SSPIDERSPIDERS Not to be afraid of, but to be aware of. Jennifer Berry

Ever since I was a little kid, bugs unlucky spider struggling to stay in one of those talks that I’ll never forget, have always fascinated me. This, of her web, that can send shivers up but some of the details may be a bit course, drove my mother nuts be- your spine. Garden spiders do bite; fuzzy. It was 1998 when he spoke to cause I wanted to bring a variety of while they’re not poisonous, they can our department. these six and eight-legged creatures make you wince in pain. I’d probably Built back in 1929, the Geor- into the house for closer observation. want to infl ict a little pain on the one gian-styled, governor’s mansion in Mostly, she didn’t approve of my extra who destroyed my home, too! Tennessee had slowly deteriorated curricular activity because she was Speaking of spider bites, an ur- over the and was in need of ma- terrifi ed of both and spiders. ban (or suburban) myth about spi- jor repairs. However, the governors Over the years, I have slowly and ders is that they bite people at night were a bit wary about making those with much effort, tried to extinguish while they’re sleeping. Folks who repairs since it would have required her fears. She can now, at least look fi nd a two-pronged (or single) bite the use of state tax dollars, which at a beetle, praying or spi- mark on their body in the morning may have displeased certain voters. der without immediately going into immediately jump to the conclusion With widening cracks and crevices, what I call the “spider dance.” You that it is a spider bite. Actually, most it provided the perfect home to many know the one; I’m sure you’ve seen spiders inhabiting our homes are of unwanted pests. it or perhaps even done it yourself. the smaller variety whose fangs are One night, during a dinner party, After seeing something you think is too short or too weak to puncture a guest of the governor noticed a exceptionally creepy, your body be- human skin. To have such a wound, spider swimming in the punch bowl. gins to wiggle uncontrollably. Your one would have to have been bitten by The spider was quickly scooped up arms start fl ailing. You are running one of the larger varieties of spiders, and saved for later investigation. The around erratically, bouncing off walls like tarantulas, garden spiders, giant next day, the spider was taken to an and furniture, all the while making night spiders or wolf/timber spiders. extension specialist and identifi ed as a strange, high-pitched screeching Simply, this is very unlikely. What is a brown recluse, which are found in noise! After the fact, I think some much more likely is that other insects every county in Tennessee. people take pride in their own version are to blame, such as fl ies, mosqui- of this dance, while others are simply toes, fl eas, mites, ticks or bed bugs. embarrassed. Think about it. For a bite to be For a kid with such enthusiasm visible, you’re talking about a pretty for bugs, a farm was the place to be. large spider. Are these really crawl- Each day it seemed there were nu- ing around in your bed??? Are there merous critters to seek out and inves- gangs of spiders convening in bed- tigate. As for spiders, we could always rooms at night just waiting for their fi nd them. Barns, sheds, root cellars, human prey to start snoring before silos, fences and garden rows were pouncing on them and feeding until perfect places. There were big ones, sunrise? Spiders have no motivation small ones, brown ones and green to bite humans because, fi rst of all, ones. You could fi nd them in webs we are too big for them to consume, or on the ground. They were always and, second, they don’t want to waste plentiful. But the home run, so to say, venom on us. Each time a spider was fi nding that giant, black and yel- discharges venom, it can take up to low garden spider, a.k.a. the writing two weeks for the venom to be regen- spider, usually in between the rows erated, which means the spider goes of corn. As kids, we would dare one hungry until then. another to run down these long rows My enthusiasm for spiders has without stopping or swerving to miss not waned over the years even after the large webs. After one row, we were hearing a pretty creepy story about usually done. There is something one particular species. Several years about having an entire sticky web ago, we had an extension agent from clinging to your face, hair and body, Tennessee deliver a seminar talk for or, even worse, when it included the our Entomology Department. It was March 2012 CULTURE 29 being collected, the extension agent nel are even quicker to misdiagnose became terribly disturbed. Each trap any type of necrotic wound as the re- was completely covered with brown sult of a brown recluse. In fact, such recluse spiders. And, these were not wounds or infections have likely been just the traps in the more remote lo- caused by a bacteria, virus, fungus, cations, but also the ones under the or vascular disorder than by spider bed where the governor and his wife bite. Though, I concede that, “You’ve slept, the couch where their children been bitten by a spider,” sounds a played and the kitchen table where whole lot better than, “Sorry, Miss. they all ate together. This was not You’ve been infected with a fl esh eat- good. This was not good at all! Yet, ing bacteria.” the most surprising thing was that no The brown recluse’s native range one had ever been bitten even with all is from Central Texas, east to Western these spiders roaming around. Georgia, north to Kentucky and west The bite of brown recluse may go to southern Nebraska. Here, in the A Brown Recluse spider. unnoticed for several hours or even Piedmont region of Georgia, brown days. Depending on the amount of recluse spiders are rare to none. The brown recluse, or violin poison injected and the sensitivity However, we have another spider spider, is a small (7-12 mm) brown of the person bitten, there can be a that is very common, especially under spider with a dark patch, which may wide range of symptoms. The poi- beehives. resemble a violin (hence the name), son from the spider causes necrosis The black widow spider has been on the cephalothorax (the head and (death) of the tissue adjacent to the so named because, after she mates, thorax are fused together in certain bite area. Other symptoms include she usually kills and consumes her subphyla of ). The eight fever, itching, nausea, vomiting and male suitor. So, throughout history, legs are lighter brown, and the abdo- shock. Long-term effects are scaring the black widow spider has gained an men is darker brown or even green. at the bite site, kidney insuffi ciency ugly reputation as a bloodthirsty ma- Nocturnal feeders, brown recluse and even death (less than 3%). But, niac, wandering the streets in search spiders prefer the darkness of undis- the brown recluse, along with their of her next victim. This is not quite turbed places, like under furniture. other eight-legged cousins, may be the case. The reason that female spi- Since staying out of sight during the getting a bad rap according to our ders, along with other insects in the day is their habit, they love to nest departmental spider expert, Dr. wild kingdom, post-coitally devour in that old pair of boots stored in the Nancy Hinkle. their mates is for the survival of the shed or that Winter coat hanging in young. By eating the male, the female the back of the closet. They are not acquires nutrients important for the aggressive and rarely bite unless development of the eggs she will soon provoked, for instance, when pinched deposit and protect with her life. between a body part and another The black widow is a shinny, surface. A toe pushed into a shoe, or black orbed spider with long skinny an arm pressed against a garment or legs and a distinguishable, red hour- mattress, is a typical example. glass-shaped marking usually on the The governor was advised to have underneath of her abdomen. How- the entire mansion fumigated in order ever, not all black widows have this to do away with these pests and the red hourglass. Some may have yellow, possibility of being bitten. However, orange, or red spots, dotting areas the governor’s wife was heavily in- on the top or bottom of their abdo- volved in environmental issues and men, as well. Black widows, like the wouldn’t allow the mansion to be fu- brown recluse, prefer areas that are migated with any kind of . As dark and undisturbed. Outside, they an alternative, as well as in an effort A Black Widow with her obvious red are commonly found under rocks, in to quantify the infestation level and spots. woodpiles, hollow stumps, and aban- locate breeding areas, hundreds of doned rodent burrows. They are also sticky traps were placed throughout When a patient presents an un- fond of those dark corners, cracks the mansion. These sticky traps were explained, dermatological wound to and crevices found in sheds, garages, 12” x 12” cardboard squares with their doctor, spiders, especially the basements and crawl spaces. But, in glue on the upper surface. Anything brown recluse, seem to get the blame, the beeyard, especially here in Geor- across one was sure to get even when the spider doesn’t exist gia, black widows love the cozy un- stuck. in the area. For example, according derbellies of a beehive. With available From the attic to the basement, to Rick Vetter, Urban Entomologist food, warmth, and protection from traps were placed under chairs, for UC Riverside, in 41 months, 216 the elements, what better place to couches, tables, beds, dressers, and brown recluse spider bite diagnoses call home? However, we never apply sideboards. They were put behind fur- were made in California, Oregon, any kind of in or around niture and pictures, plus in corners, Washington and Colorado. Yet, these our hives to kill spiders. bookshelves, and cabinets. Twenty- are all states in which the brown re- Here at the UGA lab apiary, four hours later, as the traps were cluse doesn’t reside! Medical person- most of our colonies sit atop cinder

30 BEE CULTURE March 2012 blocks or horizontal, 4” x 4” fence moving rocks (which I do a lot), and posts. During the Spring and sum- hauling fi rewood because I don’t ever mer months each hive, including the want to have the type of pain that stored equipment as well, will have at necessitates that much morphine least one black widow as a resident. administration. It’s crazy. Even the horticultural farm As the picture shows, we also crew (with whom we share the farm) occasionally fi nd black widows in the complains about constantly fi nding handholds of our supers. A certain black widows in their storage sheds, amount of caution should always be pump houses, empty pots, and soil taken while working . From not bins. A few years back, we were mov- letting a hot smoker burn down the ing some nucs (nucleus hives – four apiary or house to not becom- or fi ve-frame starter hives) off-site. I ing overheated or dehydrated. It is was carrying them to the truck and just as important to keep an out handing them over, when one of our for the occasional poisonous spider, grad students said, “Um Jen, I think snake or charging hippo (which are you have a black widow crawling up always dangerous this time of )! your shirt!” Sure enough, there she Spiders are probably some of the was. most misunderstood of all the A black Widow, resting on the brand on The black widow spins a very groups, which is a shame since they this hive. unorganized, erratic web, unlike the are extremely benefi cial to us and the orb spiders with their classic, spiral, environment. In a way, it’s much like see a little spider scurrying across wheel-shaped home. The web is very how the general public reacts to the the fl oor, and before you drench it sticky and will snare most unaware buzzing sound of bees; they tend to with insecticidal spray or make it a insects that come too close. Once run screaming while swatting wildly permanent fi xture on the bottom of snagged in the web, the black widow at the air (a variation of the spider your shoe, you may want to recognize will quickly spin a silken cocoon dance)! But, at least people are be- it as an amazing creature with its own around her victim. When feeding, coming aware of the importance of important role to play. Try picking it she punctures the with her bees, due to all the media attention up with a sheet of paper, releasing it fangs and administers digestive during the CCD scare. Spiders, un- outside and letting life happen. Just enzymes which liquefy the prey’s fortunately, are still left in the wings a thought. BC internal structures, so the contents with no hope of better favor in sight. or body juices can be easily sucked I just can’t imagine there being much Thanks again to Philip Quinn for out. Yummy! of an outcry if, all of a sudden, spiders repairing grammatical issues within this Black widows are common and began dying off in droves. However, article. widespread across the U.S. Yet, it wouldn’t take long for us to notice there are very few reports of actual the increase in insects, especially Jennifer Berry is the research direc- bites from black widows, and no one the ones that invade our homes and tor at the University of Georgia Honey Bee has died in over 10 years from these food supply. So, the next time you Research Lab. most-feared spiders. But, if you are bitten and venom is injected, you will probably need to be admitted into a hospital. At fi rst, the bite area will resemble a target with a pale area in the center surrounded by a red ring. Within a few hours severe muscle cramps will develop along with headache, nausea, vomiting, breathing diffi culty, weakness, itch- ing and increased blood pressure. The very young, elderly and infi rm are at the highest risk of developing life-threatening complications. With that said, I know of some- one who was bitten on the toe by a black widow as he put on a pair of boots, which he had left outside over night in downtown Athens, GA. He spent several days in the hospi- tal receiving morphine to ease the pain. So, while being bitten may be a rare likelihood, I keep my eye out when handling equipment (either in storage or in the fi eld), gardening,

March 2012 BEE CULTURE 31