Here in Oklahoma, any time we have a wet season followed by extremely hot temperatures, we start to notice an abundance of spiders entering our homes. That’s because wet and mild climates generally see loads of insects where spiders can quickly increase their numbers gorging on them, but then when the temperatures rise and the sun starts baking the ground, spiders enter our homes seeking a cool refuge.
Unfortunately, we have to deal with two kinds of spiders in Oklahoma that are poisonous to humans; Brown Recluse Spiders and Black Widow Spiders. When they enter our homes they can pose quite a threat because of their venomous bites. Other spiders that you can find in Oklahoma, like tarantulas, jumping spiders, wolf spiders, and garden spiders may be formidable, scary or repulsive to some, but their bite is a lot less harmful.
Growing up in Oklahoma, we’ve always heard the Brown Recluse Spider referred to as a “fiddleback.” That’s because one of its distinguishing characteristics is a violin-shaped dark marking on the spider’s back. They are a soft-bodied species that is light tan to dark brown in color and has long, delicate legs that are covered with short hairs. Brown recluses are mostly seen at night when they come out to seek food. They hide during the day in undisturbed places like closets, cabinets, basements, attics, and even under furniture. This species of spider isn’t known to be aggressive and usually only bites when disturbed. People react different to the bite of a brown recluse spider; some may not even be aware that they’ve been bitten for hours while others experience an immediate painful reaction. The worst part of their bite comes from their cytotoxic venom that kills skin tissues. Healing can take six to eight weeks and sometimes skin grafts are even necessary to repair the damages caused by the fiddleback’s bite.
The Black Widow spiders found in Oklahoma, though poisonous, are actually a victim of bad publicity. While they are dangerous, the truth is that they haven’t caused any deaths in the US for many years. The tell-tale, big, black spider with the red spot on it’s abdomen are actually the females of the species. The males are brown in color and are rarely seen. Black widows are commonly found in and around man-made structures. They hide during the day and often hang upside down in their oddly shaped, messy webs at night. The black widow spider bite has a neurotoxic poison that affects nerves and nervous tissue. Usually the area that was bitten doesn’t swell and only a pin prick is actually felt. Later it’s followed by pain in the vicinity of the bite, abdominal pain, muscle aches and cramping, vomiting, sweating, fever, and headache. Their bite is usually more dangerous for small children, people with chronic health problems, and pets.
It’s definitely best to steer clear of these two poisonous spiders and if you’ve noticed an influx of them in your home, then definitely give us a call. Arrow Exterminators has over 60 years of experience in spider control and can help you solve all your creepy crawler problems.
