How to Identify and Treat Recluse (Fiddleback) Spider Bites

Recluse spider bites are rarely fatal, but can cause great discomfort and crater-like scars at the site of the bite. If you are bitten while in the wilderness, evacuation is recommended for proper treatment. Here are a few steps to help you treat a spider bite.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Compression Bandages
• Ibuprofen
• Cold Compresses
• Antibiotic Ointment
• Gauze Pads

1. Learn to recognize fiddleback spiders, which get their name from a violin-shaped mark on the back of their heads. Their bodies are a little more than 1cm in length, and their legs reach to about 5cm.

2. Exercise caution when stepping or reaching into places where fiddleback spiders are likely to be: in hot, dry, unoccupied environments like dried logs, wood piles, or abandoned buildings.

3. Look for the signs and symptoms of a fiddleback spider bite: pain at the site of the bite within a few hours, a blister at the site of the bite which will often grow in size and rupture and occasional nausea, vomiting, fever or chills.

4. Clean the bite with an antiseptic cleanser (See "How to Clean a Wound").

5. Apply an ice pack to the site of the bite.

6. Monitor the bite area, if a blister forms and then pops, carefully clean and dress the wound to prevent infection (See "How to Clean a Wound" and "How to Bandage a Wound").

7. Administer pain killers to provide some relief of the symptoms.

8. Evacuate immediately so the injured person may be treated in a hospital to minimize tissue damage.

Tips & Warnings

• These bites can leave crater-like scars if not treated in a hospital with drug therapy within 24 hours. Evacuate immediately.

• Do not attempt to lance the bite or extract the venom.

• This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment.