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My office over the garage can’t be accessed from inside the house – the door is across the entryway, a few feet from the front door of the main house. A couple nights ago, I was upstairs in my office while Cris was sleeping downstairs. She woke up and came up to talk to me for a minute. She turned to go back down the stairs, and there was a big black rat in the stairwell! With no decent weapon at hand, I tried to close the door on it as it ran out, but aborted that manuever when I thought of the cleanup that would be required. Did manage to put a serious crimp in his tail though.
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Tonight I went out to the railroad and walked through the web of a very large, angry black widow spider. Fortunately the nasty creature didn’t get onto my bare legs. I’m still getting chills just thinking about it. I took a flashlight and a can of Raid, and went around the entire layout. Sprayed twelve black widows, plus a couple more that may have been widows but were too small to be sure. I’m not a big spider fan, and black widows are at the top of my “shoot on sight” list.
I was raised in Ramona. When I was about 7, the family was moving some laundry room appliances and my mother was bitten by a black widow. She went to the doctor and was given some kind of antidote that just left her feeling sick for a day or two.
I can still visualize the red streak where the vein in her arm was reacting to the spider’s poison. I really don’t like spiders much and am very cautious around anyplace where a black widow might be found. I have sprayers at hand in every outbuilding on my place, and use them pretty freely.
My wife has ‘spider jars,’ with covers, and uses them to trap and remove any spiders that get into the house. I guess that’s a tradeoff to my ‘kill on sight’ program, allowing some spiders to survive!
Happy RRing,
Jerry
I’ve heard those 'Recluse" spiders are pretty nasty, too. My brother was bitten by one of them. He was sick for a few days. When we’re out there on a visit, my sister-in-law is always warning me about them lurking about.
You’re giving me the heebiegeebies!
We get banana spiders, not sure if thats their real names but thats what we’ve always called them. They are huge black spiders with a cool yellow design on them. Some are 2-3 inches across (legs and all). Funny thing is they aren’t poisonous. For that matter they aren’t aggressive at all. My wife hates them and tries to kill them on site. Sometimes they take a couple of whacks to kill! But as long as they stay to the side i leave them alone cause they keep the mosquitos down. The brown recluse is becoming more prominent around here too. I have taken care of a few people who have been bit by them. My question is; if more and more people get bit by them, should they still be called a recluse? Or maybe they could be called the Brown Social spider?
I just looked them up and they are actually yellow garden spiders. Banana Spiders are from south america and are quite dangerous!
Owwww I hate Widows too, kill on site, no mercy.
With the high heat here, we’ve a bloom of bugs, including a bad problem with fleas due to an abandoned feral kitten we found under our house, kitty went to the shelter but we’ve been dealing with its little presents he left behind for close to 3 weeks now, including 2 visits by the exterminator under the house and around the yard, and me washing down the entire yard 3 times now with one of those AtomBomb bug sprays that should kill off half the Amazon forest, but the persistant little bastards are still out there, its unbeleivably frustrating as we have to be very carefull not to bring any into the house
One remedy for black widows that may be helpful – used by our family – is to load a squirt gun with ammonia 'n water or chlorox and water. A quick trip around the walkway produced a number of shots at black widow spiders. It does subdue them. Yes, the bites can produce varied experiences for the bitten. One family member, bitten, suffered extensive swelling, nausea, and was bed ridden for two days.
Wendell
For things like spiders or beetles I recommend this, its worked wonders for us, a 50-50 mix of generic mouthwash and generic dishwashing soap sprayed thru a garden sprayer that uses a hose, spray that around the yard. for our current predicament though, its
full
blown
chemical
warfare
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nK5fKFFqJe4
Thanks Vic! I sat and listened to the dead Kennedys all night. Ahhhh the things you find on You Tube.
I also have a unusual hatred for black widow spiders. I use what I call my ‘instant spider death’ which is my propane torch with an instant on trigger. Just point and shoot and they are dead dead dead.
Ken Brunt said:Brown Recluse spiders can be very nasty. Your skin rots at the bite. It will rot all the way to the bone and spread if not treated. Ralph
I've heard those 'Recluse" spiders are pretty nasty, too. My brother was bitten by one of them. He was sick for a few days. When we're out there on a visit, my sister-in-law is always warning me about them lurking about.
You also have to be careful of mis-diagnosis of spider bites. Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus infections (MERSA) are often mistakenly diagnosed as spider bites. This is the “flesh eating” infection that can be very serious.
More on Brown Recluse spider bites:
Within 24 to 36 hours the blister breaks open, leaving an open, oozing ulceration.
This ulceration ‘scabs’ over within three weeks from the initial bite, leaving a permanent scar. If the bite is delivered in fatty tissue, the lesion may be very deep and extensive, not healing for over two or three years. Systematic reactions to include severe headaches, nausea, vomiting, soreness and flu-like symptoms.
In extreme cases where the bite was not taken care of early, skin graft, amputation, and the possibility of bone marrow failure may occur.
As I said…can be very nasty.
Ralph
Ralph-
Thanks for the data.
Question: What is the convincing symptom or symptoms that don’t mask other causes that capture physician’s attention?
Any further information?
Keep it up and I’m moving to Desert Island!! Just sand no trees or anything else!
Paul
Ralph Berg said:
More on Brown Recluse spider bites:Within 24 to 36 hours the blister breaks open, leaving an open, oozing ulceration.
This ulceration ‘scabs’ over within three weeks from the initial bite, leaving a permanent scar. If the bite is delivered in fatty tissue, the lesion may be very deep and extensive, not healing for over two or three years. Systematic reactions to include severe headaches, nausea, vomiting, soreness and flu-like symptoms.In extreme cases where the bite was not taken care of early, skin graft, amputation, and the possibility of bone marrow failure may occur.
As I said…can be very nasty.
Ralph
I didn’t know all that. No wonder my sister-in-law was so insistant I keep an eye out.
Well, there go my plans for a “Brown Recluse and Black Widow Petting Zoo”. 
Wendell Hanks said:Really couldn't say. I've been spider bit many times and did not realize it until later. If you know a Brown Recluse can cause these problems, you might go see a doctor if you know you have been bit. But if you didn't know, how many of us would go to the doctor for a spider bite? And how long do we usually wait to see a doctor about a sore? By the time you wait a week or so to see if it heals on its own.....you could be in deep doodoo. Ralph
Ralph- Thanks for the data. Question: What is the convincing symptom or symptoms that don't mask other causes that capture physician's attention? Any further information?
Ralph Berg said:
Wendell Hanks said:
Ralph- Thanks for the data. Question: What is the convincing symptom or symptoms that don’t mask other causes that capture physician’s attention? Any further information?Really couldn’t say. I’ve been spider bit many times and did not realize it until later. If you know a Brown Recluse can cause these problems, you might go see a doctor if you know you have been bit. But if you didn’t know, how many of us would go to the doctor for a spider bite? And how long do we usually wait to see a doctor about a sore? By the time you wait a week or so to see if it heals on its own…you could be in deep doodoo. Ralph
Brown Recluse bite several hours after being bitten
(http://images.emedicinehealth.com/images/SlideShow/black_vs_brown_bite_site_s17.jpg)
Brown Recluse bite 3 days after bite.
(http://images.emedicinehealth.com/images/SlideShow/black_vs_brown_day_3_s18.jpg)
Nine days after bite…
(http://images.emedicinehealth.com/images/SlideShow/black_vs_brown_day_9_s19.jpg)
This is probably not something that you would wait a week for…