The hobo spiders are known to the web in areas of human habitation, and thus, it is essential for you all to know about this species of spider and also to understand what happens when a hobo spider bites you?
The hobo spiders are easily available in certain areas in U.S.A like the Pacific region in the north-west part of the country. This area includes states like Utah, Washington, and Oregon.
The hobo spiders are easily seen in bushes that have been piled up or even in the cracks that are not visible. These hobo spiders are funnel building spiders that are they do not have normal webs but, webs which resemble the shape of funnels are knit beautifully.
Hobo Spider: Identification
A hobo spider usually has
- Long legs
- Grey abdominal region with marks of yellow color
- Brown body
But, even if you can notice all these don’t be sure it is a hobo spider as many other spiders have similar characteristic features.
The best part about these spiders is that they do not attack their own unless they are doing it to protect themselves or when they are doing it for their prey. As mentioned above they belong to a class of spiders who do not live in normal webs but, their beautiful knits look like funnels.
These spiders prefer staying outdoors but, can be found inside your house especially during their season of mating. Though considered non-toxic now these spiders were once considered venomous.
A Hobo Spider Bite: What exactly is it?
Before you get into the details, relax as these bites are generally not considered toxic and also these spiders are not very common and thus, their bites are even rarer than the spiders themselves.
The hobo spiders are light brown and have pale yellowish markings, but these are not the only spiders with such appearance. Thus, do not believe in what you see and always consult a doctor in case of a bite.
Lastly, before you dwell into the details of what exactly does the bite of a hobo spider is mean to be informed that a hobo spider will not attack till it has been irritated or when it is getting to its prey or is entangled to your body or skin.
A hobo bite in its first place resembles a lot to a bite made by the brown colored recluse spider but, remember these bites are venomous, and thus, any spider bite should be taken seriously unless a doctor confirms it to be non-toxic.
Now talking about the bite by the hobo spider specifically, the hobo spider bites were considered quite toxic up until recently when finally it was declared that a hobo spider bite is non-toxic. As mentioned earlier these spiders do not bite voluntarily. Thus, cases of hobo spider bite are unique and not many symptoms of the same are known.
The next question that arises is:
Does the Hobo Spider Bite Cause Any Symptoms?
The bite of a hobo spider is known to create a prick like feeling usually also induced by a mosquito bite. Some skin irritation is also felt after the bite.
Certain sources also claim about symptoms which are common for all spider bites that may occur during the case of a Hobo spider bite too, like:
1) Weakness in the body which can be noticed by certain symptoms like feeling exhausted, weak bones or pain in joints, fever, and continuous headache.
2) Muscle weakness, blurry vision, and hallucination could also occur especially if you are mistaken about the spider that has to bite you.
3) The bite can further be recognized by:
- (i) It’s redness which is usually just around the area of the prick felt. This will usually cover an area ranging to about 4 inches.
- (ii) The blister which develops after the redness confirms that it was a spider bite and not just a mosquito bite.
4) If the bite has caused any serious allergic reaction in your body then you might also experience the following:
- (i) Pain in the torso and abdominal region.
- (ii) Failure of organs is also noticed in certain extreme cases.
- (iii) A person might lose consciousness and even fall into the state of coma.
- (iv) Short-term memory loss also is created at times by spider bites.
5) Vision often gets affected by a spider bite causing blurriness or any other issues which aren’t very normal.
A warning in every step is being mentioned to make sure that you do consult a doctor as hobo spider bites may not be very symptomatic or dangerous but, they look so similar to other venomous and toxic spiders that you might just confuse them.
With so many symptoms which can be noticed an essential question that pops up is how does this bite look like?
What Does a Hobo Spider Bite Look Like?
A hobo spider bite looks like:
A small bite which appears red almost similar to that of a bite by any mosquito around you. This small red prick changes itself into a blister during the next few hours. The blister might open oozing out some liquid which in most cases is the venom injected while the spider bites you.
At times the blister might form a lesion due to the presence of dead tissue in the area. The end scar will always be there to remind you of the ugly hobo spider.
These bites though are not believed to be much toxic, but since the bites by many spiders look similar thus, it is always advisable to first get your bite inspected by a doctor or a clinical physiologist.
As the bite is so similar to other spider bites thus, to understand it better, let’s dwell into the various stages that this bite goes through before it finally fades away.
The Various Stages Experienced after being Bitten by a Hobo Spider
The previous sections have highlighted majorly all symptoms faced after a hobo spider bite, and These symptoms can be faced after certain intervals of time and not right when the spider bites you.
Thus, the various stages which may be experienced after being bitten by a hobo spider are:
Stage 1:
A pinprick is felt when the hobo spider bites you. During this stage, if you notice the area of the certain prick redness can also be noticed.
Cases of swollen bites or area looking very similar to a mosquito bite have also been reported.
Stage 2:
After it has been some time since the bite, the wound might swell up and look like a bee sting. A blister formation might as well be noticed.
Stage 3:
The skin will finally start to get a little harder, and a clear blister which is filled with fluid will be seen on the spot where the spider bites you.
Stage 4:
If you have waited long enough for the blister to mature and rupture on its well then in this stage the blister will finally let the fluid contained in it to flow out. The site will now have an open wound which is going to be agitating as even air could cause a little discomfort.
Stage 5:
God forbid but, if there are any dead tissues than the lesion will take much longer to heal.
The healing process involves the formation of a scab on the lesion, and during this process, the wound should be left untouched to let the process happen at its own pace.
Note should be made that if your immunity isn’t much strong, then necrosis can also happen.
Finally, the scab and wound will disappear, and it might leave behind a scar to remind you of the spider excursion on your body.
After all these stages you can easily judge that whether the prick felt by you was just a pinprick, a mosquito bite or was it the hobo spider who infested on you.
So make sure you notice the symptoms as mentioned above and can recognize the stages to ascertain your answer to the question that was it the hobo spider who bite you?
After these stages and the symptoms, the next topic that arises is:
Can a Hobo Spider Bite Cause Death?
A hobo spider bite is still the last studies not known to be fatal especially among healthy humans. There have been cases of necrosis but, no such fatalities have been encountered with.
The venom of the hobo spiders is not considered toxic for humans by the centers for disease control and prevention. Thus, death is not a seeming possibility if you are sure that the bite is of a hobo spider only.
Reiteration of the fact that the bite of a hobo spider resembles the bite of the brown recluse spider, which could potentially be deadly if not taken care of in a certain time frame. So, do not hesitate in visiting a physician after the bite of a spider to confirm its toxicity.
Natural Treatment for Hobo Spider Bites
Before beginning the process of treatment. If you are sure that you have been bitten by a spider the first three steps that you should immediately follow are:
1) Just like any injury first thing you should do is to clean the site with mild soap and water.
2) Immediately use an ice pack or some way to cool compress the site to control the swelling and lower down the intensity of pain being felt.
3) Finally, keep you’re the site in a diagonally elevated position.
Now, for natural treatments you can follow the enlisted methods:
1) Rubbing Ice on the affected area can fetch some relief.
2) Do not prick, touch or scratch the blister or site where the spider has bitten you.
3) You can also apply aloe vera gel on the bite and area around it for some soothing effect of the gel.
4) Potatoes are known to have anti-irritating properties which help in soothing the wound and also keep the area hydrated which quickens the process of healing.
5) Use of Aspirin provides relief as it helps in neutralizing the effect of the venom that must have been added to your bloodstream.
6) Turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory and thus, reduces pain and even manages to swell.
7) Peppermint oil can be used to sooth the itching if any.
8) Baking soda paste with water is quite effective in soothing spider bites as its basic nature helps in neutralizing the acidic venom of the spiders. Its anti-inflammatory nature reduces swelling and lowers the pain as well.
Prevention: Hobo Spider Bites
All these natural treatments will only be needed if prevention is not taken at the right time. It is always said that prevention is better than cure. The ways to prevent yourself and your loved ones from these bites are:
1) The first and foremost thing to do is to maintain cleanliness in your house and surrounding regions so that you can limit the breeding of these spiders around you.
2) Do not let piles of wood gather in your backyards or area around your house, As they become the breeding ground for such spiders.
3) The proper dusting of the house including vacuuming and cleaning of window panes and glasses to avoid any spiders from breeding in your home.
4) Check your gardening tools for webs and spiders.
5) Try wearing clothes that cover your body completely while you clean or inspect attics, garages or areas which might have dust.
General cleanliness of the surroundings also leads to fewer spiders in your area thereby preventing the occurrence of such events.
Conclusion
To conclude let’s reiterate that prevention is better than cure and thus if something as simple as just maintaining cleanliness can prevent you from spider bites then why not?
Also, hobo spider bites are not toxic and do not create severe harm to a healthy and fit human.
But, you cannot judge whether the bite you are inspecting is by a hobo spider or by any of its toxic counterparts. Thus, a visit to the doctor won’t do any harm. Let not the book be judged by its cover as the symptoms could be misleading at times so, do make an appointment with your physiologist if bitten by a spider.