- Thread starter Sharlene
- Start date
Spiders: Is Brown Recluse in DR?
I had one of those huge non hairy ones living in a closet. A friend (Dominican) said it was a banana spider, harmless and would help keep the house insect free. It was almost the size of my hand and having an insane fear of spiders (stemming from a frightening childhood encounter) I made sure it found a home elsewhere.
There is also the spider that children play with that are harmless and then of course there is the brown recluse. Previously unknown in these parts (at least I'd never seen one in 17 years of coming here) however it appears that they have travelled in as 'tourists' (which is possible with the ones I saw in Guayacanes as he gets the porta/porta boxes from the states-yes I can identify them having had a brother who was bitten by one and suffered immensely so he made sure we were all aware of what they looked like!).
There is also the spider that children play with that are harmless and then of course there is the brown recluse. Previously unknown in these parts (at least I'd never seen one in 17 years of coming here) however it appears that they have travelled in as 'tourists' (which is possible with the ones I saw in Guayacanes as he gets the porta/porta boxes from the states-yes I can identify them having had a brother who was bitten by one and suffered immensely so he made sure we were all aware of what they looked like!).
I just remember the time when Cayacoa Golf Course was built north of Sto. Domingo (now Las Lagunas) with nine holes to play, you could see 2, 3 tarantulas every week crossing the fairways, especially no. 8.
When passing them with respect of 3 to 4 meters they used to turn around watching you but I've never heard of any accident.
With more and more maintenance works going on, they disappeared since years.
When passing them with respect of 3 to 4 meters they used to turn around watching you but I've never heard of any accident.
With more and more maintenance works going on, they disappeared since years.
Happy Jack
I got to know a guy nicknamed "Happy Jack" some 20 years ago in Santo Domingo and he had a brown recluse bite at his ankle which never healed.
After some years and plenty of surgeries he finally died because of that spider bite.
He was bitten some where in DR but I don't remember where.
I am sure that some of the older DR1ers remember him.
I got to know a guy nicknamed "Happy Jack" some 20 years ago in Santo Domingo and he had a brown recluse bite at his ankle which never healed.
After some years and plenty of surgeries he finally died because of that spider bite.
He was bitten some where in DR but I don't remember where.
I am sure that some of the older DR1ers remember him.
Sorry to hear about your friend - I guess he was in the 10% according to this article (the one i provided the link for earlier in the thread done by a professor of entomology at NCU):
3- even if you have a recluse, bites from them are extremely rare, despite all the stories. Many of the really graphic nasty wounds you see on the internet as recluse bites can also be other conditions like necrotizing bacteria and pyoderma gangrenosum. Ninety percent of brown recluse bites are not medically significant, heal very nicely often without medical. intervention and treatment for most brown recluse bites is simple first aid (RICE therapy ? Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation). Many conditions are misdiagnosed as recluse bites when their cause is something else like infection, bad reaction to medication, diabetic ulcers, Lyme disease, or other underlying medical conditions.
Marlie
Sorry to hear about your friend - I guess he was in the 10% according to this article (the one i provided the link for earlier in the thread done by a professor of entomology at NCU):
3- even if you have a recluse, bites from them are extremely rare, despite all the stories. Many of the really graphic nasty wounds you see on the internet as recluse bites can also be other conditions like necrotizing bacteria and pyoderma gangrenosum. Ninety percent of brown recluse bites are not medically significant, heal very nicely often without medical. intervention and treatment for most brown recluse bites is simple first aid (RICE therapy ? Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation). Many conditions are misdiagnosed as recluse bites when their cause is something else like infection, bad reaction to medication, diabetic ulcers, Lyme disease, or other underlying medical conditions.
Marlie
been there
I came across this thread and had to put my 2 cents in.I was bitten by a brown recluce spider about 10 years ago it was a horrible thing i did not feel the bite when it happened the spider was inside my slipper when i put it on i got bit we did find the little creature later.if you watched the youtube video where they were packing the gauze rope into the hole in that guy you have an idea only i lost most of the meat from my foot disolved from the inside.within a few hours my foot and lower leg were so big from the swelling i thought the skin would split very painfull for a long time and months to heal.i am strongly in the dead spiders are the only good spiders camp.i cant stand them.
RED
I came across this thread and had to put my 2 cents in.I was bitten by a brown recluce spider about 10 years ago it was a horrible thing i did not feel the bite when it happened the spider was inside my slipper when i put it on i got bit we did find the little creature later.if you watched the youtube video where they were packing the gauze rope into the hole in that guy you have an idea only i lost most of the meat from my foot disolved from the inside.within a few hours my foot and lower leg were so big from the swelling i thought the skin would split very painfull for a long time and months to heal.i am strongly in the dead spiders are the only good spiders camp.i cant stand them.
RED
I Am Told That There ARE "Brown Recluse Spiders" In The DR!!!!
But they mostly keep to themselves!!
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
"SORRY!"
But they mostly keep to themselves!!
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
"SORRY!"
brown recluse
Yes we have the brown recluse spiders here....we also have another similar variety known as the hobo spider...both cause massive tissue distruction and immediate treatment is indicated.
Brown recluse spiders are small and should not be confused with the larger brown huntsman spiders that are commonly seen in houses. These are only aggressive if cornered and they will not bite unless molested.Their bite is similar to a bee sting. They eat roaches and I guess can be considered as helpful.
I have treated many spider bites in costambar over the years ..mostly brown recluse.
hope this is helpful
James Bailes, M.D.
Yes we have the brown recluse spiders here....we also have another similar variety known as the hobo spider...both cause massive tissue distruction and immediate treatment is indicated.
Brown recluse spiders are small and should not be confused with the larger brown huntsman spiders that are commonly seen in houses. These are only aggressive if cornered and they will not bite unless molested.Their bite is similar to a bee sting. They eat roaches and I guess can be considered as helpful.
I have treated many spider bites in costambar over the years ..mostly brown recluse.
hope this is helpful
James Bailes, M.D.