Those are very good resources for information about the brown recluse.
The brown recluse is very, very common in the Missouri Ozarks, as are
copperheads, but hey, you take the bad with the good. It is still God's
country. :-)
I can assure you that there is not a building, public or private,
inhabited or not, in this area that does not have a brown recluse spider
in it. Fortunately, they are well named and very reclusive, indeed. As
the Ohio link indicates, you will not get bitten unless you accidentally
lie on one or put on some clothing that happens to have one of the
rascals in it. I have been bitten only once in 27 years here and I am
sure that I rolled over onto it during the night. I lived in a very old
house then that was seriously infested with them. I never even knew I
had a spider bite until I bumped that spot against a table and felt a
lot more pain than the bump justified. Upon examining the spot, I
recognized what it was immediately and realized that I didn't have the
flu after all. Not quick to heal in my case, but no treatment required
and no scarring or permanent damage.
The pictures on the Ohio link are much more representative of our
Missouri specimens than the ones pictured on the KY link. Guess the KY
spiders are better fed and more embarrassed about having their picture
taken, thus the more red. The shed skin picture though is very accurate
and it is quite commonplace to find large collections of them in attics
and such places here.
Like most pests, people overreact because of lack of familiarity. Here,
they are no big deal. Like copperheads and ticks, they are a nuisance,
but nothing to get worked up about.
Bill Wells (in southern MO where most things are finally beginning to
recover and green up a bit following the Easter devastation)
John I Jones wrote:
>
> There is a very nice web page on the Brown Recluse at:
>
>
> http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2061.html
> <http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2061.html>
>
> and
>
> http://www.uky.edu/Ag/Entomology/entfacts/struct/ef631.htm
> <http://www.uky.edu/Ag/Entomology/entfacts/struct/ef631.htm>
>
>
>
> John
>
> On Apr 24, 2007, at 5:53 AM, bzzscheile@aol.com
> <mailto:bzzscheile@aol.com> wrote:
>
>>
>> Barbara Null
>> Tyler, TX
>>
>> I occasionally encounter snakes but what really worries me are brown
>> recluse spiders. I think I saw one in my iris the other day. I
>> looked for a long time to see if it had the violin marking and
>> couldn't make up my mind and was afraid too observe any longer. I
>> understand they do not make webs but capture their prey by jumping.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ----------------------------------------------------------
>> See what's free at AOL.com
>> <http://www.aol.com?ncid=AOLAOF00020000000503>.
>>
>
>
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>
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