These are the Most VENOMOUS Spiders in the US

Discover the natural world like never before: • The Secret World of th...
There are over 4000 species of spider in the US, but only a few are dangerous! In this video you'll see which spiders are the most venomous in the United States!
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Here at MyWildBackyard we investigate the secrets of the natural world- secrets that can be hidden in our very own backyards! I want to share the incredible world of insects, spiders and other wildlife with you and inspire you to explore your curiosity. Get out there, and find your adventure!
For those who read the description- we've updated the channel! I'm working on adding more features to videos to better expand our conversations about the secrets we find in the natural world! Introducing the Creature Tier System! There are four rankings:
1. Staple - These are the lowest tier creatures. They are the most common species in a given habitat, and while they're not boring, they're really only exciting when you're exploring a new habitat and you haven't seen them before. Not something to write home about.
2. Neat - These are a step up from Staple. They don't make your entire day, but they are worth taking a closer look at when found. Definitely can be exciting to have a productive day finding many Neat species.
3. Wild - These are exciting to find. Whether they have interesting defensive features that offer a nice challenge in the field, are particularly cool looking, or maybe a little bit rare, Wild species aren't necessarily the MOST memorable of encounters, but they definitely make your day when you see them. An adventure featuring many Wild species will truly be memorable.
4. Gem - These are special. Usually involving extremely interesting biology and significant rarity, Gem species are animals that you really do not see every day. These species can make your whole adventure, and will be very memorable.
Creative Commons Music Tracks Used in This Video by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons...
#spiders #venomous

[@MyWildBackyard]

These spiders are insane, but I bet you didn't know that one of the LARGEST spiders in your yard might have some of the craziest biology in the world! Learn more here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/anzIqoFugZyKkM0

[@MaryWhitener-s6d]

😮

[@monoKaiKwak]

Spencer: Guys these are the most venomous spiders in the world Spencer: *holds them*

[@st0neman574]

At least he’s not like the Coyote dude and let’s them bite or sting him intentionally

[@bunkerpeakoutdoors5717]

​@st0neman574 coyote Peterson has never taken a bite from something considered "deadly." Jwow has taken bites from a brown recluse, and a black widow. Maybe a couple others on this list, i just don't remember off hand.

[@l.b.5892]

Stupidity at its best. Study them ... BUT leave them alone.

I think the “Widow”🕷️spiders are classic looking elegant,beauties. I got a spider bite from a “Huntsman” that was a burning & itchy welt bite The pain from the bite was over within a day. Next phase was weeks of weeping ulcerated wound. & it took weeks to heal & I still have a deep scar. (So not deadly but no party)😬

[@nathansuzuki1571]

This guy has huge balls fondling these killers

[@peacefulencounters9466]

When my daughter was a baby she was bitten on her hand by a Black Widow. She developed flu-like symptoms that lasted two weeks after initial bite. The ER I rushed her to were the most unprofessional group of Doctors and nurses. I was so pissed by their lack of knowledge and treatment but was helpless. I’m so happy my daughter survived the bite.😊

[@Dan_Kanerva]

Jesus, if saw my baby being biten by a black widow i would get a heart attack while rushing to the nearest clinic

[@atzend8569]

Many years ago while I was still living with my father and stepmother, I found a northern black widow in my closet (refurbished house in the woods, what was my closet used to be a maintenance room open to the outside and wasn't properly sealed). I'm arachnophobic and also not a fan of fucking around and finding out so I went to get my stepmother for help. Told her there was a black widow in my room. Her response: "Why did you let her in?!" My stepmother is ESL, and thought that "black widow" meant "a woman of colour whose husband is dead", and that I was randomly letting strangers into my room. To this day that's all I can think of when I hear about this spider.

[@AllThingsConsidered333]

😂😂😂

[@understandingthetimes2867]

Lol

[@Nat-z5b2x]

Lolol based step madre

[@Dang3rMouSe]

lol

[@L3GHO5T]

😂😂

[@ian_ford]

Black widow’s red hour glass is nature’s best “F-- around and find out” alert.

[@EarlCasey-nh6he]

😈😈😈😈

[@therealsammich]

“Identifiable by the hourglass marking that indicates your time is at hand.” -Obsidian Entertainment

[@Gamerguy-vh2mw]

100 percent

[@spiderfart420]

The hourglass stands for your time running out before the toxins set in 😈

[@dedompler]

@@therealsammich god I love Grounded but early game wolf spiders made me wish micro flamethrowers were a thing

[@sutherngirrl7590]

I just removed a black widow from my yard. Their webs are hella strong! She's alive and well and living in the tree line on the other side of the fence. 😁 My family was super impressed by my removal of her and that I no longer panic. Thanks to you Spencer! 😉

[@thewanderer5124]

I used raid away on like 10 black widow’s not too long ago

[@davidm3maniac201]

​@thewanderer5124 Raid is good stuff. I use different ones on moths , cockroaces and spiders etc.

[@bryanreeme8584]

I'm rural, Glades fla.. never seen a red widow but I've been bit by the black & browns, not a big deal (to me).. best response is nature, let the purple/black mud dauber wasps get em, they'll wipe em out

[@mistam.3764]

Ive only encountered 2 with such webbing, the widow as you mentioned. And this weird garden spider i found once black with yellow rings around it. That web was like steel

[@MyWildBackyard]

Late reply cause been grinding on edits this week! Got that Florida trip coming up soon with Jack so I'm getting ahead to make sure I don't miss any posts. You're doin great removing those spiders! Kinda like when I was bartending and used to relocate spiders from the restaurant, people would watch with held breaths. So funny. Shirts are shipping out soon, I've got em finally just been derailed abit with scheduling and workload. Stay tuned!

[@kjc3693]

My father in law is a semi well-known biologist who’s been studying and writing about snakes and spiders, among other things, for over 40 years. I remember him once saying that brown recluse bites can be pretty icky due to the bacteria they harbor in their mouths. So, if you get bit, don’t ignore it, and seek medical attention immediately. Same for Cotton Mouths/Water Moccasins. It isn’t the venom per se, but the bacteria you have to worry about.

[@minxella12]

I heard that as well with so called non venomous snakes. Seek medical attention anyway, you can still get a serious bacterial infection.

[@Imugi007]

I call cap on your father being a biologist. And if he is... he never told you that. And if he is... and he did tell you that... he's a terrible biologist. Because everything you just said is absurd. The cytotoxin in their venom is what causes necrosis, not bacteria. While their venom does something similar to something like staff infection, it's not caused by bacteria. It's caused by the cytotoxins, which is exactly what staff bacteria uses... Same with cotton mouths. It's their venom that causes necrosis, just like most other pit vipers. It is most definitely their venom you need to worry about. Not some bacteria in their mouth. You're spreading dangerous misinformation, because someone that gets bit might think they don't need to go to the hospital, and can just clean the bite, when that is most certainly NOT the case.

[@MermaidMakes]

Even a “harmless” scratch from a cat can go south very quickly, But I urge people to not live their lives in fear, just to take proper precautions and visit a doctor even if you don’t think there is any danger. It’s exceedingly rare to die from a spider bite in the US unless you have a pre-existing condition. I studied zoology as well, funny enough at University of Florida. Medically significant animals don’t want to waste their precious venom, used for food, on humans. They only bite if they think it’s their last resort and that their lives are threatened…so if you don’t make them feel their lives are threatened, you won’t get bit. In my years on the field handling many Florida native and non native creatures, I was only ever bitten by an animal once. It was a banded water snake- and they are feisty so it’s almost a right of passage to get bit by a water snake. I was handling it while trying to capture it. Since they aren’t medically significant I wasn’t being as careful because I didn’t care if it bit me. It’s pretty much guaranteed that you will from them. Still, I disinfected the wound and dressed it, and kept a close eye on it. (I won’t count the hundreds of anole bites…since they are little more than a gentile pinch.lol)

[@rbilleaud]

This is incorrect. The venom IS absolutely what you need to worry about. Sure, good idea to wash ANY bite due to bacterial infection, but that is in no way your primary concern.

[@nobodyaskedfortwitterhandles]

the problem is people often don't even know they've been bitten until long after the actual bite

[@KrazyKaiser]

That's an interesting point you made about the LD50: While the spider venom may be more toxic than the snake venom, the snake is more dangerous because of the fact that is is thousands of time larger than a spider and so can deliver more venom when it attacks you.

[@MyWildBackyard]

Yep! Super interesting stuff.

[@teddyroberts308]

Absolutely. If given the choice, I'll take a black widow bite over a venomous snake bite anyday.

[@DaleHartley]

adult snakes almost never give their full dose of venom, the baby snakes on the other hand are more likely to kill because they DO give it all they got if they are scared. I wonder if this applies to spiders as well...conserving venom

[@R.Oates7902]

How to tell if a snake is venomous: Red next to yellow kills a fellow!

[@DaleHartley]

@@R.Oates7902 that is for the coral snake, Rattlesnakes have no red or yellow ;) nor do copperheads or cottonmouths. Those are the 4 dangerous poisonous snakes in the US natively.

[@suzycowan5072]

We had a friend in Barstow California who was bitten on his lower calf by a Brown Recluse in his garage. His garage was under his home which was built on a rocky cliffside area. He was hospitalized right away due to complications of his diabetes and died within a week of being bitten. The necropsy ate through to the bone on his calf. His death was a huge loss to our society and he was loved by all in life, and almost 30 years later, still missed by all those who knew him.

[@sknmwms6516]

Horrible!

[@R.Oates7902]

That's awful! It's a horrible way to go!

[@carolv8450]

How sad. Brown recluse are so dangerous!

[@suej231]

There was a young girl, about 20-25 years ago that was bitten by a Brown Recluse. She was about 10, if I remember correctly from the news report. Her mom noticed a nasty looking sore on her back when helping her wipe her back dry with a towel after a shower. They took her to the ER but she died a few days later. Are you sure nobody has died from them?

[@Youtubecensoredmyusername]

RIP friend, I spend a lot of time in Barstow near calico. Thanks now I’m scared to go into my storage shed 😳

[@gojiraforbreakfast]

My Uncle lost his arm from a brown recluse bite. He was cleaning up dead wood from a hurricane from a dead tree that had fallen. He had a bad reaction from the bite and it was the early 90's. I love in Kansas now and see them around often. They mind their own business and just run off when disturbed. I don't even kill them when they are in the house. I try to relocate them outside. I especially love have wild spiders and jumping spiders around. Especially mother wild spiders because they carry their young around and look so 😍

[@davidduncan3439]

“These are spiders to be taken very, very, seriously.” Yet, he has it crawl along his fingers and gets bit. Am I missing something here?

[@cliffordbowman6777]

No but he is- common sense

[@korndogwithak2231]

A spider fanatic. No one else would ever do this I hope.

[@nubannub8108]

He knowledgeable in what he is doing and can handle the situation appropriately. We are not and rather enjoy from a distance 👍

[@korndogwithak2231]

@@nubannub8108 I was just doing some light research, I wouldn't say I enjoyed it as much as I just tried to learn from it. He can continue being himself with his spiders and I'll maybe consider watching more when I feel fit.

[@Jay-n262]

Your channel has definitely helped me get over my arachnophobia. They play a vital role in the ecosystem.

[@MyWildBackyard]

So glad to have helped!

[@TheLooterArmy]

The gasp at 3:42 gave me a heart attack.. lol....I was watching so intently, trying to see the spider and jumped outta my skin when you gasped ! Great content bud, thanks!

[@coreymac2381]

I frequently have to relocate brown widow spiders that nest in my mailbox. I used to play with black widow spiders when I was a child until a neighbor told my parents the spiders were venomous. I was never bitten.

[@MyWildBackyard]

They're usually pretty reluctant to bite. The one red widow that bit me seemed to be a weird anomaly, black and brown widows are really docile for the most part.

[@djr3ap3r99]

Henry creel? Is that you

[@oldladyfromnm7590]

I've been kind of cavalier about spiders for a long time, since I discovered that homes with spiders don't usually have other insects. You are teaching me which ones to have greater respect for.

[@SwissNetHawk]

An italian saying goes „ragno porta guadagno“ meaning „spider brings profit“ and it‘s also said that if you don‘t have any spiders in your house, THAT‘s a thing to worry about…

[@dasungeheuer3873]

I think the prevalence of spiders may be why we don't have bedbugs in the south

[@jasonstewart8363]

Knowledge is power. I intentionally leave specific spiders in my home. Wolf spiders, celar spiders and funnel weavers in my basement. Jumping spiders i leave throught as they are friendly, curious and great hunters. In my area where the Recluse is prevalent, ive never seen a Recluse in a house with these other species as they are prey to them.

[@NZ2STROKE]

I am terrified of spiders but love learning about them in your videos!

[@MyWildBackyard]

Glad to have you either way!

[@dannymurcia5984]

yes same!!

[@gregorygolden1296]

Maaan, I like you don't like them things. But like learning about them.

[@McPilch]

You've never seen jumping spiders?? 😅

[@marli8907]

I’ve made myself learn more about spiders to try and conquer my fear. I didn’t want to pass that fear to my kids.

[@inaccessiblecardinal9352]

The whole "you can identify them by the arrangement of their eyes" bit is amusing. No, I cannot identify them that way because I'm not getting close enough. I say, "Lo, a spider, let me give him some room."

[@jkii1105]

When you take into account you were bitten on the finger, if it would have been somewhere else it could have been a lot worse, say a bit near the eye, or on the lip. I respect the insects of the world because of what they can do. My dad was bitten by a brown recluse and was hospitalized for like 8 months, and also had a skin graph, they are very venomous.

[@thaismatsumoto]

I had to have skin grafts to my hip. The brown recluse caused necrosis down to the bone. It was gross to look in the hole but it actually didn’t hurt. Probably because it was dead down to the bone. The cure on the other hand. 😳.The scrapping to get to the healthy tissues…ouch.And then saline in the wound.

[@jkii1105]

@@thaismatsumoto Yea seen my dad go through it with his foot, was like 7 yrs later but I don't think the virus was completely killed, he lost his foot, but they blame his diabetes, evenly his life ended, and they said they don't know why he passed away, said it was unidentified virus that killed him, which I'll be honest was in 2018 right before COVID breakout. They are not exactly sure what killed him, but I know what it was

[@kellycook3914]

​@@jkii1105sorry for your loss 🕊️

[@jkii1105]

@@kellycook3914 Thank You, your so kind. Death is a part of life, why I accept it now rather than later. Seen death take so many family and friends. I'm not saying that people shouldn't care, cause it's how we honor those who have passed. I'm a strong believer in God and Jesus, it is a commandment to honor the father and the mother. Again thank you for the kind words it takes time to heal, I miss him, but then I don't lol, if you only knew my dad. With the way he went, he went when he decided on it, wasn't like it was all of a sudden, he was ready to go, I can imagine the pain he was in. So I don't always look at death as a bad thing, knowing my dad was in so much pain. For the hospital to say that he died of infectious disease, which I said "unknown illness", so I'm correcting what I've said, which can be anything when it comes to "infectious disease". My father was a minister and does scare me at times thinking about his dreams he'd have right before he passed. I'd go to get a drink or something to eat, and my dad would be asleep on the chair, he would be saying while he's sleeping, he would say "the gnashing of teeth". Reading scripture, Luke 13:27-28 But He will say, 'I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity. ' There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out. Part where says gnashing of teeth is what gets me, cause this is what he was saying. After reading scripture and a better understanding, I know why Jesus is needed. It's within my honest opinion reading scripture, we all go to Hell after death, for we all are like filthy rags on our best days and even the saints are in hell, it's a place of holding, till judgment. This is why it's important to pay attention to dreams. I also can't believe that we all go to heaven in Jesus , if this was the case then the rapture wouldn't be needed, scripture does talk about a rapture when anti Christ revels himself. Those who have not sought out God and repented, do it now, for the time is close, and remember to pay attention to your dreams, and also to question the spirit, make sure they are of God. Examine yourselves and make sure you are in the faith look up and lift up your heads cause your redemption draws near.

[@sjohnson5813]

​@@thaismatsumotowas the spider in your father's shoe?

[@glenmcmillian6206]

Bad reactions to brown recluse bites are apparently far more common than the author suggests. I have known two people personally who required long term treatment of very serious hard to heal wounds due to being bitten by these spiders. I live in the SouthEast.

[@alexispoling6811]

My high school friend ended up in the hospital for 3 weeks because of a bad reaction to a recluse bite. He’s got scarring on about 3/4 of his forearm now.

[@SUGAR_XYLER]

​@wearehiddenservices5573 True. I knew a guy that almost had his hand amputated due to a bite. It was extremely swollen

[@jrb9957]

I know a guy at my work who lost part of his foot to a brown recluse bite

[@deborahchesser7375]

I’m in Ohio and I’ll tell ya what, I got bit in 3 places and it was the worst pain I’ve ever experienced, a crushing sensation

[@chainhold]

Bad reactions are a thing although not common. More likely caused by lack of medical attention. Had a friend with a brown recluse almost die because he didn’t treat the wound for a week. The nurse at our high school knew that he was bit and was showing symptoms like sweating, vomiting, dizziness. When he didn’t show up to class on Friday, the nurse called his house to check up on him and found out he was at home on deaths bed. His dad took him to the hospital and told him he had hours to live if they hadn’t brought him in. (Context: he’s a massive idiot, one of the stupidest people I know)

[@erikbrush]

I've been bitten by a brown recluse. It created a mild bit of necrosis, but nothing serious. It took a VERY long time to heal. But draining the wound and keeping it clean works well.

[@SN00PICUS]

I was bitten on the lip by one years ago. It put a hole through my lip you could fit a q-tip through. They seek moisture, so they can be drawn by the moisture in your mouth during the night when they are active. I had to be hospitalized, mainly due to the location of the bite and extent of the infection. Infection + brain= ☠️

[@DonFelixGallardo]

@@SN00PICUSeww it went in your mouth and your never woke up yikes

[@johnbarleycorn9683]

My uncle was bitten by a brown recluse and it almost rotted his leg off. He was member of a holiness church that didn't believe in doctors or medicine.

[@ChevisPreston]

Knee. I remember for a few days it hurt so bad I couldn’t sit in class, could feel the blood inflame the area every time my heart beat. Had to drain it often, and the white puss was disgusting. It was very painful, but I was at the time still young. 10, I’d say. Doctor gave me some antibiotics, and in time it healed fully.

[@MirandaCruze]

I have a feeling that the bacteria various brown recluse bites carry is probably more responsible for severe cases of necrosis than the venom itself. Of course, there are various levels of venom that can be injected and it’s logical to presume that’s a factor in determining how bad a brown recluse bite reaction can be. The thought is that the more venom that gets injected during the bite, the more blood vessels that then get damaged; thus the more likely the surrounding tissue is to die. But if the brown recluse is carrying a bacteria like staph or if a really bad bacteria later gets introduced to the wound, it’d almost undoubtedly advance the case of necrosis; don’t you think? Because not only is the tissue being deprived of oxygenation/blood flow due to the initial blood vessel damage from the venom, but now there’s bacteria that’s destroying more vascularization in the affected area and/or infecting the cells that are now receiving decreased circulation due to the disrupted blood vessels. Essentially, the bacteria would either further destroy vascularization in the area or proliferate due to poor circulation and thus immune modulation; instigating more tissue damage. So, it’d make sense that the absolute best thing one can do is to regularly wash the bite area and keep new pathogens from being introduced, apply something topical like bacitracin, and perhaps even have a doctor prescribe broad-spectrum oral antibiotics at the very first sign of necrosis or if someone is at an increased risk for developing an infection, like in those who are on immune-suppressing drugs or chemotherapy. I wish we had more studies on the bacterias found in necrotic regions of brown recluse bites and a more detailed history of how various patients dealt with their initial bite. This way we could see some real data on what actually makes certain cases of brown recluse bites so bad and find ways to better predict what someone’s risk level from a bite is. I just have serious doubts that one in ten of brown recluse spider bites ends up necrotic simply because one of the ten brown recluses released more venom than the other nine, or because one in ten people just happen to have a stronger reaction to it for some odd reason. Anyway, it’s awesome that you’ve recovered! The human body is so resilient. It sounds like you did the right thing by caring for the wound. God bless!

[@bobcat5844]

When I was a little boy back in the 80s, my mom got bit in the foot by Brown recluse . I remember they cut a whole about 2 inches round and maybe an inch deep out of my mom‘s foot . The doctor stated if she had been any older she probably wouldn’t have lived. My mom’s a tough lady and I still remember her that day when she got bit in her foot all those years ago she was in a lot pain.

[@cjthebeesknees]

Brown Recluse is also feared for it’s habit of being found in massive invasive nests in homes, that’s a big one.

[@cambuxton6835]

Sometimes the babies will colonize. But adults usually go off on their own. But a good hunting ground is a good hunting ground.

[@nospoontobend2656]

​@@cambuxton6835BS ...recluses don't have "nests"

[@Desiree-x6n]

During the warmer months there are literally dozens upon dozens of black widow spiders all over my yard. They come out from our landscaping and plants around dusk. They also love to make their homes around our patio furniture and underneath our cars. With three small children this can be incredibly frustrating as once in a while we come across one inside usually in a toybox. As for being bitten fortunately for me I've never even gotten sick from a bite. Just an irritating itch that is constant and drives you crazy.

[@RealBelisariusCawl]

That Ctenidae eye pattern always gives me shivers when I see it, even knowing that we don’t have Phoneutria sp. in the states. Like having a lightning bolt strike near you. Such beautiful animals, but to quote our old boy Steve, “Crickey!”

[@MyWildBackyard]

Yeah they have a very distinct, menacing look

[@Jennifer-nz2ss]

Spencer's mom-Put that down right now! Spencer-mom, I gotta do my video of poisonous spiders mom! I gotta hold them all! OMG😊

[@coryroberts7519]

I don't mean to laugh at your misery, but that face you made when bitten by that red widow cracks me up every time! Great presentation!

[@MyWildBackyard]

I laugh at it too, figured people would enjoy it 😂

[@McPilch]

​@MyWildBackyard I loved how the "shock" reaction only lasted a split second, then attention returned to where the cheeky spood was and if it was okay.. and also the curiosity of how you'd biologically react. I know you said you had to be calm as a racing heart and adrenaline wouldn't be helpful, but the "oh, interesting!" scientist part of you was so cool to see!

[@libertarianman69]

How sick did he get?

[@F8isRIPPIN]

@@libertarianman69 watch the video

[@greyjay9202]

Years ago I lived in a sheepherder's trailer out West. At night, a family of black widows would wake up and lower themselves down into my bunk, from their webs on the ceiling. At first I was alarmed, but as time went by, I learned that they meant me no harm. I felt the same way about them. I never got bitten, and I never bothered them. We co-existed peacefully. At that same location, outside the trailer, there were scorpions, and they truly were a surly and irritable clan. Luckily, I had a feral cat who dined on them regularly, without getting stung. She thought of them as a snack, the way we might eat potato chips.

[@flymachine]

As a South African I can confirm we are infested by the browns (Geometricus) we have Mactans too - I apologise on behalf of my nation for sharing them. Still despite their proliferation bites are extremely rare, more folk here are bitten by Violin or Sac spiders (including me) but no fatalities I’ve heard of.

[@MyWildBackyard]

It's alright! This kinda stuff happens. They really are super neat spiders nonetheless. And fortunately the stories about sac spiders being dangerous are myths so that's not something to worry about

[@mikedavis979]

I was skeptical of the dangerousness of bites of sac spiders, so I once forced one to bite me on the hand. It wasn't too bad at all. Like a mild bee sting, with few seconds of burning pain, then mosquite bite-like itching for a while. It was tentatively ID'd by me as yellow sac spider.

[@jameswheeler6954]

A sac spider bit me 2 weeks sick like tick fever or malaria symptoms.. 4 days out cold and intensive care … Not fun ! Small red blisters on my foot while sleeping ..

[@OutlandFL]

Good video, thanks. Many years ago I moved to central Florida from California and while out in my backyard watching my kids, I sat in a metal chair and felt a sting on the back of my arm and immediately slapped it but it was no mosquito, it was much larger and was one of those Brown Widows I have since seen here often. This one was not too large though after hunting them later, I see they can grow to enormous sizes about half the size of a wolf spider! The effects were not immediate but swelling began locally then spreading to my lower arm and hand where my wedding ring was no longer visible my fingers were so swollen and my arm began to hurt. Several hours later the real pain began that I can only equate as feeling like twisting "a red hot knife" inside my arm muscle during any movement. Even a breeze against my arm would be excruciating enough to bring tears to your eyes. Online descriptions of brown widow symptoms were that, although the venom is more powerful than a black widow venom, it stays locally in the arm or leg bitten. For the most part that was true but the next day my foot had slight uncontrolled tremors. And no, I didn't go to a doctor. I found that the ragged webs and egg sacs were the dead giveaway for their locations during daylight hours. Raid brings them out but doesn't kill them and you have to destroy them with a stick. I went around my house at night and found the Black Widows come out and show themselves but I lost count at over 33 (destroyed) and over the years have not seen any more due to my initial diligence of lowering risk to my family and eliminating them. I had also seen a small coral snake and one of those light colored large spiders (not the wolf spider I had here too) but it jumped onto my pant-leg and I left it alone until it decided to jump off. Then I see your picture and warning for a wandering spider. My family lived in Colombia for several years (US Gov.) and I had a chance to see what jumped onto my brother in a dark shack changing area in the jungle and the light from an open door showed a crab-like very large (bigger than a wolf spider) spider I later saw in pictures what is considered a dangerous spider found in bananas but at the time, the locals said we were lucky it didn't bite since it was one that could kill so ... lucky us! Thanks for the good spider information.

[@thomas_walker]

it's so cool you found a red widow! even cooler, on the wikipedia page for the latrodectus bishopi, it mentions that you're likely the first person on camera to record a red widow bite. keep it up!

[@MyWildBackyard]

Yep! One of my subscribers edited that page a while back when I posted the video of the full bite. Crazy stuff

[@Volfan2]

In the E. USA we have brown recluse. It's a small, innocuous looking arachnid. The first one I encountered I was working in a grocery store, taking a bakery order, when one repeatedly tried to cross my order pad. I repeatedly pushed him back with my pen and each time he would stand up on his hind legs and hold his ground with his front. I found this so amusing that I brought my manager over to see it. She took a 1 look then promptly smashed it exclaiming, "fiddle back." It's nickname from the distinct pattern on their backs. Glad I didn't scoop him up & throw him outside as I usually do with spiders.

[@Emulp94]

Being in the UK, videos like this are great for me. I go on vacation to the states quite a lot so its nice to know what to stay away from and look out for. All i have here is a lot of noble false widows. Great work as always Spencer. Thank you 😊

[@MyWildBackyard]

So glad you enjoyed!

[@itzamia]

Especially the Brown Recluse. They will leave holes where they bite you, and could potentially spread to further out from the bite, scarring for the rest of your life.

[@jeffdemick8216]

Do u guys have dangerous spiders like u.s.a

[@Emulp94]

@@jeffdemick8216 Honestly, no not really. We have a couple that bite but they are compared to like a bee sting and not lethal

[@sarahstrong7174]

There has been one recorded death from a False Noble Widow spider in the U.K. & several cases of people losing limbs.

[@majornugzzz5424]

So i joined the Army back in '02. My basic training location was Ft. Sill Oklahoma. After i got my government issued haircut, i got issued my good ol fashioned government pantihose. Being from Michigan, i had a look of confusion on my face that was quickly smashed by my drill instructor. "Why the pantihose?" I asked. And after doing my required push ups for speaking out of line... i got told. "Black widow spiders hide in boots, put them over your boots" Neat.

[@azze3874]

your videos are so enjoyable! i love spiders and fear them at the same time. And having such a nice view and all these information thanks to your vids, is just nice so please keep going! :)

[@janicesmith2475]

I have deep, severe, terror-filled arachnophobia. I don’t understand why several comments are thanking this guy for helping them get over their fear of spiders. This video just reinforced it for me. 🕷️

[@be9579]

Hi Spencer, I just wanted to say thanks to your videos on free handling spiders and showing how if you don’t cause any stress to the spider and stay calm they have no intention of biting you, I managed to free handle a spider in my house for the first time and safely relocated it outside. Thank you for helping inspire me to save spiders instead of always resorting to killing, you have no idea how helpful your videos have been in my journey to get over my fears!

[@conditionallyunconditional5691]

I catch & release them too! They arent really bad creatures at all.🤭

[@sethgriffin763]

I catch and release, but will still use a cup and a piece of paper...🤣 You are much more brave than I!

[@lacedupangel]

i was bitten by a brown recluse in my sleep when i was very young (about 9 years old). got me right on my big toe. the venom made me a little sick but it went away quickly. the bite however was awful. it was so itchy and painful, and near the end of it all the bite had swelled up and burst after awhile, then finally started to heal. i definitely understand why people are scared of them but hey, im alive!

[@indignantnapkin5]

Hey Spencer! I’ve been watching your videos for a while now and I’ve always loved your perspectives on spiders. I was wondering if you could do a video on a specific type of spider that I think is super cool - the net casting spider. They’re apart of the family Deinopidae. They’re mainly in the southern hemisphere, but Wikipedia shows a graph of the world of their distribution, and they’re actually in the southern part of California!

[@MyWildBackyard]

That's a big target for me next month! Gonna be down in Florida with my buddy Jack, we're targeting ogre-faced spiders pretty hard along with a few other really special invertebrates!

[@indignantnapkin5]

@@MyWildBackyard awesome!!

[@LydiAtheistLady]

Yay!

[@AriessunvirgomoonlightLibraise]

What part are we talking about because I live in SoCal 😩😭

[@berner]

"These are serious man killers. Now, watch as the Florida Wandering Spider crawls on my hand and arm".

[@mikehen06]

Just because you’re studying and talking about them doesn’t mean you have to HOLD THEM!

[@TheRealSlowhand]

As a child I was bitten by a Brown Recluse on my ankle and it led to fever and a necrotic boil that needed antibiotics and wound care for several weeks... That was 40 years ago and I've never forgotten this...

[@drewgotit3569]

My dad was bit by a brown recluse. He had to have almost a baseball size chunk cut out of his leg due to all the dead tissue it caused.

[@Basketball069]

My friend’s nephew just died from a bite. Not a creature to take lightly.

[@nospoontobend2656]

​@@Basketball069bullshit

[@N..P..]

​@@Basketball069No, he didn't.

[@troydanielboy]

I was bitten by a BR a few years back. I knew they were in the house, because I was trapping hundreds every year on glue traps. A very large BR got me on the inner thigh one night. I knew enough to NOT scratch it for it does itch. I found the spider dead at the bottom of my bed under the sheets. I remember feeling it in my sleep and kicking at it. Of course to me it was a dream. I went to Emergency two days later after my flesh became red and warm where I received antibiotics for any infection. It hurt like hell for several days, then after pain relievers and 10 days off work, I recovered. No rotted flesh, no hole, no necrosis. Just a barely noticeable blemish. Moral of the story; DON"T SCRATCH.

[@groovyhat9282]

I lived in New Mexico for many years and black widows were extremely common. One thing I noticed is that they love man made infrastructure. Folded camping chairs, inside flower pots, kids' playhouses, garden sheds, near a rolled up hose. Any sort of stable structure. Their webs are also very scattered and chaotic. I never found them making webs in foliage, or trees or anything.

[@tesscot]

Most helpful shot of a brown recluse I've ever seen and I've looked online before. Very helpful. Also the info on the spiked egg sacks of the brown widow, I see these all the time at a cabin I stay at. I double checked no other spider has this type of sack. I will be taking those down in the future. My favorite spider is the Wolf Spider and my second fave is the Spiny Spider or Orb Weaver. I had one as a porch neighbor once. It was great fun. I must confess, I did rescue a large beetle from his web once. I love beetles, too.

[@stubby8663]

Thank you for the Video Spencer, enjoyed watching as always.

[@MyWildBackyard]

So glad you're enjoying!

[@wumphump9436]

So much effort put into making this and it shows. Thankyou!

[@ningboy3274]

I moved to Florida a couple years ago and wasn't surprised by the ridiculous amount of venomous spiders we have here, what bothers me more is the naturally occurring GIANT FLYING COCKROACHES that are everywhere in this state, What also bothers me is this guy bare handing all these venomous spiders, put some gloves on or something, whats wrong with you? "This might be the most toxic spider in North America, let me just go ahead and agitate it by picking it up with my bare hands." You're a braver man than me bro.

[@kristaturner3741]

I may have killed a black widow many years ago when unpacking a box from an outside shed. I saw it running out and smashed it before I could identify if it was a real black widow or a false one. It was big, black, and shiny, but didn’t let it live long enough to see if it had the hourglass. I regret not trying to rescue it and relocate it, but I’m a lot braver and smarter now than I was at the time. Now I keep little plastic cups nearby to catch and relocate the bugs that get in my home and at work and have recently become brave enough to freehand some spiders. People like you who help educate the world about these misunderstood creatures are a gift to the planet, thank you for all you do. ❤🕸️🕷️

[@moparsrule862]

Brilliant channel, thank you for the effort you put in to educate and hopefully keeping us safe in the brush

[@MyWildBackyard]

Thanks so much! Glad to help!

[@obamaswallows]

Brown recluses are far more common than people realize. They travel well in boxes and clothing when you move so they are spread out over many areas. I've been bitten twice - no worse than a mosquito bite or mild bee sting. I've been told that making a paste out of ground up activated charcoal and rubbing it into your spider bite will absorb some of the venom and help lessen the spread of necrosis in those people who experience it. Some doctors do that to prevent large lesions requiring skin grafts. They are also very hard to eliminate from your home with pest control as they can get into the deepest recesses of a structure and live without food for up to 6 months. Interesting creatures, but they still get the death sentence whenever I discover them. Keep clutter to a minimum, clothes off the floor, and don't pile things against the wall and you will rarely encounter them.

[@chrisw1555]

Same with me. I live in middle Tennessee and every now and then i'll spot one in certain areas of my house (depending on the time of year). I release bugs I find in the house back outside (moths, daddy longlegs, etc) but recluses get the napalm treatment with no effs given.

[@SUGAR_XYLER]

​@@chrisw1555 A knew a guy that almost had his hand amputated because he was bitten by one

[@eric_has_no_idea]

There are a few research papers on it, but most diagnosed recluse bites are not spider bites at all. They are MRSA. When tested, drs got the id wrong half the time. Another one showed that most bites come from places that don't have them, and there are no evidence there were. When spiders are found, they are almost never recluses. It's enough that when one is, it's a big surprise.

[@beardeddragon9255]

​@@SUGAR_XYLERCheck out Jacks World Of Wildlife. He did a video on the BR and jt turns out that the most important thing to do when bitten is to wash the area and keep it clean because it's not so much the venom that will cause necrosis but how it interacts with other bacteria in the bite zone. My best recommendation when putting yourself at risk for a bite whether it be working in a shed or doing yard work is to always carry a small vial of 195 proof Everclear. Drip it on the bit continuously until you can clean it properly then continue with everclear and peroxide.

[@tupitollefson]

Outstanding. We love your uploads here in Belton, Texas.

[@MyWildBackyard]

Thank you so much!

[@MrCsw123456789]

Met a dude who I was making great conversation with and was missing a foot and I asked him how he lost it and said “I was in the Air Force when I lost it.” I then automatically assumed and asked “If you don’t mind me asking, was it having something to do with combat?” And he laughed and said “No, I was bit by a Brown Recluse in my barracks and I ended up losing my foot.” We both concluded the conversation with smiles and he was light hearted about it but it still blew my mind a spider did that.

[@cloudstrife6435]

Hey Spencer, due to conquering my fear of handling potentially dangerous animals, insects, and arachnids, I was able, for the first time, free handle a bee! I rescued it from a plant pot before my wife watered it. The bee couldn't fly very well, so I walked it onto my hand until she watered the plant, and I put it back. It was amazing not to have that fear, thank you!

[@Bonanzababe]

That's awesome! I've recently gotten more comfortable around them as well. I adore bumble bees!

[@MyWildBackyard]

I'm proud of you!

[@robertlindholm4578]

@@Bonanzababe I live in Sweden, but like I said or explained about my brother living in Idaho and Ohio (like I apparently wrote) so people of course got confused but after talking to him this weekend it became clear that he had funbled around with hes hoodie so not only did he have a bad, bad reaction to the Recluse bite but he appeared as wanting it to stick him, like he told me he had said what are YOU doing in my hood and swiftly put hes hand in the hood and in the dark of the hood and the totally strange envoirment (4 the Recluse being that IT IS reclusive species it bit him and it was both in the hand and after on the back so I dont know if he was doing acrobatics with the poor Spider but now as I earlier wrote he has to have a nurse come everyday but NOT two times a day anymore cause the Dr said that u must have a great immune system built up in Sweden before u came here cause the necrotic bite(that it became) they dont ACTUALLY know that most of us will get some necrotic skin condition after a brown Recluse bite...I know my brother is big, he went to study there on a football scholarship so he wasnt used to checking hes clothes for potentially lethal spiders. Just wanted to update u, but no words on the actual Spider. No, but he could've died and that is my brother, and I got him when I was 2 years old so u do the math. Thanx4 an aaaaalways exciting channel and great episodes. Just one Q Spencer, are u University bred enthomologist?? Cause I have a REAL BIG Q HERE: Which cuckarachas are the hardest to get rid of and if U've just got em and put out these sticky traps could u actually you, yourself turn things around?? I think its German cuckarachas we've got but since we put out the traps and keep it neat & clean, couldnt we handle this with traps if they havent built up a whole community that is?!?! Havent seen one on the floor now for two weeks but the traps are some are, quite full but they emitt this foul stench/odor that U just caaaant stand! Pls Spence, try to answer my Question. Thanx for exciting and learning us mortals of both they're danger but also they're necessecitity in nature(NOT the cuckarachas but could I release a black widow of some other sort of Spider that actually will eat the cuckarachas?!? Or is it just replacing one pest with another??!?

[@RJ-luci]

Very concise and informative. I love your straight-forward no “frills” approach.

[@Hynotama]

I like how he reacts to venomous spiders as if he found some rare Pokémon.

[@MrLegaroth]

Cytotoxins are some of the worst thing to treat in the medical field... especially if the cytotoxic cascade has started... you're in for one hell of a ride! Thank you for your videos and the quality of them! By the way, you never mentionned if you have any long term effect from your encounter with the red widow.. are you all ok?

[@MyWildBackyard]

No long term effects! I actually want to do a one-year update in a few months, as part of a deep dive into red widow biology! From what I've been able to gather from the anecdotal reports I've been able to hear, like with Australian widows red widows only cause chronic symptoms if they give you a HUGE dose of venom. Pinch and release bites like what I got are usually a rough couple hours but nothing too serious. I would imagine, like with the Australian species, antivenin would stop the chronic symptoms for the red widow as well, but again so few cases we don't know for sure.

[@AnneAndersonFoxiepaws]

I would like the update and deeper dive into Red Widow biology.

[@MrLegaroth]

@@MyWildBackyard Thanks a lot, all this knowledge is really appreciated!

[@EvilleParanormal]

I’ve been bitten by a Brown Recluse, and stung by an Arizona Bark Scorpion. The Brown Recluse got me in my sleep, about 4 inches from my man parts. It was insanely painful, mostly because the location of the bite made ever step hurt. Especially after the necrosis slowed and they cut it out. Because it has to heal from the inside out, they can’t stitch it shut. It took 3 months to heal. Insanely painful. The Bark Scorpion, I got lucky I guess. It stung me at night when I went downstairs to the kitchen to get a drink. The thing was so confident, it didn’t even run off after the stung, it just looked at me. But the sting occurred on a part of my foot with calluses, so the skin was thick and the sting wasn’t as bad as it could be. It was very painful for about 6-8 hours, then for about 18-24 hours, my foot just felt like it was asleep. Then it was mostly better after that. The recluse was 1000% worse in my isolated experience.

[@mikepalmer2219]

My mother in-law had a nasty experience with a brown recluse. She was messed up for a bit and had to be hospitalized. Those things freak me out now.

[@Phredbo]

I was moving a customer in Virginia about 20 years ago I remember they had unmowed grass not too high but when I got home I noticed this swelling around what looked like an insect bite I was told that there were a lot of brown recluses in that area The swelling lasted at least a month but went away😢

[@mikepalmer2219]

@@Phredbo Your lucky.

[@williamhoude4165]

Arachnophobia was scariest spider movie ever made.

[@DaveTexas]

Yet another fascinating video! Home from opera rehearsal, I’ve been looking forward to seeing what Spencer has in store for us. As always, the video is both informative and entertaining! I did not know about the Florida wandering spider. I spend a couple weeks in Florida each year and I’m well aware of some of Florida’s BIG predators, but this is the first I’ve learned about a tiny Florida predator… The fangs on the one in the video look pretty scary! Of these five, I’ve only been bitten by one - the brown recluse. Maybe 20 years ago, I got into bed one night and didn’t realize I was sharing the bed with a tiny friend. It bit my arm near my elbow. I ended up with a nasty-looking sore that was about the size of a quarter, and it took several months to heal. I still have scar tissue in that spot. Ever since then, I always check the bedsheets before getting into bed…

[@davidm3maniac201]

I watched a video about spiders and this lady was bitten by a brown recluse spider. The wound wouldn't heal so she had to go into a special oxygen room. Poor lady had to spend so many hours per day or week and it went on for years. Still don't know if finished. Crazy eh

[@DaveTexas]

@@davidm3maniac201 yeah, I don’t know what it is about their venom that causes the skin to continue to necrotize for so long. My doctor had me put a gel made with nitroglycerin and antibiotic on the wound. Apparently nitroglycerin helps increase blood flow in the damaged skin and promotes the growth of new tissue. I imagine if you have circulatory issues, it could cause problems like the one you describe. I don’t mind most spiders in the house, but brown recluses do not get to live under my roof…if I find them…

[@MyWildBackyard]

That sounds about right for North American recluses. My good friend Jack experienced about the same when he tested the bite (on purpose of course, why are we like this?)

[@pineapplepotato6985]

Venom is an awesome band, Welcome To Hell goes so hard

[@smetlogik]

How can you not learn something after watching videos on this channel? Always getting something from this channel, thanks, Spencer! A lot of work goes into these vids.

[@MyWildBackyard]

Thanks so much as always man! I really appreciate all the support. Can't wait to get out and look for critters again!

[@calebadair7240]

I comment on a lot of your videos. I love them. But I’ve been waiting for this one. I work for the Volusia Countey Department of Parks and Recreation. I can confidently say that 90% of the structures in our parks (including restrooms) are infested with Northern Brown Widows. I see them every day.

[@CW0123]

Maybe the most venomous spiders in the US were the friends we made along the way 😌

[@MyWildBackyard]

😂

[@jayawilson1100]

I’m so proud to see that your channel has grown so much , absolutely terrific good job man :)

[@bundleofbasil]

Another awesome video! Your vids never fail to make me want to get outside and explore. 😄 There was a specific detail that I really liked with your editing, btw: when discussing the different types of venom, it was extra eyecatching of you to alternate the sides on which you showed the graphics. Little things like that make the visuals more intriguing!

[@MyWildBackyard]

You're catching on! Little things like that help a ton. Will Bundle of Basil be the next KZbin sensation with these insider secrets? Only time will tell....

[@bundleofbasil]

@@MyWildBackyard And I got that one for free! 😂 I'm sure there are lots of details that I don't even register. I will have to keep these things in mind!

[@GenX-Grampa]

I almost lost my arm up to the elbow, to a Brown Recluse bite on my pinky finger! My hand ended up looking like a zombie from The Walking Dead took a bite out of it! X-rays showed that I had “shadowing” in the bone and it looked like the necrosis had gotten into the bone. I had to have emergency surgery and when I went under I was told that amputation of the finger was 98% with a 95% chance of amputation of my entire hand, possibly up to my elbow! They wouldn’t know until they got in there to see the extent. Thank God when they opened it up and cleaned out all the dead tissue and could actually see it, they only amputated all the tissue along the pinky! Well, that and a lot of tissue that went down the side of my hand. So yeah, I have a nasty looking scar but I got to keep all my bits! IF you happen to get bit by a Recluse, GO TO THE DOCTOR!! It won’t look all that bad on the surface but underneath is a different story all together!! It will look like a red “pimple” for quite a while and won’t even hurt all that much. However, underneath is ROTTING! Then one day, after many days of telling your wife “it’s fine and I don’t need a doctor”, it will rupture open and spill the most rancid, RANK puss and odor!! It that point, you very well could be screwed! I’ve actually been bitten TWICE. Several year before my second bite. I used the old home remedy salve or paste made of crushed activated charcoal mixed with triple antibiotic ointment. The first time was on my forearm and the salve/paste worked. It took a long time but it DID heal leaving a big pockmark scar. The second bite, well, I already told you what happened. Sorry for such a long comment but hopefully my story will stick in the back of your head and help someone one day. Go to a doctor asap! Have them monitor it and how and if you are actually healing! Even if you think it is, you might be dead wrong!

[@petersmythe6462]

Keep in mind that the effectiveness of venom is more than just LD50. A bite to a major artery is gonna quickly get the venom to the heart and important areas of the nervous system. A bit too subcutaneous fat or muscle is not gonna do the same. Venom which is swallowed or sprayed onto the skin isn't usually very dangerous at all.

[@bluracer766]

Black widow bites sometimes cause extreme reactions even among adults in perfect health, it's fortunate they inject such a small amount of venom.

[@jamesblake7338]

That net casting spider would be cool to do! I’ve seen them around my home this year

[@MyWildBackyard]

Lucky! I’m hoping to see some this fall

[@King-bp6gu]

That moment you realize the spikey brown widow egg sacks he described are exactly the same as the ones you’ve been seeing in the back shed at work💀

[@NairaWolfGaming]

Honestly after seeing Jacks bite videos, I'd prefer to be bitten by a black widow than a brown recluse 😅 Another fantastic video Spencer! Thanks for all your hard work!

[@MyWildBackyard]

I dunno I'd still take my chances with a recluse, widows are NO fun

[@NairaWolfGaming]

@@MyWildBackyard Wow really! It seemed like yeah, it's astronomically bad pain, but only for like 24-48hrs. Whereas the recluse bite seemed to have symptoms for a really long period of time and the risk of necrosis. That really freaked me out! But hopefully I'll never have to worry about either 😱

[@atrainbrady3208]

​@NairaWolfGaming I'd also say the brown recluse bites are worse.

[@niphredilithilien1290]

@@NairaWolfGaming I'm with you, I'd kinda prefer a black widow bite 😂

[@nala7658]

Excellent post. Loved it, thank you.

[@crabbyyup8560]

Thanks for the informative videos and breaking it down easy to follow and learn alote great job

[@kellysimon91]

Thank you for your information on most toxic spiders in the US. It is thought to believe that my sister was bit on her ankle by a brown recluse as a kid. Her ankle was swollen and looked bruised -she was unable to walk (bear weight) on it for a few weeks.

[@sammcrae8892]

I used to think black widows were fairly rare, but my father in law had them in his garage. It turns out that mud dobber wasps catch and stun spiders with venom, but sometimes they drop them and just go find another one to put in their nests to feed their young. I used to walk past my father in law's garage and there were often as many as 20 stunned black windows laying on his Buick. It really made me think about just how many of them lived in that garage, if the wasps just happened to drop that many and not bother to pick them back up. I'm sure they also hunted other species of spiders, but all I ever saw on his car and the ground around it were black widows. There just had to be a LOT of them in that garage, cause I'm not talking 20 one day, I'm talking 15 to 20 EVERY DAY for the entire Summer... Yeah. Anyway, it was on an old farm, and the garage was stuffed with junk, old equipment, and hundreds of cubby holes with parts and tools. I never offered to clean and organize it for him either.

[@ggolds5]

A coworker of mine was bitten by a Brown Recluse. We're in Connecticut. He isn't sure if he was bitten at home or at work , likely at home. We worked in a hospital. He ended up with a large necrotic hole in his arm. Had to be hospitalized for 4 days. He has some nasty scars from it. Pretty scary spider.

[@jasonstewart8363]

Here are a few reasons why your friend was not bitten by a brown Recluse. 1 Connecticut is well outside the range of the recluse. 2, As mentioned in the video, the venom acts identical to a staff infection. The clue is, your friend works in a hospital where people are much more likely to acquire such an infection on a small wound. 3, they don't know where they were bitten, meaning they don't even know they were bitten, which means they weren't. It was a work related infection 100%

[@ggolds5]

@@jasonstewart8363 Makes perfect sense, accept he was working on an antique organ in his house. There were brown recluse spiders identified in the organ after he was bitten. He did go to several doctors and originally they thought it was Lyme disease. Ultimately it was determined to be the Brown Recluse and he took several of the spiders to be identified at a nature preserve in our town. We do have Brown Recluse spiders here in CT. Not uncommon at all. He did develop the traditional ulcer type wound and it had to have a surgical intervention.

[@jasonstewart8363]

@@ggolds5 Its possible if the organ was imported from another state. Inside a wood organ would be something they would like. However Entomologists say they don't live there. Missidentification is much more likely.

[@ggolds5]

@@jasonstewart8363 He got the organ at an antique store in Northampton, MA. One state away. They were identified locally by a very reputable guy who has run a nature preserve for over 50 years. He also is an expert in bugs. Teaches classes on them. The bite , ulcer, quite disturbing to see, was classified as a recluse bite. I don't know much more than that. I do know Brown Recluse spiders are NOT uncommon in our state of CT , as are Black Widows which I have seen.

[@tristinstotts2113]

Bro making me nervous playing with potentially deadly spiders like that😂

[@AlienCatTweets]

I live in Ohio, and about 15 years ago a friend of mine was clearing out a bit of land for a customer. While he was doing that, he began to feel pain in his legs that got worse and worse and he went to the hospital. They told him they found nothing as a reason but days later he had open wounds all over his lower legs. Finally, a different hospital found the reason: Necrosis from Brown Recluse Spider bites. He still has big scars on his legs from those bites.

[@str8wmail-trump24booyah]

Brown Recluse are no joke . A friend of mine has been bitten a few times .

[@DaleHartley]

just so you know...Illinois also has a LOT of them, But we also have the black widow, and so do you. They are rare, BUT they are around. I have seen 1 in this area, But I cannot swear it was not an import ( I was in a video game case ( stand up full arcade case)) It was shipped FROM this area to me years ago, but I have no clue were it was before that. I saw one in the wild, in Georgia... I I try to stay away from any of the little buggers... Some insects, etc.. I like but spiders are not really one of them. Have a good one, and I am glad your friend did not lose the leg cause of it. Those can get REALLY nasty.

[@Sonsofthunder_51]

My arch nemesis, THE SPIDER. I'm looking all around my room for spiders 🕷. AHHHHHHH!!!

[@valiantwarrior4517]

Thanks for the awesome video, Master Spencer. It’s good that the recluses in the US aren’t as medically significant to humans. Unfortunately, they seem to have gotten stuck with the same reputation as their more dangerous kin.

[@MyWildBackyard]

They sure have. Like sure, you do see a bad bite once in a great while, but that's an exception to the norm and unfortunately makes headlines.

[@eric_has_no_idea]

Their bites are often confused with MRSA, especially on the internet.

[@sarahs5340]

I live in an area with a lot of black widows. I had one drop off my deck’s roof and onto my chest. It bit me, but it wasn’t a full-venom bite. It was probably moving quickly. Also, I actually had a large brown widow in my apartment, and they like to build webs on one side of my deck. The brown widow spider is very pretty and slightly larger than the black widows. I’ve had bad spider bites about five times in the ten years I’ve lived in this area. I started spraying my deck and around my windows outside because I got tired of seeing them and taking the chances on bites. I have always gotten physically sick from the bites and even thrown up. I appreciate that they are part of the ecosystem, but living so close to them you will get bitten, so I had to make a decision to begin spraying regularly.

[@AnneAndersonFoxiepaws]

You really know your stuff Spencer and your videos are so enjoyable. You also introduced us to some other garden wildlife experts, noteably Mikey from Cool Critters. The both of you make fascinating videos that I always enjoy and which are also wonderfully educational without being dry and boring. Now, if school science teachers took a leaf out of yours and Mikey's books, there would be much more kids passing in biology and sciences in general.

[@MyWildBackyard]

Honestly we've dropped the ball so hard in schools. I was ALMOST a high school biology teacher but then Covid hit and I decided to put everything into KZbin and see if I could make something of myself. Gamble paid off, and I get to both teach the next generation and engage my creative side!

[@capefear56]

Floridian here. I live five minutes from Alafaya State Park and can confirm that these red widows are everywhere, especially in palmetto bushes. Always thought they were peculiar but didn't realize they were incredibly rare!

[@coldwaterjimmy7044]

Fascinating and informative discussion. But my question is why are you actually holding these extremely toxic spiders? I don't think that's very wise. 😱

[@Jdub6580]

While working for a moving company i found myself grabbing many items out of the back corners of old garages where no human had been in years. One year i had multiple cases of what i first thought was staphylococcus. It wasn't. I must've received 7 or 8 recluse bites in a years time. Oddly enough the first was the worst and they became less severe the more times i was bitten. The first one though, resulted in a hole in my arm i could stick the tip of my pinky in after the abscess finally cleared out. It was an extremely painful and inflamed abscess for about two weeks. I'll never forget that year for sure! Treated the bites with PRID ointment to draw out the infection and kept them wrapped in clean gauze. Prid may or may not work for everybody as it is homeopathic but it certainly worked for me! Just found your channel. It's great! I'm an amateur photographer and I've been creating a sort of photographic catalogue of Missouri arthropods focusing on lepidoptera as a hobby. We've got quite a nice variety of native arachnids in the state of Missouri, you should come check out the Missouri/Arkansas border species some time! We have Hogna carolinensis and Dolomedes Triton! Subscribed!

[@marblox9300]

I am just afraid of heights and spiders. Some really small spiders don't scare me that much.

[@rainesbobo]

A lot of people don't know but most spider venom only has severe effects on people that are allergic to the venom, kind of like bee stings.

[@ChefClary60]

I live in SW MO. Have Black Widows on my patio every year and Brown Recluses are super common.

[@jonpatterson7211]

I can agree on the potency of the Black Widow. Got a double bite on the cheek of the butt. Damn thing was in the seat of my pants when I pulled them on. Spent a day and a night in the hospital in the most intense pain describable. Felt like someone had me down and was kicking me hard in the lower back. I was bitten about 6:30 A.M. Finally got the antivenin and a round of morphine around 3 P.M. same day. Had intense headaches as well. The next day, I started to go into shock, a condition I recognized as a result of teaching battlefield first aid. Thank you, USAF. Overheard a nurse tell a colleague "We almost lost him". Also, you don't get the antivenin straight out of the gate. They wait to see if your body will fight the effects of the venom before administrating the antivenin. So, if you're bitten, just know you're in for a rough ride. I don't know if things have changed, but I was told that you can only have the antivenin once. I was bitten in 1986, so maybe that's not the case anymore.

[@FLStelth]

Your video delivered as promised. I've lived in Florida for 42 years and I never heard of the wandering spider, red widow, nor the brown widow. Thanks for the knowledge.

[@MyWildBackyard]

Glad to help! This is the kinda stuff I’m most excited about, showing people things they’ve never heard of!

[@letsgetlifting6793]

I guess you can say you’re spidey senses were tingling.

[@jeepfreak96ify]

While I was living in western Kentucky I had a brown recluse infestation because the previous owner used fiberglass insulation in the attic with no bug spray or home insect protection. They were in my walls and basement and unusual for them they would wander the walls un afraid of us in search for food. We had thousands and it took re insulation of the walls, attic, and basement along with an intense use of delta dust and lots of treatments. I don't mind them in the wild or in the yard but not in my bed.

[@devonbrooks246]

I think it was the funnel web spider that even gave the Crocodile Hunter the shakes. This guy wasn’t afraid of anything but this spider he did not mess with.

[@Bob-of-Zoid]

I love spiders, and love playing with jumping spiders. I try to mimic their dance with my finger and it intrigues them! Sooooooo cute!

[@Pudentame]

Got nothing against spiders & snakes ... as long as they STAY OUT OF MY HOUSE!

[@davidlarson2534]

I’ve been bitten by the Brown Recluse at least 7 times. Within minutes the bite sites returned to normal and i have never had the slightest ill effect. The same with Black Widow. Clearing out a neighbors Geranium flower bed when I disturbed a colony of Black Widows. My bare legs were immediately covered with spiders. You couldn’t see skin. They began biting me veraciously. Swiping them away my legs were left blood blister red. My neighbor called for an ambulance but before it arrived and a police car in tow, you could’ve find a single red mark on my legs. I’ve been bit by Black Widows since and never had any ill effects.

[@glenandi5913]

THANK GOD FOR PERSONS AND SCIENTIST LIKE YOURSELF

[@Xameel]

I'm glad you did your part to dispell the Brown Recluse myth of them being death machines. When I bought the house I live in, Recluses were super common. After living here for a while, the Recluses lived up to their name, and avoid us at all cost. I get them out of the house due to possible dmg to my kids, but I know they live in my walls and share a habitat with us. I've accepted that they have as much as a right to live here.

[@luakabsalam1816]

I live in Western Australia. Like 3 year ago, I had a talk with a man who was smoking outside a hospital, just happened to be located in front of my house. Sitting in a wheelchair, he said he had his leg amputated just above the knee due to a bite from a white tail spider. Probably he was late in getting medical attention. Just shocking. Really felt sorry for him.