I picked up my jacket from the chair in my living room, and went out the door. I walked three blocks or so, to the appliance store down the street. After talking with the salesman/repair guy for about a minute, I took off my jacket, because I was getting pretty warm. On the collar, inside the jacket, was a little 1/2" brown spider.
The sales guy saw it at the same time I did.
I took the jacket all the way off and set it on the floor. Leaning in to take a closer look (I'm near sighted), I got a good look at the spider.
Why, it was none other than a Brown Recluse.
Pardon me while I shudder and get goose bumps over my entire body.
I checked, and I don't see any early evidence of a bite, and I haven't felt anything like a bite or sting this morning. According to information I've researched twice now, I'll be able to tell within 2-8 hours; there should be a noticeable bite mark or other symptoms.
I think I'm ok, but it's time to bug-bomb this house, if for no other reason than it will destroy the food source that attracts these spiders.
Posts: 1813 | Registered: Apr 2001
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I have spiders all over my house too, but none of mine are poisonous. I live in an old house, and it's not "air tight" so I welcome the spiders. They help keep down the mosquitos!
Posts: 1321 | Registered: Jun 2006
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My roommate found a brown recluse in her bed near the beginning of the semester. She hasn't slept there since.
Posts: 4174 | Registered: Sep 2003
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According to Wikipedia they don't bite unless in danger, so likely it was just sitting on your jacket.
Posts: 8473 | Registered: Apr 2003
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Likely, it was crawling all over around under my jacket, thinking, "I gotta get out of here!"
In this area of Kansas, they are common. My dad routinely finds them in his house, and he lives just fifteen minutes down the road.
I know it was a brown recluse because I've identified specimens before. I took advantage of the science/biology department at the college where I work, to identify a few I collected over the summer. The identification is accurate; I know what they look like.
Posts: 1813 | Registered: Apr 2001
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I'm glad you're okay. Spiders can be so frightening just because it's so hard to tell in a split second if it's harmful or not.
Posts: 168 | Registered: Feb 2006
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I was borrowing a wrench from the neighbors next door and both of them were in the garage. While the husband handed me a wrench his wife pointed by my shoes and said, "Oh look a black widow."
Before even looking I thought, "Well they do live in Utah but they wouldn't come up to this altitude." Upon a closer look that bright blood red hourglass showed up. I don't even go into the basement section of the house I am living in, I am CERTAIN there are at least a handful of spiders down there, I'm ignoring them for now, when the house gets demolished they will leave.
Posts: 14316 | Registered: Jul 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Teshi: According to Wikipedia they don't bite unless in danger, so likely it was just sitting on your jacket.
Wikipedia also cites spiders being caught up in clothing as a situation where the spider might feel threatened. Posts: 4287 | Registered: Mar 2005
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The darned things are just endemic around my area. I've killed a few since I originally posted this thread. In fact, just a few days ago, I smashed a mature brown that was hiding under my book bag at work. This is not a case of mistaken identification. I've become quite good at identifying these spiders.
Posts: 1813 | Registered: Apr 2001
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We have black widows here. I will never forget the time I let the baby crawl around and she came within 4 inches of picking one up and putting it in her mouth before I grabbed her away.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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