It finally happened, a spider got me.....

[Vikestand]

I can't upload the picture for whatever reason right now. But I got hit by a brown recluse this past week. I normally split wood with gloves and didn't have them on last Monday. Felt a sting(much like a wasp) on my right hand. Figured it WAS a wasp or yellow jacket since I didn't see a spider around(after jumping). Went to school on Tuesday and my right hand pointer finger was swallon with a central spot of swelling. Then I started have red streaks going up my arm(Infection in the blood stream). And started feeling sick. Went to urgent care after work and the doctor was a hand and foot specialist at one point in their career and identified it as a recluse bite. Got a shot in the ass and antibiotics and was a new man by Thursday. Luckily I have minimal damage to my finger. Just a swollen pealing spot the size of a nickel.

 

[jatoxico]

Heard the bites can be nasty. Luckily we don't have those around here. Biggest problem has been the number of crickets. Feel better.

 

[warno]

If it was in fact a brown recluse bite, keep an eye on it. We had a guy at work get taken out for about 4 months treating one. He got bit on his knee. The infection spread to the joint and at one point they were talking amputation.

Good luck, get well soon.

 

[Hasufel]

Glad you're doing better, and thanks for the reminder to wear gloves. Just be thankful you don't live in Australia!

 

[Vikestand]

If it was in fact a brown recluse bite, keep an eye on it. We had a guy at work get taken out for about 4 months treating one. He got bit on his knee. The infection spread to the joint and at one point they were talking amputation.

Good luck, get well soon.

If I can get my picture to load I'll gross you guys out in a bit.

Doc said I got to them early enough to contain. And that I should be glad it was a recluse and not a widow. I can bend my finger today, which is an improvement!

 

[cableman]

Heard the bites can be nasty. Luckily we don't have those around here. Biggest problem has been the number of crickets. Feel better.

Had a co-workers wife get bit by a recluse here years ago, and this bw on my neighbors sisters front door a couple towns away right on longisland!
Not native here but some how hitch rides!

 

[jatoxico]

View attachment 185338


Had a co-workers wife get bit by a recluse here years ago, and this bw on my neighbors sisters front door a couple towns away right on longisland!
Not native here but some how hitch rides!

Talk about unlucky.

 

[dafattkidd]

Yikes! Glad the doctor seemed to be fully prepared to treat your wound.

 

[Dobish]

My brother got bit, and it was nasty. We have a ton of black widows around here, and other spiders. I think the leave my house to go live in the wood piles so they aren't bothered. Keep an eye on it, and glad you caught it early

 

[CheapBassTurd]

Glad you are ok! That's no way for a woodsman to die.
We're supposed to bleed out from a lopped off foot.

 

[Vikestand]

Unfortunately the doctors in this area are all too familiar with these bites. Had a buddy get hit on his bicep a few years ago. He went to work and slowly going down hill from there. Still has the scarring from it.

 

[Xtrl9]

What kind of gloves are y'all wearing when handling the wood? I usually wear some leather drivers when stacking/moving wood but don't swing my spliting ax with any gloves, I will admit that when splitting I'll just pile it up unsplit on one side and splits on the other until I load it up in the wheelbarrow or truck to move over to a drying pile. Would get really tired of gloves on, gloves off for every log...is there a better way I don't know about?

 

[Woody Stover]

this bw on my neighbors sisters front door a couple towns away right on longisland!
Not native here but some how hitch rides!

I was picking up some White Ash rounds I had sawn. I lpicked one up to toss it in the trailer, looked down, and saw a BW on the end of the round, a few inches from my bare forearm. We've got Brown Recluse all over the place here. Ya gotta be careful where you put your hands. Probably have fifteen or twenty in the house right now, if I went looking for 'em.

 

[dafattkidd]

What kind of gloves are y'all wearing when handling the wood? I usually wear some leather drivers when stacking/moving wood but don't swing my spliting ax with any gloves, I will admit that when splitting I'll just pile it up unsplit on one side and splits on the other until I load it up in the wheelbarrow or truck to move over to a drying pile. Would get really tired of gloves on, gloves off for every log...is there a better way I don't know about?

I do gloves on gloves off too. I don't like having gloves on when swinging my maul. I try to set up a decent amount of splitting in one session before taking gives off. I usually fill a tire and a few others so I'm getting a few good swings in before putting gloves back on and placing the splits in the wheel barrow then setting up the next logs to be split. Not the best method but I do it so quickly it's just not a big deal.

 

[warno]

I'll be honest if I see a spider of any kind I try my best to not disturb it. I will honestly save wolf spiders and jumping spiders to prevent them from getting stepped on while I'm working. Wolf and jumping spiders, along with many other spiders, are cannibals. And they will actually eat brown recluse and black widow spiders.

Spiders do not bite us for fun, they do it for their protection if they feel threatened. I honestly prefer to see a spider in my house then a fly. I think I care so much about spiders because they eat the flying bastard insects that hate so so much.

Ok I'm done. Be safe everyone.

 

[pernox]

The pest control guys will say they don't live up here, but I have a co-worker whose mother has gotten nibbled by one twice... I don't use gloves like I should, but any time the kid or wife is handling wood, they are definitely in long sleeves and gloves. Would never forgive myself if they got a Brown recluse bite!

Glad you caught it early and are on the mend.

 

[CenterTree]

I hate when those itsy-bitsy ones go up my water spout.

 

[Pellet_Pete]

I saw lots of false black widows as I brought 2 cords in over the weekend - still made me stop and take a good hard look! Apparently they do occur up in the Northeast

 

[kennyp2339]

This post made me check what kind of spiders I have up here in NJ, it turns out that we have 3 bad ones, recluse, widow, and wolf, The one thing that stands out is how hardy the recluse is, can stand cold and hot temps

 

[sportbikerider78]

Spray the wood pile. Or at least the base of the pile.

Glad you're ok.

 

[SawDawg]

Unfortunately I've seen my fair share of black widows where I live. Thankfully their dark, damp environment is predictable so I always know where they'll be and thus wear gloves.

 

[TJ1]

Your a very lucky man. I bet its a 50/50 chance if someone is bit on their finger or toe they would lose the digit bitten.

 

[firefighterjake]

Black Widow?

 

[Fuut Master]

I have seen plenty of widows in the garage. Fortunately never seen anything in the house. I don't mind splitting with gloves. The only time I remove them is to wipe sweat off the face

 

[WoodyIsGoody]

I've always thought of gloves as standard fare for doing any kind of digging, cutting, splitting or chopping. If the leather palms get too slippery, try softening them up with some Sno-Seal or other leather wax.