# Michigan Brown Recluse spider bite or “suspected” bite (true story, real pics)



## sweet lou

Petronius said:


> Without pictures, it never happened. :evilsmile


That would be TMI


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## Luvdayoop

JAA said:


> Photos are spot on. My wife was bitten in her side by a Brown recluse right here in macomb county, We believe it came from the wood pile she was removing some splits from, For a summer Bonfire. She never felt it, But she did have few drinks in her. Hospital confirmed it as a BR, Fifty cent size scare after tissue removal! Nasty bugger's they are. We had a warm winter I would say we may have another Banner Year.


I was nosing around the golf cart barn looking for a water spout to wet my golf towel before we teed off. Looking back it was probably a good spot to get a spider bite. I’m sure a good number of these travelers make their way indoors, or to a warm enough area to survive the winter when the weather starts getting uncomfortable for them. There are many Michigan insects and animals that can’t survive the cold weather. So they do something else until it’s over. Life will find a way, right? The past 2-3 winters have been very mild in southeast Michigan, and the ER Dr told me they see this more often then you think.


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## sureshot006

Petronius said:


> Without pictures, it never happened. :evilsmile


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## Nostromo

Luvdayoop said:


> I was nosing around the golf cart barn looking for a water spout to wet my golf towel before we teed off. Looking back it was probably a good spot to get a spider bite. I’m sure a good number of these travelers make their way indoors, or to a warm enough area to survive the winter when the weather starts getting uncomfortable for them. There are many Michigan insects and animals that can’t survive the cold weather. So they do something else until it’s over. Life will find a way, right? The past 2-3 winters have been very mild in southeast Michigan, and the ER Dr told me they see this more often then you think.


We pay dearly for the warm winters in insects etc. The brown recluse though, which is frequenter of wood piles. Can live quite well in your house. They don't build catchment webs, rather they go hunting for their prey. But even they can't make gulf seem exiting. lol

If you see one or find you've been bitten. Bug bomb your house like it's the Fulda Gap. Even if you find one in the wood pile outside.


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## FREEPOP

Nostromo said:


> We pay dearly for the warm winters in insects etc. The brown recluse though, which is frequenter of wood piles. Can live quite well in your house. They don't build catchment webs, rather they go hunting for their prey. But even they can't make gulf seem exiting. lol
> 
> If you see one or find you've been bitten. Bug bomb your house like it's the Fulda Gap. Even if you find one in the wood pile outside.


*What Spiders Look Like a Brown Recluse ?*
When it comes to spiders, many look the same. There is a good chance that if you see eight legs and brown coloring, you’re going to think you are looking at a brown recluse. Below are a few of the spiders that are frequently confused with brown recluses:

*Common House Spider*
As you can tell by the name, the common house spider is extremely common to North American households. While the name refers to several different species of spider, common house spiders share many of the same characteristics. For one, they are web-builders. Common house spiders build tangled webs in secluded spots where they will be out of the way and can go undisturbed. Basements, closets, and crawl spaces are all popular places for common house spiders to construct a web.

Common house spiders are about a quarter-inch long and are brown with faint black or white small patches of color. In other words, their coloring isn’t all that striking or noticeable. This allows them to blend into their surroundings with relative ease. Being able to disappear into the background is really their only defense mechanism since common house spiders aren’t aggressive. A common house spider would much rather find a new place to build a web and be left alone than try to bite you.

*Wolf Spiders*
Coming across a wolf spider can be very unsettling. Wolf spiders are larger than most spiders you are likely to find in your house. Wolf spiders do not build webs to catch prey. Instead they hunt crickets, ants, and other spiders for food. While this may seem pretty frightening, wolf spiders are not typically aggressive. However, they will bite if they feel threatened or are handled roughly.

Wolf spiders are typically tan, brown, or black in color. They are large and have hairy legs. Wolf spiders prefer to hunt at night but you can occasionally find them during the day. If you’re going to come across a wolf spider, you will likely seem them in your garage, basement, or on the ground level of your home. You shouldn’t try to squash a wolf spider because female wolf spiders carry their young on their backs. If you do step on one, the young will disperse.

*Hobo Spider*
The hobo spider’s reputation precedes it. Commonly referred to as aggressive house spiders, hobo spiders aren’t actually aggressive unless provoked. Many people are afraid of hobo spiders because they sometimes run directly towards them. In actuality, hobo spiders have terrible vision and quickly scurry towards you by complete accident.

Hobo spiders are commonly mistaken for brown recluses due to their brown coloring. However, there are some differences between the two spiders. Hobo spiders have a chevron pattern on their abdomens. These markings can be faint and difficult to see with the naked eye. Male hobo spiders have two palps, which resemble boxing gloves, attached to their heads. Unlike brown recluses, hobo spiders build funnel webs. These webs aren’t sticky like most spider webs. Instead, hobo spiders design their funnel webs to trap prey. They tend to build webs in dark secluded places such as in basements or woodpiles.


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## Luvdayoop

FREEPOP said:


> *What Spiders Look Like a Brown Recluse ?*
> When it comes to spiders, many look the same. There is a good chance that if you see eight legs and brown coloring, you’re going to think you are looking at a brown recluse. Below are a few of the spiders that are frequently confused with brown recluses:
> 
> *Common House Spider*
> As you can tell by the name, the common house spider is extremely common to North American households. While the name refers to several different species of spider, common house spiders share many of the same characteristics. For one, they are web-builders. Common house spiders build tangled webs in secluded spots where they will be out of the way and can go undisturbed. Basements, closets, and crawl spaces are all popular places for common house spiders to construct a web.
> 
> Common house spiders are about a quarter-inch long and are brown with faint black or white small patches of color. In other words, their coloring isn’t all that striking or noticeable. This allows them to blend into their surroundings with relative ease. Being able to disappear into the background is really their only defense mechanism since common house spiders aren’t aggressive. A common house spider would much rather find a new place to build a web and be left alone than try to bite you.
> 
> *Wolf Spiders*
> Coming across a wolf spider can be very unsettling. Wolf spiders are larger than most spiders you are likely to find in your house. Wolf spiders do not build webs to catch prey. Instead they hunt crickets, ants, and other spiders for food. While this may seem pretty frightening, wolf spiders are not typically aggressive. However, they will bite if they feel threatened or are handled roughly.
> 
> Wolf spiders are typically tan, brown, or black in color. They are large and have hairy legs. Wolf spiders prefer to hunt at night but you can occasionally find them during the day. If you’re going to come across a wolf spider, you will likely seem them in your garage, basement, or on the ground level of your home. You shouldn’t try to squash a wolf spider because female wolf spiders carry their young on their backs. If you do step on one, the young will disperse.
> 
> *Hobo Spider*
> The hobo spider’s reputation precedes it. Commonly referred to as aggressive house spiders, hobo spiders aren’t actually aggressive unless provoked. Many people are afraid of hobo spiders because they sometimes run directly towards them. In actuality, hobo spiders have terrible vision and quickly scurry towards you by complete accident.
> 
> Hobo spiders are commonly mistaken for brown recluses due to their brown coloring. However, there are some differences between the two spiders. Hobo spiders have a chevron pattern on their abdomens. These markings can be faint and difficult to see with the naked eye. Male hobo spiders have two palps, which resemble boxing gloves, attached to their heads. Unlike brown recluses, hobo spiders build funnel webs. These webs aren’t sticky like most spider webs. Instead, hobo spiders design their funnel webs to trap prey. They tend to build webs in dark secluded places such as in basements or woodpiles.


They do look like any old spider, but none of the above spiders venom destroy soft tissue like BR venom does.


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## BenGrimm

I know this is a late post...but I took down an old barn from Caro and brought it to Almont. Weeks later I was power washing the wood and found 2 on the same plank...also met a man in Manton, mi...he came to inquire about my grandfather who had just passed. He said he had just lost his wife also....to recluse spider bite. She had four operations and they cut most of her left posterior region away but I believe it got into the bones or blood he said and she passed. As I get older...I'm alot more observant and alot less reckless!


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## Tina Edwards 47

I think I too have got bitten by a brown recluse spider my bite looks like his but instead of them checking the kept saying they didn’t know what it was, sent me home with pain medicine and antibiotics. So I came back for them to still not tell me what it is but say they are gonna drain it, I’m in so much pain in the back of my neck an my face is numb as well on the right side.


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## Nostromo

Tina Edwards 47 said:


> I think I too have got bitten by a brown recluse spider my bite looks like his but instead of them checking the kept saying they didn’t know what it was, sent me home with pain medicine and antibiotics. So I came back for them to still not tell me what it is but say they are gonna drain it, I’m in so much pain in the back of my neck an my face is numb as well on the right side.


Sorry to hear of your troubles Tina. Hopefully they'll get it sorted soon.

Best of luck!

Sent from my SM-A025V using Tapatalk


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## michcats

They are around a guy i know does pest control on all the factories on the detroit river. I have seen too many pictures to count of them. They catch them on the glue boards for rats. They hitch a ride on cargo ships.


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## wildcoy73

they are nasty. Had a hole in my ankle for a year after I was bitten by one. don't wish that on anyone.

Sent from my SM-N986U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


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## Crestliner 16

I was bitten by a Brown Recluse on my chin,between my lip and chin. I didn't feel anything. Next day a blister it got to about the size of a dime and I popped it.I noticed some dry powdery yellow stuff so I put some Peroxide on it. Burned like hell. Went to the Doctor, he prescribed antibiotics and steroids, that didn't stop the damage though. I lost nine teeth and now I have to have surgery. I'm not looking forward to it. I was bitten in 2020 and still have issues. It was caught early but I have a scar about two inches long. The good thing is, it blends in with some wrinkles.


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