How venomous is the brown recluse spider?
Brown recluse spiders have very small fangs and cannot bite through clothing so most bites occur when the spider is accidently pressed against bare skin. Initially the bite is painless but sometime later (1-8 hours) the area becomes tender, red and swollen, and many bites heal without further complications. Some bites, however, progress to serious necrotic wounds that can develop into dangerous medical conditions especially in individuals with a compromised immune system. Wounds tend to be localized skin lesions that are slow to heal and eventually leave a deep scar. Many conditions mimic brown recluse spider bites and some, such as diabetes, can exaccerbate the injury.
