Berkeley Parents Network: Advice about Spiders

Berkeley Parents Network

Advice about Spiders

Berkeley Parents Network > Advice > Advice about Health > Advice about Spiders

Brown recluse spiders? July 2003
Getting rid of rats and spiders Nov 2003
3-year-old's bad reaction to spider bites June 2003
Spiders are everywhere in my house Apr 2002
Exterminator for spiders Nov 2002
Spider Invasion Oct 2001
9-month-old getting a lot of spider bites Sept 2001
Lots of spiders in our yard Oct 2000
Related page: Insect Bites

Brown recluse spiders?

July 2003

My mother, always fond of scare tactics, has just sent me email pics of what a brown recluse spider can do to a person. The bite got really infected, gross and well, just scared me to death! I recently read the discussion of B.R. spiders in Berkeley in the newsletters, but was wondering what about Orinda(where we are moving to)? I have two very young children who are always poking around things(under rocks, the garage etc.). Anon

The Chronicle printed an article about the dangers (or lack of) from brown recluse spiders http//sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/a/2002/10/30/HO199587.DTL Patrick

I believe I was the person who mentioned a bite by a brown recluse spider in the advice newsletter. I would like to say that we were not living in California at the time. I found the site mentioned by another reader http//www.ipm.ucdavis.edu , to be very informative and helpful. I don't believe that brown recluses are supposed to be found in California. Of course, they were not supposed to be in the state we were living in either, and we believe the spider came in a box with some clothing delivered from another place where there are such spiders. My husband was bitten when he put on the clothing. In any case, though my spouse was definitely bitten, he got excellent medical care from the local clinic (medicine to take and close monitoring) and though he got all the classic symptoms including flu and a dinner dish size swelling, in the end it did not leave so much as a scar. The best defense against this kind of spider and probably a lot of others is indeed, vacuuming regularly, keeping clothes and bedclothes off the floor. Most spiders are harmless, and in fact eat annoying insects. The point of my earlier message was mainly that in my (limited) experience it is pretty unusual to get bitten by a spider! it does happen, but not all that often, and it is usually just a large mosquito bite-like thing. I have lived in California all my life, as have my teenagers, and none of us has ever been bitten by a spider in the house, despite the cobwebs that appear regularly on the ceiling (I do admit that I prefer the magnificent constructions in the garden). So my other point was, if my kid was bitten in the house even once, I would do something to reduce the spider population in the house immediately. The website above is very helpful with ideas for controlling spiders in eco-friendly ways. Do not worry about spiders! Ms. Tuffett

I just read something on Snopes about this the other day. You should check it out. http//www.snopes.com/photos/brownrecluse.asp ***Warning*** the pictures are quite graphic. Patty

I had similar concerns about these spiders, and wondered if they were under my house. It's been a while now, so I'm not sure who I contacted, but I believe it was someone in the appropriate department at UC Berkeley. They were happy to talk to me. My recollection is that they said, to my surprise, that brown recluse do not exist in this area, and they may have even said in california. So, before you worry too much over it, check it out. anon

A colleague of mine was bitten on the back of her leg by a brown recluse at a school in Lafayette (she was taking chairs out of a closet at the time.) I was amazed at the damage done by one bite. Since they are definitely in Lafayette, I would think they are also in Orinda. Patty

Getting rid of rats and spiders

Nov. 2003

Spiders not wanted anymore... We need advice about rodents and spiders removal services. The need is quite urgent. thanks so much !! Hi- Please think twice about getting rid of your spiders (but not the rats!). They have an undeserved bad reputation, and arachniphobia is just that- a phobia.

Spiders are very beneficial for the environment. They eat many harmful and annoying insects like flies and mosquitoes. Black Widows are the only spiders found here that can be dangerous to humans, and they do not choose to live inside houses. Cecelia

3-year-old's bad reaction to spider bites

June 2003

My 3-year-old son seems to get a lot of spider bites, and his reaction seems pretty severe to me. His doctors have not seen them at their very worst, but they've heard my descriptions over the phone and say that it is typical and not a major concern. He had one bite on his big toe that first was red and swollen, then, within 24 hours, started turning purple and black and bubbly and over the next several days blisters developed and popped, skin peeled, you name it--it was so disgusting I couldn't even look at it and my husband had to put the antibiotic ointment on it! For 2 full days he could not even walk a single step. He has also had several on his forehead, and in the last 2 days he has gotten one on each wrist and one on his finger. So far nothing has gotten as gross as the toe, but they are very red and very swollen. I get them occasionally, and I got lots as a kid (but I lived in a wooded area back east), but I have never had or seen a reaction like he gets. Fortunately they seem to heal with no scarring, but I am concerned about both the frequency and the severity of the bites. We do not have an unusually large number of spiders in our house, and we always put them outside when we see them. I'm pretty sure the bites happen at night because we usually notice them in the morning.

We give him tylenol when they get really swollen just to ease the pain, but we have not given benadryl because he has asthma and their is apparently some risk involved with that. Has anyone else had this problem? Any suggestions on how to make him less appealing to spiders--like any supplements he could take or anything else to safely repel the spiders? Thanks! Tracy

Getting more than one or two spider bites in your life is NOT NORMAL. My kids are now in their teens and have NEVER had a spider bite. I had one in 1988. It was extremely painful and had full nervous system effects. My husband was bitten in 1996 by a brown recluse, and had to see the doctor many times and take medication to prevent extensive tissue loss (it came in a shipping box). Spiders that bite have many different types of venom, and you do not want your child exposed to this. Get rid of the spiders. Hire an organic exterminator or whatever makes you feel ok but get rid of them. Your son is not having a ''bad reaction'' he is having the normal reaction. The cheap way to get rid of them? Stay elsewhere for a couple days, fog with those foggers you can buy, air things out well and move back in. I know there are harmless spiders- -we have some in our house but that is not what you have. You have the kind that go out and hunt. been bit

Hi, Your description freaks me out a bit. Your son's reaction to spider bites sure seems extreme to me. Please *insist* that your ped refer you to an allergiest.

The extreme swelling, etc. that your toddler produced sounds similar to what I used to have with honeybee and mosquito bites. I was given a series of honeybee-venom allergy shots and always carry around an epi-pen just in case.

I hope the allergist has something helpful to say. In the mean time, I've always heard that lots of vacuuming/cleaning is the best way to discourage spiders. Good luck. Jennie

I didn't read the original post so don't have the full story, but most spiders are not only harmless but beneficial- they eat other, more harmful insects. Of course, black widows and brown recluses are a different story, but they are very rarely found in the house- wood piles and wooden shipping crates are their kind of territory.

Everyone gets spider bites from common little household spiders, but some people never know it because they're not sensitive to them. A person who is especially sensitive can get a painful itchy welt that may last a few days.

Killing all the spiders in the house is excessive, and foggers are quite toxic and even though the smell dissipates, the chemicals remain for some time. The idea of a crib cover sounds both effective and environmentally harmless. Cecelia

My younger daughter has intense reactions to spider, mosquito, yellow jackets, etc. Apparently, it is pretty common. My older daughter doesn't react at all and in fact doesn't get bitten as often. I keep an eye on the spiders in the house and remove them. anon

We have alot of spiders, but they must be pretty benign because our daughter has never been bitten in her crib. You do not ask for advice re getting rid of them, but I might consider that or spider-proofing the sleeping area - it sounds like alot of bites in a short period of time. These may be self-limiting, but probably not so fun for your child. Anon

For info about spiders http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7442.html Or get Common Sense Pest Control by William Olkowski from them library.

RE: 3-year-old's bad reaction to spider bites. I live in an area where insect and spider bites are common. If bites are common, then the culprit could be sand fleas, animal fleas or even chiggers. They all make a small, bright red, raised bump that itches. Children that are sensitive to bites may get larger welts. Fleas can terrorize children's legs. Try using Avon's ''Skin so Soft'' as a preventive method when the first bite appears. The spider bites that I have had, usually make me seriously sick for 6-8 days. A spider bite usually has a centerpoint, then a large darker circular area, sort of like a bruise, that encircles the bite. Each day the dark area gets smaller and the nausea and flu like symptoms of the bite lessen. The bite doesn't seem to itch. With a brown recluse bite, a larger area was quickly involved and I went straight to the doctor. They now treat it with something that they treat leprosy with, and the symptoms quickly go away. A qualified exterminator should be able to diagnose the culprit from looking at any of your household spider webs. I like the non-evasive methods of getting rid of household bugs - vacuum them up!! And use Avon ''Skin So Soft'' when the kids during flea hatching season, whether inside and outside, on their legs. Bites are serious issues for kids, or for anyone. RL

Spiders are everywhere in my house

April 2002

Spiders are everywhere in my house. Has anyone had a great experience with an exterminator in the Berkeley area? I've been told that an exterminator could spray the outside of the house, doors and windows to greatly reduce the creepy crawlers but I don't know who to call. I've checked the website and wasn't able to find any info there either. Thank Tabitha

You ask for exterminators for your spiders, but your spiders are themselves efficient exterminators of even more annoying bugs! Get rid of the spiders, and you will hear a lot more buzzing. (Sorry for the pro-spider posting, but I recently finished reading ''Charlotte's Web'' to my son, so we've been looking at spiders in a different light in my household!) Dan

I do not recommend spraying to get rid of spiders. Spiders are good for the environment and insect spray is bad for your and your children's (and beneficial crawlers') health. If you do not want spiders, go for a long-term solution. Call Screen Mobile (see phone book) to put screens on your windows to keep them (and other critters) from getting in in the first place. Use a broom to gather the few hapless spider intruders one by one in the cool of the morning or evening (when they are slower) and shake the broom outside. Our screens work great and keep out most moths, mosquitoes, flies and spiders. Good luck! Suzanne

Because of our mild climate, California homes are notoriously leaky, so there are lots of places for spiders to get in. What you need to do is seal up all the cracks in your house. You can buy caulk and caulk guns at the hardware store -- they're cheap. Get both the silicone-latex stuff (which you use with a "gun") and the spray-foam kind that comes with a straw-extender -- this is for large holes. The silicone stuff is basically clear; I gooped it on all over our house and you really can't see it.

Caulk everywhere there is a crack or seam, whether or not it looks large to you or even if you think it is sealed. When in doubt -- caulk it. Go all around the perimeter of all the rooms -- where the floors, the ceiling, and the walls come together. Also in closets and within the cabinets. Especially in the bathroom and kitchen, where there are big holes for piping coming up out of the crawlspace. Go all around all the edges of the windows and doors, as well as the fireplace, and so on.

Also, make sure you have screens on all the windows, and that they are tightly sealed.

The added advantages for you are a home that is warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer, and less dust in the house, as well as a lower utility bill.

If you are at all sensitive to chemicals, try to do this work in the morning and air out the home for the rest of the day (windows open and fans running).

There is lots more info on caulking at the Home Energy Web site at www.homeenergy.org.

Exterminator for spiders

November 2002

Both my son and my husband have been bitten by spiders in our north Berkeley hills home. My husband's doctor feels the bites may have come from a ''cousin'' of the brown recluse spider. My son's OK, but my husband has had a very bad reaction to the bites (he's had 2 now) necessitating numerous trips to the doctor, antibiotics, etc. Does anyone have experience with a reliable exterminator in the area that may be able to rid us of these spiders? Has anyone had a similar experience and found another way to handle the situation? (We're not thrilled about the idea of chemicals and the harm done to more friendly insects & spiders.) Thanks! Kim

My neighbor told me that cats like to eat spiders and they are great exterminators all on their own! She has two cats and once they came into the house they had considerably fewer spiders in the home. Hope this is an eco-friendly answer you can live with! Julie

I full heartedly recommend ''Employ Exterminators.'' Richard has come to my home three times already regarding a mice problem and has also consulted with me about ants and spiders. He is very knowledgeable and honest. You can't do better. They can be reached at: 836-4500. Good luck.

Once again I would like to recommend the book, ''Common Sense Pest Control'' by William Olkowski. It is a treasure trove of information. In regards to bites, the book says that brown recluse spiders are commonly suspect, but rarely the actual culprit. If you actually think you have brown recluse spiders, keep shoes, clothing and bedding off the floor. Brown recluse spiders like to hide in boxes and papers, so those could be frozen before dealing with them. If you use a short-acting chemical, the critters will move back in after the chemical no longer works. If you use a long-acting chemical, the humans will be in a toxic environment for years to come. I hate to think of using a chemical when you don't know what you are dealing with. A welt on the skin can be due to assassin bugs, ticks, mites, fleas, mosquitoes, lacewings, etc. It can also be caused by bacteria or viruses. sunsol

April 2002

Spider Invasion

Oct 2001

I'm having similar trouble with spiders in my house. I am also a third generation Californian and this doesn't surprise me in the least. I lived in Santa Barbara for a while and the spiders we had in our yard there were huge. In our house in Berkeley, we regularly see at least 5 spiders a day! I have had to pull them out of my daughter's hair (dead) and see them hanging from her ceiling and near her windows (now always SHUT). She recently got three large bites on her chest and stomach -- which were red and about 1-2 inches in diameter. Scary. Any ideas or suggestions on how to keep these guys out? I have two cats and hate to poison the place. Maria

Also, make sure you have screens on all the windows, and that they are tightly sealed.

The added advantages for you are a home that is warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer, and less dust in the house, as well as a lower utility bill.

If you are at all sensitive to chemicals, try to do this work in the morning and air out the home for the rest of the day (windows open and fans running).

There is lots more info on caulking at the Home Energy Web site at www.homeenergy.org.

9-month-old getting a lot of spider bites

Sept. 2001

Does anyone know of a non-toxic way of "bombing" to get rid of spiders? Our 9 month old is getting a lot of spider bites inside the apartment. We don't want to bomb on the freshly cleaned carpet that she is now staring to crawl all over. It does seem to be spider season- and the little rascals we have seem to move very fast. Any advice would be great. LM

I'm a 3rd-generation Northern California native and have never heard of anyone getting that many spider bites around here. However, flea bites can be a BIG problem. If you have carpets, I suggest you do some testing and try to figure out if you have fleas and work on getting rid of them if you do. That may solve the problem. Mark & Colleen

We thought our kid was getting spider bites, but they really were mosquito bites. Although they were harder and lasted longer than most mosquito bites, that's what they were. Mosquito netting above his bed and Herbal Armor repellent (from Real Goods) has made all the difference -- no more itchy hard bites! Avi

Lots of spiders in our yard

Oct 2000

We just moved to Berkeley (up near Grizzly Peak) last December, so are not used to these seemingly hundreds of spiders that have recently invaded our deck, yard, and garden. Can someone please tell me what kind they are (they're all the same kind--brown with black & white markings, averaging @ 1" across.) We have an 8-month-old, and are worried she might be bitten, but also don't want to hire an exterminator or use Raid or the like, for fear of chemical danger, now and residually. Are they poisonous? Or are they just friendly seasonal critters that will go away when winter comes? Any advice would be much appreciated. heidi

The spiders you spoke of arrive during the summer, hang out for Halloween I suppose, and soon depart when the cold weather and rain come. They are wonderful garden helpers during the summer growing season, as they help to control numerous pests. And they make such great webs. Don't worry about them biting--I have walked straight into their webs before and they just scramble to get away. They'll be gone soon enough (and back next summer)! No need for drastic measures. Eabremner

I believe that you will only notice these spiders in the fall. Some years there seem to be big "spider years" and you see a lot, but once the rains come they will go back into hiding and you won't notice them until next fall. We've never been bitten by them and we love to look at their webs that they create during the night. There do seem to be a lot more insects (and birds and other things) in the El Cerrito hills than in the Richmond flatlands where I used to live. Liz

The UC Berkeley entomology department has identified insects for me before. I can't remember the number I called, but I've actually brought bugs over in a jar and had someone look at them and tell me what they were. Looking in the phone book, the department seems to be called Insect Biology now. 643-9405. Hope that helps. Dashka

Those spooky-appearing spiders are called "Orb Weavers" and are harmless to us. They have a frightening look (to some people) and they do build fantastic webs. They usually hatch from eggs in early September. I have followed many generations of them in our gardens with my daughters. They have provided subject matter for quite a few science projects here!

An entomologist told me that they build a new web every day/night. I don't think they are remotely interested in coming indoors. They build their webs in your garden and catch little flies to eat. I wonder if they are the inspiration for the "spider" images associated with Halloween?

We try to just let them be. Sometimes I have to remove their webs from the clotheslines and play structure in the backyard (nobody likes to have a head-full of spider webs, or a face-full either!) but mostly I try to enjoy the craft of their amazing structures. When we find an especially elaborate one abandoned, I lightly spray it with white paint and then "catch" it on a piece of black paper.

If you don't want the Orb Weavers I suppose you could just remove the webs with a broom. I wouldn't want spiders near my baby either. But they really are harmless.

Sharon

Tis the season for spiders. I've been a gardener for years and they certainly are all over the place right now. I'm not sure if they're all Orb Weavers or other species too. To my knowledge they're not poisonous, but most spiders will bite. They start their webs in late Aug. to early Sept. and usually last thru Oct. or so. I'm not exactly sure what their life cycle is, but late fall seems to be it. It's always a shock to be minding your own business and suddenly you've walked into a web with a spider 3" from your face. AAAGGHHHH! Ultimately I think there's nothing to be concerned about. With your 8 month old, check out the area before going out, and you can move or remove any webs you find. Remember they eat flies and wasps and other annoying insects, and they were here first. They really are beneficial to the environment. As my boys got a bit older they were interested in looking in bug books to try to identify some of the spiders. Good luck. June

Not to worry - yours isn't the only yard playing host to these monsters. We recently had an underground wasp nest removed by the County - now there's an invasion you really need to worry about! -- and the woman who came to dispatch the wasps was admiring the 6 or so spiders that have taken up residence in our front garden/ walkway. I forget the name she gave them, but when I asked her how aggressive they are, she said not to worry about them. I must say, watching them catch moths is very impressive. (BTW, Contra Costa County will remove underground wasp nests and certain other pests (but not others) for free. The number is under Mosquito Abatement in the County government section of the phone book. They have an unintentionally funny voicemail system whereby you categorize the type of vermin plaguing your home. "For skunks, press 3, rats press 4") In general, you will find the EB Hills quite a buggy area. Thankfully, mosquitos aren't too big a problem. We have had a couple mild winters in a row, so in general the bug population is a bit worse than usual.

An aside about bugs: the local norm of not having window screens has always confounded me. I grew up in LA, where there are virtually no bugs except moths, and yet every house there has window screens. I guess it cancels out the confusing LA norm, where you have to bring your own refrigerator to a rental unit. At least we're civilized enough to provide basic appliances!:-) Ann

This is spider season. You will see webs proliferating on bushes and trees in your neighborhood. As far as I know, these spiders are not harmful. I work in a preschool in the Berkeley hills, and children occasionally get what they and their parents call "spider bites". I don't know what actually bites them, but the bites are about as serious as a mosquito bite, possibly a little more itchy. Louise

My research such as it is makes it most likely that your spiders are 'wolf spiders', if they are free-running on the ground (as opposed to the web-sitting kind). To me the ones in my yard, which have never bothered me, look like the 'Lycosid' touted as 'good pets'(!). (the ones in my yard catch tons of flies, which make the spiders a 'good thing'). If they have egg-cases on their backs, it's a good bet they are the Lycosids. This website has a key for finding them: http://140.211.62.101/catalog/home.shtml I selected 'runs fast' and 'lives on ground' and looked for the best visual match. Nils

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