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.
Posted by DDDaysh (Member # 9499) on :
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!
Posted by Eruve Nandiriel (Member # 5677) on :
My roommate found a brown recluse in her bed near the beginning of the semester. She hasn't slept there since.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
She's been sleeping in your bed, then? Scandalous!
Posted by Dragon (Member # 3670) on :
That's scary! How common are these spiders? How did you know it was one?
Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
According to Wikipedia they don't bite unless in danger, so likely it was just sitting on your jacket.
Posted by Tstorm (Member # 1871) on :
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.
Posted by aspectre (Member # 2222) on :
I see you failed to answer the real question, didja eat it. Spiders are brainfood, ya know.
And naturally GoogleAds brings up a remote control tarantula for your enjoyment.
[ November 10, 2007, 04:59 PM: Message edited by: aspectre ]
Posted by Squish (Member # 9191) on :
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.
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
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.
Posted by aspectre (Member # 2222) on :
The not-so itsy spider rolled 'cross S'hara sand, Met a German scientist and crawled up in his hand.
Posted by scifibum (Member # 7625) on :
We've had some black widows in our garage and around our front door.
I think the extermination company planted them there.
*peers through closed blinds, clips newspaper article that might be message from alien overlords*
Posted by scifibum (Member # 7625) on :
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. Posted by Tstorm (Member # 1871) on :
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.
Posted by adenam (Member # 11902) on :
I get so creeped out by spiders. Where do you live so I know never to travel there?
Posted by Starsnuffer (Member # 8116) on :
Kansas was mentioned
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
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.
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