by Deborah Parkhill Mullis
(Spring is here and I am planning to work in the yard this weekend. I'm a little leery after being bitten by a spider again in 2011, the results of which were much more distressing than the spider bite that spurred this story. My recent bite led to widespread inflammation and a scary infection. I am very thankful for good doctors, nearby minor emergency centers and antibiotics.)
I never dreamed I'd begin writing an "Animal Talk" column with a story about spiders - even if they are small invertebrate animals. But as the opportunity arose ...
A week ago Wednesday was April Fool's Day and in honor of the occasion I did something foolish. It was around 2 p.m. when my son burst in on me while I was writing and insisted I come outside and see something "unbelievable" in the back yard.
I declined as everything is "unbelievable" to my 4-year-old these days. Besides, I had work to do. I also felt that if I went outside on such a beautiful day it would be awhile before I saw my word processor (so dating myself) again. "But Mommy - you have to come!" my child cried. Feeling guilty, I followed him to the back yard.
Wearing a huge smile, my son steered me to his sandbox where a sand sculpture of a "sailback dinosaur" or dimetrodon stood. It was about 20 inches long and remarkably good for a 4-year-old if I do say so myself.
After complimenting his creation, I stopped off to see if my canna lilies were coming up before going back to work - a big mistake! While peering down into the pine needles I impulsively pulled a weed. Next, I grabbed a clump of what I believed to be simply crabgrass - not the domain of some small creature. But after giving the crabgrass a good barehanded tug, a certain small creature let me know my efforts to uproot his home were not appreciated.
"Ouch!" A burning pain shot through my hand as I jerked it back. Looking at my palm, I spotted two tiny puncture wounds, indicative of a poisonous spider bite, at the base of my left forefinger and a few traces of blood escaping the pin holes.
"I'm so stupid!" I exclaimed, knowing better than to garden without gloves. As my finger started to swell, I remembered the three black widow spiders found in our garden last year and started to panic.
Unable to find any sign of what bit me, I felt a trip to the doctor was warranted. Though the waiting room was full I was seen immediately. And I'm thankful that by 3 p.m. the doctor determined the bite was most likely nontoxic. I was given some medications and told to be wary of any severe swelling, shortness of breath or sudden abdominal pain.
Then with a laugh the doctor told me to "watch where you put your hands" I laughed too - what a relief!
Spiders live most anywhere - in the grass, under rocks, on trees, etc. It's interesting to note that spiders belong to the largest division (Phylum Anthropoda) of related animals classes in the animal kingdom.
Some 750,000 species of invertebrate animals such as centipedes, insects, lobsters, spiders, and ticks are included in this phylum. If mere numbers matter, it's appropriate to spend time talking about spiders in an "Animal Talk" column as they account for about 35,000 of those 750,000 species.
There are approximately 3,000 species of spiders in the United States. Known for their venomous bites, very few spiders are actually poisonous to people. In fact, the majority of spiders are helpful to man. A natural means of destroying agricultural pests, spiders also prey upon insects harmful to mammals.
Two of the most poisonous spiders in the country are common in Union County. The brown recluse (sometimes called brown house) spider, lives all over the eastern United States, and the black widow spider - though found throughout the United States - is especially plentiful here in the South.
Approximately one-half inch in length and various shades of brown, the brown recluse is identifiable by a "violin-shaped" mark on its upper body. Also about one-half inch in length the female black widow has a shiny black body. A bright red spot appears on her abdomen in the tell-tale sign of an hourglass.
The brown recluse chooses dark corners and crevices in which to live. Black widows prefer dark, damp places - I found black widows living in-between the blue slate stones that border our garden.
Thankfully, both of these spiders are timid and tend not to bite unless they are bothered. The bite of a brown recluse (either male or female) is rarely fatal but rather the poison from the bite slowly destroys the surrounding tissues sometimes leading to serious secondary infections. A female black widow bite is potentially fatal. Two puncture points mark her bite and , according to my physician, victims usually become very ill (severe abdominal cramp among other things) within 15 to 30 minutes.
Victims of a poisonous a spider bite need to remain calm. Emergency treatment includes applying an ice pack to the bite and staying as still as possible. A female black widow bite needs immediate treatment from the nearest emergency facility. In the case of other spider bites, phone a physician for further instructions as soon as possible.
Remember most of these ominous-looking animals aren't deadly and don't deserve to be destroyed. Be cautious however, because although spiders lack a back bone, when threatened they certainly don't lack spunk - even a nontoxic spider bite smarts. So be on the lookout for these creatures and - unlike me - always where gloves in the garden.
(Due to my recent experience briefly mentioned at the top of this story, my opinion has changed. Go ahead and call a pest control company.)
(Published April 10, 1992 by The Enquirer-Journal of Monroe)
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