Spiders in your sleeping bag - ever get bit?

[tunick001]

I've nad a few experiences with spiders, only got bit one time though. That time one got into my pants at night time and I didnt know it and all of a sudden I feel something biting me. It bit me 2 times. I reach in, grap it, and throw it. I've had spiders get into my tent before but luckly never got bit by those. I'm always afriad of spiders getting into my sleeping bags while camping. Especially black widows spiders. That would suck to get bit by a black widow. I was talking to one guy who was camping in the woods and one night while sleeping he got bit by a poisonous spider on his stomach. He had to go to the hospital and he said he almost died.

[Rick]

Almost died, huh? Well, there aren't that many poisonous spiders in the US. Of course that doesn't mean you can't be allergic to the venom. Black Widow and Brown Recluse are the two bad ones and they could do you in. Here's some common ones.

http://www.termite.com/spider-identification.html

One time when I was out I felt something on my arm and it was a huge wolf spider. I smacked it. Wrong thing to do. There were 20 gazillion little baby spiders on its back and they took off all over my arm. Talk about freaked out!!!!!! I had spiders all over me. That's about the worst thing I've ever had with a spider. I've seen some black widows but they like to stay hidden in downed wood and such. Of course you better be looking for snakes, too, so I usually see them. AND, I always wear leather gloves when gathering wood.

I was under a house once. Had to work my way past a banana spider and its web to get into the crawl space. About five minutes later I found a huge freakin snake under the house and went bailin' out through the crawl space hole and rolled out on the ground. Then I remember that blasted spider. I never did find it. I sort of pictured it seeing me come at it and hightailed it out of there.

[tunick001]

Luckly where I live theres not really many snakes around. I did see one guy get bit by a baby rattlesnake 20 years ago though. I was a kid and we went to this outdoor recreation area near Azusa, CA and found this snake. Some guy comes over and picks it up by his throat. Well some how the rattlesnake gets loose from his fingers and bites him. Well, he was out of there in no time to the hospital. And the nearest one around was like 30 minutes away.

[trax]

I saw pictures of a guy's hand who got bitten by a recluse spider. I've worn gloves gathering wood ever since and I am very cautious about reaching into any dark, cool places in the warm months. I use my foot to lift my canoe before grabbing it with bare hands. No poisonous snakes around these parts.

[nell67]

My daughter had a very bad allergic reaction to a house spider.

[MCBushbaby]

Hemotoxin is some nasty stuff, even a drop from the tiniest spider. I've never been bitten or stung by spider nor bee so I don't even know if I'm allergic. However my dad is highly and carries an epiPen. I'd probably have a melting hand like in the pics online if I was every bit by a spider.

However I mitigate the chances of being bit by keeping my sleeping bag, pack, and equipment in my room - away from dark, cool, solitary places. Of course I give everything a good beating and cleaning before I store it away. My housemate also has two kittens (8 months) who love eating any spiders they find, and destroy any webs within reach, so I feel safe.

[BraggSurvivor]

My uncle has a beach house in Vero Beach Florida and about 10 years ago we went down to stay there for a month with the kids. In turn I was to clean up the overgrown back yard and do a little maintenance and painting. When we arrived, we opened the door and took a look around. All of a sudden one of my girls let out a scream. I ran to an upstairs bedroom where my daughter was and when I got there she was pointing up in the corner of the room. It was the biggest spider I have ever seen. With the legs it was at least 3.5 inches in dia. I found a towel in the closet and rolled it up and killed the big buggar. Looking around some more we found two more. Killed them too.

Later that week we were invited over to my uncles house in West Palm for supper and I mentioned his spider problem. His face dropped and he said "You didnt kill them, did you"?

Frikken rights I said, we were not staying there with those big azz spiders.

Turns out he had them specially brought in from South Africa to keep the insects at bay when no one was there. He paid over $350.00 for each spider.

[Aurelius95]

That would have been a handy bit of information to have prior to your visit there, huh?

[BraggSurvivor]

Yea, we had a good laugh. He had compleyely forgotten about them.

[trax]

Man Bragg, for the size of them and at that price you should have at least fired up the ol' barbecue....

[beerrunner13]

I get bit all the times sometimes I have a reaction and sometimes not,my brother is allergic and has to carry one of those shot thinggies to and ant or bee will take him out.

We had those big wood spiders at the farm I swear some were almost as big as my hand had them land and crawl on me never had a problem other then spooked me. Scopians will hurt like heck but never put me in the hospital. Widows and recules are part of life I just kill them when I see them. Now fire ants Ihave an issue with and wage war upon them all the time, desite all the high tech poisons they hangs arround I have found hay saly water will get rid of a nest as well as anything, gas and fire are more fun.

[BraggSurvivor]

I get bit all the times sometimes I have a reaction and sometimes not,my brother is allergic and has to carry one of those shot thinggies to and ant or bee will take him out.

We had those big wood spiders at the farm I swear some were almost as big as my hand had them land and crawl on me never had a problem other then spooked me. Scopians will hurt like heck but never put me in the hospital. Widows and recules are part of life I just kill them when I see them. Now fire ants Ihave an issue with and wage war upon them all the time, desite all the high tech poisons they hangs arround I have found hay saly water will get rid of a nest as well as anything, gas and fire are more fun.

I dont know if the ant mounds here are fire ants or not but I kill the pesky little buggars with bacon grease and a tiger torch. Works like a hot dam and smells good doing it.

[Rick]

No fire ants that far north. You have to see those tiny little beggars to believe 'em. I thought I'd play with a mound once in Texas just to see. They changed my mind in a hurry. Bazillions of 'em came out of the ground like a geyser. Last fire ant mound I played with.

[Tahyo]

I dont know if the ant mounds here are fire ants or not but I kill the pesky little buggars with bacon grease and a tiger torch. Works like a hot dam and smells good doing it.

Bragg, if you're up in Canada, it's doubtful you have fire ants there. I'm originally from southwest La. and was raised around those little devils. I now live in northeastern Illinois and we don't have them here.

I wished I had all the gasoline we use to pour on those mounds set on fire. Never did any good as they dig pretty deep. What is amazing about the damn things is when our pastures would flood, it would flood out the fire ants and they would cling together in huge balls, usually with the queen in the middle. Those things would float around the pasture.

I've woke up many a time with a few in my bedroll.

(I posted this after your post Rick)

[Rick]

Can you say "target practice"?

[crashdive123]

Bragg - as others have said, doubtful that you're dealing with fire ants. Although it may be fun to control them with bacon grease and a tiger torch (and smells good), if the ants you are dealing with nest like fire ants, it may not be that affective.

[Tahyo]

Bragg - as others have said, doubtful that you're dealing with fire ants. Although it may be fun to control them with bacon grease and a tiger torch (and smells good), if the ants you are dealing with nest like fire ants, it may not be that affective.

Crash, I don't think they ever did come out with anything that was 100% effective to control them, did they? I know way back when I lived down there all the stuff we used just made them up and move a few yards away and build another mound.

[Rick]

Here's their line of offense. The tanks are dug in but the infantry are advancing.

http://www.ars.usda.gov/Research/docs.htm?docid=9165

[crashdive123]

Crash, I don't think they ever did come out with anything that was 100% effective to control them, did they? I know way back when I lived down there all the stuff we used just made them up and move a few yards away and build another mound.

They have a few products that work pretty good. I can achieve 100% control of an area using Top Choice, manufactured by Bayer. The drawbacks are if you're doing a large area it can get kind of pricey. Some other effective products are Max Force Fire Ant Bait and Advion Fire Ant Bait (I prefer the Advion)

[crashdive123]

Tahyo - When you were chasing mounds it was most likely all from the same nest. The nests can stretch out for over 25 ft. Think of the mound as an air conditioner used to regulate the temp of the nest. If you use something that does a quick kill - ants will not come back to that area and just build a new air conditioner - that's why it feels like you're "chasing the nest".