venomous spiders are a real threat to some homeowners, most of them can coexist within the home and yard. The most dangerous spiders are the two species highlighted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and a few others that are known to cause medically significant bites in other parts of the world.
