Spiders

We were all set to head out and have lunch and go jump at Shakalaka today when Jake mentioned his right ear was hurting.  I looked in it and then around it and behind his ear up at the top was a dime-sized mound of pus with a hole in the middle and rimmed in red.  I immediately concluded it was a brown recluse bite and rushed him off to have a hot shower before rushing him to the doctor.  I have, honestly, never seen a bite that nasty, I was scared.  I should have taken a picture, because when he got back from showering, it had popped and even though I cancelled everything and have looked at it every 20 minutes all day long, it's just a gross bump now.  I (do I even need to say it) covered it in antibiotic ointment.

So, just like the time I lost Chandler for the longest few minutes of my life and later reflected on what to do, I ended up spending a couple hours today investigating bug bites and being beyond grossed out by photos of bites.

I decided to do this post in case I had the issue in the future, mainly to keep me from seeing what I saw ever again via searching for spider bite info.

THIS is a link to a large chart showing 6 US spider that bite, plus what their bites look like (don't look while eating), what medical treatment is needed and a map of where they live.  Here's a tip-5 of the 6 are located in Alabama.

I also DID find a few useful charts and pics that did not leave me wishing I had seen Slenderman instead.
As with any of my photos, you can click on any of the following info sheets to make them larger:

I love the way it assures me the wood stove is what did it.

from venomous spiders dot net
Mainly posting this because they used the word venomous, not poisonous.

Another 'all over' chart.  Usually pest conrol sites

sent to me, no info

from about 60 sites, could not find the original

Still not totally sure what got Jake, Matt has had several theories but none are horrifying enough for me.  Infected follicle and rampant pimple are just not satisfactory after looking at dozens of bite photos and besides-there's a bite hole!  I am thinking Parson spider.

So, if you suspect spider bite, avoid the search engine and come here and merely scar your brain at the one link above that has all the info you actually need, there is no need to see the same 'exposed bone via necrosis' shot I have seen at least 15 times today.  Or that one shot with the bright red swelling that was the same size as a baseball.  Or the one...okay, well, just be glad I am sparing you (and future me) the UGH of research.

Well, okay, I will post ONE terrifying spider bite picture:

from various prepper sites

I am not enlarging it, if you want to see it better, click on it and do it yourself.

Jake's ear-thing was the 18 hour stage x3 in size and scare.
Knowing what 36 hours looks like, I did not want that happening!  aaaaaaaa