Brown Recluse Spiders May Spread Across U.S. Due To Climate Change

Brown recluse spiders are scary, and they may be coming to a town near you.

A new study, published in the journal PLoS ONE, suggests that the potentially deadly spiders might be spreading throughout North America as the planet warms. According to LiveScience, the spider's range, which currently covers a large portion of the southeast, may not be suitable for it by 2080.

However, a changing climate could make parts of Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Nebraska and South Dakota suitable for it. It's not the amount of space that's changing, but the area it covers.

Scientists used predictive mapping to determine the likely redistribution of the spiders, according to Science Daily.

Don't freak out just yet.

There's a lot of misguided hype around the spider. Though the little guys produce a deadly hemotoxic venom, their bites are so rare, and they're so small, that there are rarely signs of necrosis, let alone systematic illness.

In fact, brown recluse spiders tend not to bite unless they're pressed against the skin.

That doesn't mean they can't kill you, but most cases of illness or death are reported in either very young or elderly.

Comments

[agentwolfe]

01:32 PM on 05/27/2011

Did I mention that this article is crap? I come to this site sometimes, but not for crap.

[agentwolfe]

01:30 PM on 05/27/2011

Whoever wrote this article must not live where brown recluses are. They bite you if they are on you or you touch them. They can cause fever, pain and the horrid skin/tissue death. They like dark places, they like closets, boxes are a favorite, but they also like bathrooms (particularly under the rim of an old claw foot bathtub). And they get into your bed, too, if they are in the vicinity. When I was bit by one (Arkansas) I heard many, many stories of bites. Almost everyone here has seen this spider and knows (or is) someone who has been bit. These spiders are quite visible actually, in daylight, in the corners of rooms, walking across the bathroom floor, or just hanging out! Black widows hide, brown recluses do not. They are not rare and biting is normal behavior for them. They have long spindly legs and a fiddle shape on their back. That's how you identify them. I can tell just from the legs, that's how many times I have seen this spider. Fiddlebacks suck.

[Joe Isom]

10:05 AM on 05/24/2011

People usually get bit when reaching into dark areas in a closet or outside storage area, such as a tool shed. Like the story says, they are small and you usually don't know you've been bitten right away. Shake out your shoes or boots that have been sitting outside, as well as any clothing items that have been outside. They like to hide in the dark nooks and crannies of such items.

[Impaler]

03:25 AM on 05/17/2011

Don't care, I have my property serviced every other month, costs about 15 dollars a month, and haven't scene a spider in years. Or other pests for that matter.

[marie4ste]

01:03 AM on 05/19/2011

Well, that's the problem isn't it? You are killing all insects indiscriminately.

That's like using a fire extinguisher to put out a match.

[schildpad]

04:45 AM on 05/16/2011

I don't care what that article says - these guys are scary, and the ones living around our house appear to be somewhat agressive, as well. Unlike the black widows, who pretty much leave you alone.

[Netflyer]

08:48 PM on 05/10/2011

My best friend is a brown recluse... she plays guitar and sings gently with the breeze trading 8's with the Mocking birds.

[cchsbak]

10:49 AM on 05/06/2011

I hate to inform your scientific community, but this spider has been in western New York for years!!!! As someone who has had the displesure of being bitten several years ago!!!!

[pita143]

12:29 PM on 05/09/2011

You are right. Their favorite place to hide is in a basement under the stairs. An adult would survive a bite, but a small child would not.

[Counterglow]

04:53 AM on 05/16/2011

It isn't unusual for one or two "travelers" to set up shop in unusual locations. For example, tarantulas turn up in grocery stores from time to time. They've usually arrived in a crate of bananas or something. This story is discussing an established, breeding population of the critters. That's something else entirely.

[stellaannfred]

09:45 AM on 05/04/2011

Well, of course they are here in Texas. One learns early on never to leave shoes outside. I know several people who were bitten and it's really pretty awful.....so the rarity point made by the author is off base too.
http://search.freecause.com/search?m=images&toolid=59635&userid=23968823&p=recluse%20spider%20bite

[marlwlsn]

09:22 PM on 05/03/2011

what do they mean the brown recluse may move into ohio. my friend was bitten 2 yrs ago 10 miles out of cincinnati. the er dr told her what had happened.

[StaceyLO]

05:13 PM on 05/03/2011

They are already in Nebraska, my husband just killed one the other night, it was the size of a roll of scotch tape.

[ekg]

11:31 AM on 05/04/2011

That was not a recluse, they are not that large. It was probably a wolf spider

[Texrat]

10:49 AM on 05/05/2011

Brown recluse is smaller than a dime.

[Llien Siwel]

06:19 PM on 05/02/2011

Brown Recluse already exist in Indiana and Ohio. I don't understand this article.

[born 2b different]

02:24 PM on 05/03/2011

Yes I agree. Plus the projection is for the year 2080. This story is a joke.

[KDMac]

02:45 PM on 05/03/2011

And in PA.

[Donho1965]

07:39 AM on 05/02/2011

fear fear fear

[pissdoffinohio]

06:54 AM on 05/02/2011

Alredy in illinois

[gmlaster]

06:49 AM on 05/02/2011

I'm from Missouri and really, these spiders are no joke. I lost a cousin to one. He was recovering from surgery at home and got bitten by one that got into bed with him. His weakened immune system was no match for the venom. Seriously, if these spiders come to your town, start shaking out your shoes before you put them on and get into the habit of pulling back the covers all the way before you get into bed.

[MsRainyDay]

05:15 AM on 05/02/2011

No offense to the author, but this is a very poorly written article. Lacks depth as well as basic writing skills.

[KDMac]

02:45 PM on 05/03/2011

But it did have a really scary picture.