Spiders have long been viewed as creepy, loathsome creatures who are often victims of superstition, ignorance, and misguided fear. But despite their frightening appearance, most spiders have no desire to bite humans.
Only two spiders are considered evil. The brown recluse spider and the black widow. Contact Pest Control Bakersfield CA now!
Brown recluse spiders can bite humans, but bites are rare despite their presence in many dwellings. The brown recluse’s common name reflects its reclusive nature; it tends to run rather than fight, especially when a person approaches. This is how it survives in human homes – it hides in closets and attics, under furniture, behind baseboards, and in packed-away clothing and shoes that aren’t inspected before wearing.
Bites occur when the spider is unintentionally trapped against the skin, such as when a person dons clothes stored in a drawer without inspecting them first. The spider has small fangs, so the bite feels like a sting but isn’t always painful. A blister develops at the bite site, and the venom may penetrate deep into tissue, causing a severe lesion called skin necrosis. If this occurs, medical attention is required.
The venom of the brown recluse spider contains a complex collection of enzymes that cause hemolysis, which ruptures the walls of blood cells and leaks the red, oxygen-bearing proteins inside. This can lead to a painful open sore that heals slowly, and in severe cases may result in the death of tissue (necrosis).
Infection and scarring are also possible. The venom of the brown recluse can also infect the eyes, leading to a condition called retinitis, which causes the retina to swell and become blurry. It can also infect the lungs, causing chest pain and fever.
To prevent a brown recluse infestation, Marsh said that homeowners should take steps to reduce the number of places where the spiders can hide. This includes keeping bushes and shrubs away from the foundation of buildings, removing overhanging limbs, and sprinkling diatomaceous earth around the house to keep the soil from becoming too moist.
Pesticides labeled for brown recluse control can be used to treat wall voids, cracks and crevices, behind shutters and vents, and underneath baseboards. Encapsulated residual products and sprays are the best choices, and application should follow label instructions.
To avoid being bitten, people should wear long-sleeved shirts, pants, and gloves in areas where brown recluses are known to live. People should also examine themselves frequently for signs of a bite, and seek medical assistance if the bite is accompanied by difficulty breathing or a fever. Over-the-counter acetaminophen and antihistamines can help with the pain and itching.
Funnel-Web Spider
Funnel-web spiders (Hadronyche) are known for their funnel shaped webs which they build in grass, ground cover and the branches of thick shrubs. They are also very elusive, hiding in the foliage until they sense a vibration or other disturbance in their web. They then quickly crawl over the prey and inject it with venom. Funnel-web spiders are considered to be the most dangerous spiders in Australia and are often feared by people. Despite their deadly venom, they are not aggressive and will only bite humans if provoked.
Funnel Web Spider bites are extremely painful, and the wound is immediately noticeable due to the large fangs that penetrate the skin. Envenomation is typically rapid, leading to muscle spasms and fluid loss. These symptoms can be life-threatening and should be treated accordingly.
The venom of a funnel-web spider contains a group of proteins known as delta-hexatoxins. These hexatoxins are responsible for most of the bite’s toxicity. Delta-hexatoxins bind to specific receptors in the human body, which cause nerve cells to fire excessively. This causes a variety of unpleasant symptoms including nausea, vomiting, sweating and trouble breathing. The venom is also highly neurotoxic.
While some species of Funnel-web spider can cause significant illness and even death in humans, others have less potent venoms. The males of the Sydney funnel-web spider are especially dangerous. In addition to being more likely to bite, the venom from these males is more potent than that of the females. This is because the venom of females is less concentrated.
Research on funnel-web spider venom has shown that the lethality of this venom varies depending on the environment, physical state and behavior of the spider. Researchers are now hoping that a better understanding of this complex cocktail of toxins will unlock the potential for spider-based therapeutics and natural bioinsecticides.
Although the Sydney funnel-web spider is one of the most venomous spiders, it has not killed anyone since the development of anti-venom. Nevertheless, these spiders continue to be the source of immense fear in many Australian homes. It is important to remember that there are far more deaths caused by motor vehicles than those caused by the Sydney funnel-web spider.
Six-Eyed Sand Spider
The six-eyed sand spider (Hexophthalma hahni) is one of the most dangerous venomous spiders in the world. However, because it rarely comes into contact with humans and it is a shy creature, bites are extremely rare. Despite this, it does have the strongest venom of any spider in the world. The venom is dermotoxic and consists of a necrotoxin that destroys and rots the living tissues at the site of the bite, killing them from within. It is also highly hemolytic, causing severe bleeding and tissue necrosis. This combination of toxic effects makes the venom very dangerous, but it is less potent than the venom of the Brazilian wandering spider and the Sydney funnel web spider.
Like most araneomorphs, the six-eyed sand spider is covered in small hairs known as setae. These hairs act to hold particles of sand on their surfaces, making them blend seamlessly into their habitat. In addition to this, they have a unique way of hiding in the desert – they burrow into the sand and wait for passing insects.
When a prey animal comes by, the spider will pounce and bite it. Because of this, it is also referred to as the “flesh-eater” spider. While a bite may not be fatal for humans, it can cause extreme pain and swelling at the site of the bite. It is also possible to develop ulceration or weals from the bite.
The venom of the six-eyed sand spider contains the necrotoxin Sphingomyelinase D, which is dozens of times more concentrated than the venom of the brown recluse spider. This venom is also very lethal to mammals, causing rapid necrosis, destroying and rotting cells starting at the site of the bite. If left untreated, the poison will spread throughout the blood vessels and kill the organs, leading to a quick death.
The six-eyed sand spider is native to the arid deserts of Namibia. It can be found primarily in the Namib Naukluft Park, an area that is home to sand dunes, gravel plains and sparse vegetation. The sand spider is so well adapted to this environment that it can survive in different climate conditions and ecosystems, proving its adaptability and resilience.
Atrax robustus
The Sydney funnel-web spider (Atrax robustus) is a medium to large, darkly-colored Australian species that constructs distinctive funnel-shaped burrows in which they hunt their prey. Its venom is toxic to humans and it has been responsible for most of the world’s funnel-web spider bites that resulted in fatalities before antivenom was developed. Since then, however, bites from this species have occurred rarely, and no deaths have been reported.
Males of the Sydney funnel-web spider are able to produce more potent venom than females, and the venom they inject contains a neurotoxin that affects primates, including humans. This neurotoxin can cause a number of serious symptoms, including muscle spasms, nausea, vomiting, and limb weakness. In extreme cases, it can also cause a dangerous drop in blood pressure.
In addition to its toxicity, the male Sydney funnel-web spider’s fangs are extremely strong and capable of penetrating through the skin of a human. This feature, combined with its tendency to attack humans, has earned the spider a reputation as one of the world’s most dangerous spiders.
The front of the head region is shiny black, while the abdomen is dark brown or purplish in colour. Males are more slender than females and have a spur located on the third segment of the second leg. The spur is used to firmly hold the female’s mouthparts during mating.
These spiders are found throughout eastern Australia, typically within a 100 km radius of Sydney. They inhabit bushland and suburban gardens, and are primarily active at night. They are sedentary during the day and reside in burrows with their characteristic ‘funnel’ webbing, which can be found beneath logs or rocks in suburban gardens and bushland.
Although many venomous spiders can inflict painful and potentially life-threatening bites, they are not a significant threat to people who spend most of their time indoors. In fact, the world’s most dangerous spider is probably the common black widow, which produces one of the most powerful venoms known to man. In general, the more a person goes outdoors, the greater their exposure to spiders and other insects that could inflict a harmful bite.