Spider bite

[La Vette]

From the Wildlife/Nature section I have just found the spider that bit my husband (not the exact same spider!).  It is a wolf spider.  Does anyone know how serious the bite is as he has a very swollen hand (although it is getting better).  Should he have seen a doctor or pharmacist?  This is more for future information as it is still lurking by our pool.

[Spongebob]

AFAIK, the wolf spider is the only one living in the UK that CAN bite, and it's bite, although painful, isn't dangerous.

You'll have to wait for Chris to come on here to tell you more, but I BELIEVE that the only DANGEROUS spiders in france are a few Black Widows on the Med coast?

I got bitten by a quite large one, green and yellow, about three years ago. It left tiny bloody pinpricks, but no reaction whatsoever. Strange.

Oh, and it didn't survive biting me.[;-)] Why has yours survived biting your hubby?

Spongebob

Just found this. Good job you aren't a dog!!!

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/life/insects-spiders/spiderbites/rustic-wolf-spider-trochosa-ruricola.html

[Val_2]

I got bit by a spider back in 97 in our garden and my ankle turned almost black/blue and swelled up double. The local doctor was having at least 5/6 victims per week in his surgery. I never did find out which one it was but I always avoid those crabby brown/spotty ones that seem to love garden furniture and making webs everywhere since.

[WJT]

I hope that wasn't what I got bitten by! A few months back in France, I woke up with my elbow swollen up like a balloon, I didn't go to the doctor and assumed it was a spider bite. It did eventually go down, however to this day I still have a little knot on my elbow that wasn't there before. The worst thought though is one of those horrible things in our bed![:-))]

[Lori]

I've been bitten by the Wolf spider many times (unfortunately).  The wound always swells up and hurts and itches.  It then bubbles over and turns to a scab.  After several weeks (for me), the scab will eventually wash away, often leaving a scar.  I have never seen a doctor for the bites, though I was tempted.  I just begin with Cortisone cream the minute I feel the pain.  I tend to get them when I sleep.  In Spring and October, the house seems to be filled with them !!!   I hate spiders.

 

 

[chris pp]

Are we sure that it's wolf spiders that are doing the biting? I know that all spiders bite, although not many in France can bite humans, and those that do are not dangerous, although they can produce a sore, swollen area. Just wondering.

I think, not sure, that it's Steatoda paykulliana, a cousin of the black widow spider that can be found in the south of France that can give a painful bite.

Chris

 

[Lori]

The main reason I think it is the Wolf spider is that I see them in my bedroom and have seen them the morning I get up after a bite.  Assumption, perhaps not the best determination...

And now Chris, I have risen this morning to find a large (about 5 cm) wide wolf looking spider on the upper interior wall near our front door (actually daughter found it and I had to arrive to find out what all the screaming was about) - the different this time - it looked like it had a HUGE hairy belly.  Never seen that before.  When I sprayed it (I get a terrible reaction to bites and so must get rid of spiders in the house), dozens of little baby spiders fell from its belly -  The ghastly ughs, ooohs, oh my Gods, yucks, why do we live heres were a plenty.

Have never seen that and was thoroughly grossed out.  Oh, I know its Mother Nature, but it is an area we girls (in this house) don't enjoy.

Tis Fall, heaven knows what we will find on the walls/floors tomorrow.....

 

[Spongebob]

Lori, these don't sound at ALL like Wolf spiders, which aren't common, and live outdoors, and near water.

What you describe sounds more like a house spider, giant house spider, or even a mouse spider. (Now THERE'S a name to engender fear in a woman, if I ever heard one[blink] )

Thankfully, Mrs Spongebob isn't at all afraid of spiders, and caught the one I had on me last week in bed, before throwing it out of the window.

I'd have done it myself, but couldn't reach the stupid thing.

Yesterday, here in the UK, I walked through no fewer than THREE webs with large spiders on them,

TWO of these fell on me!!! : http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/life/insects-spiders/spiderbites/cross-or-garden-spider-araneus-diadematus.html

Have a look here:

http://www.kendall-bioresearch.co.uk/spider.htm#bites

Might help you recognise your attacker[;-)]

Spongebob.

[Lori]

	I did a bunch of web searches on spider bites after moving to France and getting bit each Spring and Fall.  It is entirely possible the bites are from something else as I am asleep when I get them.  I am very well read on bed bugs as when we rented our home out, I wanted to be very up to date on what they are, look like, evidence of and how they most often arrive in your bed.  We have no bed bugs in our house.  No animals inside and I'm very aware of what flea and fly bites are like.  The only thing we ever see in the house, especially at night and early morning are spiders.  The ones we see look almost exactly like the pictures of the Wolf spider.  I did read that in Spring and Fall they can be seen in homes. Since changing the bedding so that it no longer touches the floor, I have been bitten far less than before.  Husband has been bitten, but only once and it didn't react like mine do (see photo below for a not far off example).  Oh and when I was cleaning up the lovely wall spider I sprayed this morning, I counted 85 babies on the floor.  Next time, I will take a photo of the spider and post it.  When you get a reaction like the one shown here, it is hard to believe it could come from a flea or other bug, but I am no expert.  Also, if it were bed bugs, we would know as they only get worse. I did look at the site you noted and the spiders really do look like Wolf's... could be anything though.
	Fig. 9. A Tegenaria agrestis bite on finger

[Lori]

Chris, I looked up the Steatoda paykulliana and I have never seen one of these in my house.  I'm sure anything is possible, but since I see so many of the other spiders, wouldn't it be most likely one of those??  Also, I NEVER see webs in the house.  Does that mean anything??  And, do all female spiders carry their babies on their bellies like the one I killed this morning??  Counted 85 !

 

Sorry to somewhat hijack the op, though it does seem to be on a like-minded track.

[Patf]

Could you have been bitten by a centipede? Sorry to add to your horrors but they are around in the house and I've heard that they can bite. Especially as you've never really seen what's biting you. Pat.

[WJT]

OMG now I really will have nightmares! Very good tips though, I have never thought about keeping the bedding off the floor.

My bite didn't look anything like the one in the photo, I had no lesion or scab. My elbow just swelled up like a balloon (perhaps 10 times the size) and was very sore for weeks. My husband did get one on the inside of his elbow in his arm one night and had a terrible blister and was very sore and now has a scar there. It looks as if he must have trapped something in his sleep when he bent his arm and whatever it was bit him numerous times trying to get out [blink].

I do not like the sound of these bed bugs, not sure I want to do a search to find out[:'(]. Any other suggestions on how we can keep these and any other creepy crawlies out of the bed?

 

[Catalpa]

I get a lot of bites (which I first notice in the mornings) that swell, blister and then scab over and scar but I would be amazed if they were spider bites. For one thing, all spiders are ejected with extreme prejudice from our bedroom and I have never seen one on or in the bed. (brief pause as Catalpa walks into the garden and hugs a large tree in an attempt to thoroughly "touch wood").

If you get bites but don't actually see spiders bite you I just think it is more likely to be flying somethings. Mossies or similar. I can't imagine that spiders rush down walls, run over beds, bite occupants and then take themselves back to the walls again revelling in a sense of a job well done. [:-))] Our cats are always squishing wolf-type spiders, in a slow, meditative sort of way, giving spiders ample opportunity to bite. They don't seem to get bitten.

Try one of those plug in mossie repellents in your bedroom - they don't smell too bad - and see whether that reduces the number of bites. It has worked for me but I am convinced it's flying things biting, not spiders.

[powerdesal]

Having ended up in hospital (unconscious) due to anaphalactic shock following a bite from a little spider my advice is 'always beware ALL spiders'

[Benjamin]

Whatever you do, DO NOT, repeat DO NOT Google centipedes.

Benjamin

ps just look at the Wikipedia site!!!!!!!!!!

[Lori]

Already use the mosquito plug in thingies as daughter is highly allergic to their bites.  It isn't them.

You are all right, I do not see what bites me - only what is IN the house.  So, I figure it is a spider as they are so plentiful in Spring and Fall when I most often get bit.

I do not get such horrible reactions to mosquito bites, flea or fly bites - even daughter gets only (I say "only") extreme swelling to the blue point from mosquito bites, but not bubbling and scabbing and then scars.

I will look up the centepide possibility.  Wouldn't I have seen them at some point??? in the house.  Since this is a fairly regular occurence over a five year period and I am the only one in the house who seems to have this reaction, what would you think??  I really did try to research it via the web, but the only bite reactions that looked similar to mine were from spiders.  I'll keep looking.

Thanks for all the advice.  I need all I can get as I would really like to know what keeps attacking me.

 

[Lori]

Catalpa - I guess it could be flying things, but the bites occur when my body is under bedding (not exposed).  Makes me think it isn't flying things.  Maybe I should set up a camera but then I never know when it is going to happen and camera probably wouldn't record anything small or under cover - dumb idea, just a passing thought.

[Lori]

Okay Chris - this looks exactly like what I killed this morning.  I guess it could have been something else, but it looked exactly like this.  Sorry picture is so big.  don't know how to shrink it.

[Spongebob]

[quote user="Benjamin"]Whatever you do, DO NOT, repeat DO NOT Google centipedes.


Benjamin

ps just look at the Wikipedia site!!!!!!!!!!
[/quote]

And don't Google "Camel Spider" either[:D]

Spongebob

[Lori]

Benjamin - I already did that search.  The sting doesn't appear to cause the same reaction that I posted (that I get).  Granted it does say their sting/bite is unpleasant.  I can't seem to find an actual picture of the bite itself, only a written description.

The data didn't really bother me as the spider data seems much worse in my opinion.  And, I can't seem to find another spider that carries its babies on its back than the Wolf spider.  Am waiting for Chris.

....

[La Vette]

Spongebob, the spider survived as it was under the pool cover which hubby lifted to do a PH check.  Spider legged it across the cover.

[chris pp]

Bites and stings in France, someone should write a book on the subject, I'm sure that it would be a success.

Spiders are not something that I know much about at all, all I know is that I get an enormous amount of bites of all manner of different types and 95% of the time I haven't got a clue what made them.

Sorry, not much help, Chris

[Lori]

You are so right Chris.  A book of bites would certainly make it onto my bookshelf !

I guess I will go on wondering what it is that bites me each Spring and Fall.  Still figure since I see so darn many of those lovely spider critters, it must be them (process of elimination..).  But, only the "biter" knows for sure...