Think twice about reaching under that log!

2.6k · June 12, 2003

Ouch!

Pepper playing nice!

Mokita!

3.8k · June 12, 2003

You put forth a strong argument!

June 12, 2003

Man is that nasty. What kind of spider did this?

GF

===========================================

Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.

1.7k · June 12, 2003

If I'm correct it's a brown recluse. Nasty little b**tards. Any chance of slowing the pictures down to get a better look? (At the spider.)

3.8k · June 12, 2003

I thought brown recluse at first, but I don't see the hourglass.

5.9k · June 12, 2003

I've seen Black Widows (they are the ones with the hourglass) in South Carolina, and I was aware that they were down there. Do we have those (brown recluse) in the PNW?

http://fp1.centurytel.net/Criminal_Page/

June 12, 2003

Here is a pic of the spider.

Former EarthNOlink user!!!!!!!!!

Take a chance or you'll never know. Let your spirits soar!

June 12, 2003

The hourglass is on the under side of a black widow. The brown recluse has a violin shape on the back of the head. The spider picture in the gif is from or used also on an Ohio State web page. http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/images/2061_2.jpg. Makes me wonder if the hand pictures are original.

June 12, 2003

Regardless of where the pictures are from, the brown recluse spider is a really nasty little bugger. I live in Oregon and my girlfriend got bit by a spider a few years ago, the doctor thought it might have been a brown recluse but it probably was a black widow since they are found around here. Here is a link on more info Medline Plus

"The best way to accelerate a Macintosh is at 9.8m/sec/sec."

-Marcus Dolengo

38.2k · June 12, 2003

That's why my hiking pole comes in handy so often.

"Au pays des aveugles, les borgnes sont rois"

June 13, 2003

Maybe it's just me, but... where's the violin shape? I don't see it.

June 13, 2003

NOT THE BEST THING TO LOOK AT WHEN YOUR EATING A BRATWURST!!!

3k · June 13, 2003

Darn, the pics of that thumb are making me hungry.

I wonder how long it takes to evolve to that nastyness that it did.

______________________________________________________________________________________

Caching without a clue....

June 13, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by umc:
I wonder how long it takes to evolve to that nastyness that it did.

"Within 24 to 36 hours, a systemic reaction may occur with the victim characterized by restlessness, fever, chills, nausea, weakness and joint pain. The affected area enlarges, becomes inflamed and the tissue is hard to the touch. The spider's venom contains an enzyme that destroys cell membranes in the wound area with affected tissue gradually sloughing away, exposing underlying tissues. Within 24 hours, the bite site can erupt into a "volcano lesion" (a hole in the flesh due to damaged, gangrenous tissue)."

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2061.html

--

Random fortune:

sigimage.php

June 13, 2003

My question is why didn't you seek medical attention BEFORE it got that bad?

My I sugest a new caching screen name. Lefty!!

If you get lost while geocaching, don't worry. Someone else will get lost while geocaching and find you.

June 13, 2003

"My I sugest a new caching screen name. Lefty!!"

Actually, don't you mean Righty???

GeoForse, and occasionally, the GreatrForse<br>

3.1k · June 13, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by GeoForse:
Actually, don't you mean Righty???

The right hand is what's left.

June 13, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Sugar Kane:
Maybe it's just me, but... where's the violin shape? I don't see it.

I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me.

June 13, 2003

One thing you don't get from the photos is the smell of necrotic flesh. To fully savor the experience, leave some hamburgher in your car for a few days, and then hold it under your nose as you view the photos.

Mmm, good!

As for the comment on the black widow bite, they don't cause the kind of tissue damage that a brown recluse does. The kind of damage shown above is classic brown recluse.

June 13, 2003

leatherman, this isn't your thumb is it?

June 13, 2003

There was a Discovery channel special on these little guys a while back. If I recall, those wonderful wounds never heal, but instead spread. There was one guy who started with a quarter sized spot on his back and now his whole back is rotten.

I think the word that comes to mind is "Yuck"

Contents Under Pressure...

June 13, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Sugar Kane:
Maybe it's just me, but... where's the violin shape? I don't see it.

Imagine the body of the violin on the spider's head, just behind the two palps. The neck of the violin trails down the spider's back. It's pretty clear in the posted picture.

I was bitten by one of these once, but luckily it was a small immature one and didn't have a ton of venom. It was in a shirt I put on. It bit me on the side, just below my rib cage, and produced a lesion about 3/8" across that took fully three months to heal.

Recluses are no fun. Looks like the guy in the picture waited too long to start treatment, though, because it doesn't usually get THAT gory.

--

Scott Johnson (ScottJ)

2.3k · June 13, 2003

If you start spinning your own webs and become a crime fighter, you have just blown your secret identity.

Rule #1 here in Arizona: kick it before you pick it up.

June 13, 2003

I just had one in my basement shower. They are one of the few agressive spiders. I went to kill it with a little 5lbs dumbell and it lunged @ it when it was about 2 inches away. They don't mess around.

2.6k · June 13, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by hammack:
leatherman, this isn't _your_ thumb is it?

No. Thank god!

Pepper playing nice!

Mokita!

June 13, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Indiana Cojones:
One thing you don't get from the photos is the smell of necrotic flesh. To fully savor the experience, leave some hamburgher in your car for a few days, and then hold it under your nose as you view the photos.

Mmm, good!

As for the comment on the black widow bite, they don't cause the kind of tissue damage that a brown recluse does. The kind of damage shown above is classic brown recluse.

I just got done removing a dead cat that had crawled in the hole around where the sewer cleanout is on my girlfriends rental house. My guess is that it has been there for about a month and was steeping in sewer water that had backed up because of tree roots plugging up the mainline. Talk about rotting stinking nasty smell.

One of my co-workers was talking with me earlier this week. He said that an old guy that he went fishing with in Montana one time had a little quart jar of attractant that he used for catfish. I guess this stuff worked good since they caught a lot of fish. He opened it up and my friend promptly hung himself over the side and puked for about a half hour. The guy said that he made the attractant by dropping in dead birds, fish guts and deer guts and let it sit out in the sun for about a year. I don't even want to imagine what that smelled like.

"The best way to accelerate a Macintosh is at 9.8m/sec/sec."

-Marcus Dolengo

June 13, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Indiana Cojones:
One thing you don't get from the photos is the smell of necrotic flesh. To fully savor the experience, leave some hamburgher in your car for a few days, and then hold it under your nose as you view the photos.

Mmm, good!

As for the comment on the black widow bite, they don't cause the kind of tissue damage that a brown recluse does. The kind of damage shown above is classic brown recluse.

We, at the Soylent Corporation, would discard the hand. It can not be recycled. This is our promise of quality to you the consumer.

SYLENT GREEN IS PEPLE!!!

Remember, Tuesday is Soylent Green Day......

1k · June 13, 2003

Wow! That is scary!! If you got to a hospital quick enough, can this be treated before it gets like that?

Do these spiders live in NJ??

If so, anyone wanna buy a GPS!!!!!

Kar

4.8k · June 13, 2003

quote:
Do these spiders live in NJ??
If so, anyone wanna buy a GPS!!!!!

Yes! But before you give up the GPS, know that your odds of getting bitten are extremely slim. They tend to like things like dirty garages (I have seen and killed one in mine) and other such places. The odds of finding one under a log, while possible, is slim. Your odds of getting bitten are even less. They could also be in your basement or garage, but the odds of finding it or getting bitten are, again, extremely slim. Still, the lesson of "look before you reach" is always a good one. Who knows what spider, snake, rodent, or other animal might be under there!

I will add that I once bought a put it together yourself type bookcase that was made in Taiwan. I got bit by a spider that was in the box. No way to know if it was a foriegn or US spider. Anyway, while I don't know if it was a recluse or a widow or something else (I stupidly smashed it beyond recognition to the disappointment of my doctor), I got a fever, my finger swelled up big time, and it was very painful for two + weeks.

I figure that other than one tick, I have had no ill effects from caching, while I was injured from a bookcase. So, no need to give up the GPS when you can get a nasty spider bite at home from an innocent seeming bookcase!

9.5k · June 13, 2003

I use leather gloves when poking around. I dislike insect bites even more than prickly nettles.

Cheers!

TL

4.5k · June 13, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Tsegi Mike and Desert Viking:
If I'm correct it's a brown recluse. Nasty little b**tards. Any chance of slowing the pictures down to get a better look? (At the spider.)

Hit the escape key on the keyboard when you want to stop on a particular picture. Then "refresh" the page to get them going again.

On another thought, while that is a really nasty bite, I'm still more concerned with ticks and Lyme. You can't get away from that threat here where I live.

Alan

4.8k · June 13, 2003

quote:
On another thought, while that is a really nasty bite, I'm still more concerned with ticks and Lyme. You can't get away from that threat here where I live.

Yeah, my one lone tick bite (a deer tick at that), which is about two weeks old now, is slow to heal. Yet, there is no bulls-eye, it is not painful (it is just still there in a small form) and I have no other ill effects. But with all the Lyme concern and considering that I got the tick on the east coast instead of here in Nebraska (where there is still not a human Lyme case reported) I give pause. Anyway, I'm not concerned, but I will keep watching it!

June 14, 2003

I was bitten by a brown recluse about 13 years ago. Damned thing crawled up my pants and bit me on the inside of my thigh about an inch away from the boys. Put me in the hospital for three days, made me walk funny for about two months. The doc said that 20 years prior I would have died from the little bugger. On the plus side- Pain is temporary and chicks dig scars. It looks just like a bullet wound!

Bender

Searching, for the lost Xanadu

June 14, 2003

most folks bitten by a brown recluse are bitten while putting on clothes that the spider has hidden in. recluses are recluses in that they don't like to be seen out and about. they like dark, close, concealed places and your clothes closet is perfect. to avoid being bitten shake out clothes that have not been worn recently prior to dressing. the bites vary from the not so bad, to the sort of thing presented here. early treatment definitely helps, though in some cases skin grafting is needed. for sure we have them here in the south, but in 46 years neither i, nor any of my family have been victims, leading me to believe the risk is low. the sick tick remains your most feared denizen of the great outdoors (discounting people, that is). -harry

June 14, 2003

Just a warning about deer ticks--not all tick bites that have lyme disease show the classic "bull's eye". You can get lyme disease without it. (My daughter had lyme disease and never had the "bull's eye". If you have the tick, take it to the health department to be tested; otherwise, I would get to the dr and have them administer antibiotics. Better safe than sorry. You don't want to wait until you have serious symptoms.

2.7k · June 14, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by sept1c_tank:
I thought brown recluse at first, but I don't see the hourglass.

Could be teh Hobo spider which is similar to the recluse. We're more like to have the Hobo spider on the west side of Washington, but I know of a few cases of Recluses seen in the drier east side and to the south. One man had his leg amputed a couple years ago after being bitten by a Hobo.

You know those huge spiders you see in the house. Those are relatively harmless...I think they are called Wolf spider or something like that. Anyway, they compete with the Hobo spider and usually win so they are actually good. Though I will admit if I see one in the house, I'll capture it and put it outside.

Anyway, have you noticed the funnel webs in logs, etc. Avoid those! Teh Hobo and others are funnel web spiders and their desposition is nasty. I'm in the process of gettting the house ready to paint and am discarding old wood piles...yuck! Lots of spiders...some are Hobo and others I can't identify. So I'm wearing thick gloves and being real careful!

June 14, 2003

So, Leatherman, who's hand is that? And did it finally heal?

4.8k · June 14, 2003

quote:
Just a warning about deer ticks--not all tick bites that have lyme disease show the classic "bull's eye". You can get lyme disease without it. (My daughter had lyme disease and never had the "bull's eye". If you have the tick, take it to the health department to be tested; otherwise, I would get to the dr and have them administer antibiotics. Better safe than sorry. You don't want to wait until you have serious symptoms.

Thanks for this info and your email to me about it. I feel fine, but it is weird that this tick bite hasn't really healed after several weeks. I figure I'll call the doc just to be safe and I'm due for a checkup anyway.

As for wolf spiders, which somewone mentioned, they can cause a painful bite, but nothing really serious. They can get HUGE here in NE. I had one in my house once that was not much smaller than a tarantula. I knocked it into a trash can with a broom and threw it outside. That was the biggest NE spider I have ever seen and to see it in my living room was pretty freaky!

June 14, 2003

quote:
I'll capture it and put it outside.

I'd capture it and put it out of its misery...

Every hour spent geocaching is added to the end of your life

June 15, 2003

You know, I had never seen one of those spiders until Memorial Day weekend. Then as I entered my tent on a backpacking outing one fell from the ceiling of my tent onto my lap. I chased it out of my tent using a bottle. The little sucker is fast and it can leap. The camping spot we chose was a damp decidious forest near two streams. I found out after the trip that it was a brown recluse. I have the same picture on my website in the trip report http://jeremy.qn.net/vesuvius.htm

I'm glad it didn't bite me...

________________________

I'm not saying we should kill all the stupid people in the world. I'm just saying we should remove all the warning labels and let the problem take care of itself.

June 15, 2003

when you're allergic to insects like i am(not too severely tho) you learn to be careful. i got a rash for 2 months from a grasshopper that got smashed on the back of my leg, i'd hate to see what one of those things would do to me! bees & wasps stings almost get me hospitalized. hope the person is ok now.

Click to subscribe to ozmtngeocachers

if you cache it, they will come.

1k · June 15, 2003

quote:
bees & wasps stings almost get me hospitalized

Tell me about it! I swell up like you would not believe from mosquitos, and they love my blood. I can't imagine what would happen if I got bit by something like this...Ouch

Kar

9.5k · June 15, 2003

Wolf spiders also have a keen sense of sight. I once threw a shoe at one that was 3 inches in diameter and 15 feet away and the damned thing dodged it! They love hiding in that old English ivy and because of that, I tore it out away from the house.

Cheers!

TL

1.7k · June 16, 2003

Tarantulas and wolf spiders don't stand much chance in my house! I've nailed them with brooms, books and drowned them with cans of Raid. I hate spiders in the house!

Till a voice, as bad as Conscience, rang interminable changes

On one everlasting Whisper day and night repeated -- so:

"Something hidden. Go and find it. Go and look behind the Ranges --

"Something lost behind the Ranges. Lost and waiting for you. Go!"

Rudyard Kipling , The Explorer 1898

9.5k · June 16, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Tsegi Mike and Desert Viking:
Tarantulas and wolf spiders don't stand much chance in my house! I've nailed them with brooms, books and drowned them with cans of Raid. I hate spiders in the house!

Till a voice, as bad as Conscience, rang interminable changes

On one everlasting Whisper day and night repeated -- so:

"Something hidden. Go and find it. Go and look behind the Ranges --

"Something lost behind the Ranges. Lost and waiting for you. Go!"

Rudyard Kipling , The Explorer 1898

DITTO. I get the heebie jeebies everytime I see any spider in the house. I don't care how good they're supposed to be for catching other bugs. Ever have a spider rappel from a ceiling onto you? Ugh. It probably didn't help when I first saw the original B&W "The Fly" with Vincent Price when I was a kid.

Cheers!

TL

June 16, 2003

Being new to geochaching this is truly my biggest fear rinning into ANY spiders. I am a nature lover but CANNOT STAND SPIDERS! I know they eat other nasty bugs and all but they scare the cr@p out of me. I had to move the reply window over the slide show when I was typing this.

*shuddering, whilst the goosebumps take over*

3k · June 16, 2003

oh my word! First, I'm going to vomit! Thanks Leatherman for the graphic photos. Second, I am going to have to become a nudist, since I can now never wear anything out of my closet again! And third, maybe I should go see a doc about these two tick bites (one I'm sure is a tick bite the other I didn't see the tick but the bite has the same properties) and fourthly, I may have to go get me some of those leather gloves. Caching at night in Central park didn't frighten me too badly but I DO NOT LIKE SPIDERS NO WAY NO HOW!!! My friend (a cacher) was bitten by something once (not while caching) and he believes it was a brown recluse. On the back of his neck and it looked like someone put a cigar out on his neck. Took a long time to heal too. hooooo shudder!

Cache you later,

Planet

So many caches, so little time.

June 17, 2003

I love Manhattan. I love virtual caches. Now more than ever.

June 17, 2003

I've been avoiding this thread for days, but finally peeked in. Why do I do this to myself? I really should know better.

I am now totally freaked out.

____________________________

I'm a loner, Dottie. A rebel.

When you walk through a storm, hold your head up high,

And don't be afraid of the dark

www.bookcrossing.com Read and Release!

June 17, 2003

Yeesh! Those pictures are quite grotesque! What was that guy thinking? Taking the time to document the loss of his thumb with a photo-journal, without taking the time to see a doctor? I doubt he'll be doing any hitch-hiking anytime soon!

I happen to like spiders, not on my person of course. We let the wolf spiders hang out in the house, they usually are around the house more in the fall. I admit it is a bit eye-opening when you spot one on the ceiling when you're in the shower. I'm no spider expert, but I assumed the wolf spider didn't make webs for food. I thought they sculked around hunting for food?

I've never seen a poisonous spider, although I was bitten by something about a month ago while pressure washing my patio. At first it looked like a small scratch on the side of my calf and it itched a little, within a few hours it was a big red mound about the size of a coaster you put your drinks on. It never hurt or stung so I just decided to watch it.

I'm still watching it. It shrunk down and became a scab that has hung around for some time now. I'm pretty sure it must have been a Hobo spider. Oh well, no real harm done and it's not like I could have prevented it.

OG

Prophetically Challenged (or is that Pathetically?)

Think twice about reaching under that log!

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