A sight Wolf spider might be intimidating and scary especially if you attempt to imagine it biting you. These spiders are gigantic, robust and agile hunters.
Like other spiders, wolf spiders do bite humans, dogs and cats, especially when persistently provoked. The bites from these 8-legged arthropods can cause mildly uncomfortable symptoms but they are not dangerous or fatal when compared to other venomous spiders
Read on to find more about the bites, pictures of how they look like, how to identify and eradicate them, bite treatment options plus more!
Table of Contents
What does a Wolf Spider Bite look like?
The first thing that you are likely to see once bitten is some redness around the affected area. After that, you will see some swelling.
The intense pain that this comes with could make you distinguish it from any other type of pain. It is likely to last as long as 15 days after you are bitten.
Once bitten, the area will eventually turn dark in color. The bite is also likely to get infected and this could lead to more complications. You should implement and maintain proper treatment processes in this case.
Wolf Spider Bite Pictures
Following are photos to give you an idea of how the appearance of the bites on the skin. You can treat them as visual aids that will enable you to detect and be able to treat the bite in the shortest time possible.
The pictures may not be exactly what everyone will observe after a bite, the results of the bite can differ. You, therefore, need a proper diagnosis from a doctor to initiate treatment.
Stages: Early & Baby Wolf Spider Bite
What happens when a wolf spider bites you? When they attack, the effects appear and spread through some stages. After this, you will see the symptoms. The bites usually result from full grown adults. Baby wolf spider bites’ effects will largely depend on the stage of growth. The younger, the lesser the effects.
Once bitten, in the early stages, the area becomes red and swollen. Afterward, the area may turn black and lymph glands swell. You will after that have pain that comes with itching. This could lead to the formation of blisters. The blisters may in turn burst to form ulcers.
In the event that you don’t take proper medical attention, the ulcers will get worse.
Is a wolf spider bite poisonous?
Bites from Wolf spiders, members of the family Lycosidae, are not deadly, especially to humans. It is very unlikely that you can suffer greatly if they happen to bite you.
The only exception would be if you are allergic. The spider will make two pinpricks when they bite. The pricks can still feel uncomfortable and itchy but the effects are unlikely to be fatal.
As mentioned earlier, wolf spiders only bite when they are provoked. Otherwise, they would be harmless. They only do this to defend themselves.
Wolf Spider Bite Symptoms
There are some symptoms that you can see on your skin to reveal to you that you have been bitten by a wolf spider. Here are some of them:
- A lot of pain
- Some swelling and itchiness
- Your skin changing color and becoming red
- A lot of itchiness
- Incidences of nausea and vomiting
- You may feel dizzy
- Rapid increase in pulse rate
Besides that, your lymph glands may be swollen. In other instances, the area bitten may turn to look dark. There are other cases where the bite may get infected and this brings about other complications. You should take good care of the bite and seek proper treatment to get rid of it.
Wolf Spider Bite on Dog
Your dog is also likely to suffer from bites from wolf spiders. It is not easy to detect this. However, if you look at the legs, face, neck and belly, you will notice this. It is also likely that if your dog has been badly bitten, it could go into a shock.
Your dog may also show other signs like sensitivity to the venom, seizures, nausea and vomiting, face scratching, agitation and rush. The following are other symptoms that you would see in your dog after the bite.
- Diarrhea
- Trembling
- Sometimes death
- Itch
Wolf Spider Bite Cat
Your cat is likely to get the bite when they chase and eat them. It is however very rare that your cat will be bitten by a wolf spider. The bite by the wolf spider are harmless. Unlike dogs, it is very unlikely that the venom from the spider could harm the cat.
The main reason why cats are rarely affected by the bites from spiders is because of their skin. They have a thicker skin compared to that of human beings.
Identifying a Wolf Spider
The wolf spider is one of the commonest spiders. It hunts alone, and does not spin a web for this. There are more than one hundred and twenty-five species that have been identified.
- These spiders are known as ground spiders. The reason for this is because they go hunting especially at night.
- They do not hunt and bite at the same time. They however bite when they are attacked or disturbed in the course of their hunt.
They may move very fast to fight so as to put up a defense. If you are allergic to the bite, you should seek medical attention as soon as it occurs.
A wolf spider is quite distinct in various ways:
Physical appearance
Its body parts, eyes and the color is different from the web spiders. Wolf spiders have eight legs, two on the front part, four on the sides and two on the back.
You will be able to mark out the difference when you look at all these.
Tarsal claws and spiderlings
Tarsal claws are determining for a wolf spider. The wolf spider has three claws at the end of each segment, while other spiders have quite a number of claws.
The female spider for instance has spiderlings on the back.
Hairs on the abdomen
Wolf spiders are unique in the sense that they have hairs on the abdominal area.
Habitat
The wolf spiders do not live in webs. Instead, they live in burrows and cracks. During rainy seasons, the spiders create room and hide within the burrows.
The wolf spiders are painful but not dangerous. Their bites can easily be identified because they are tiny, red dots.
How to kill or get rid of wolf spiders
So as to avoid the bites, it is important to identify the best ways to do away with the spiders. Here are some methods that you can undertake at your home to put the bug at bay.
Set up a spider trap
This is a readily available method and could be one of the best. It entails making some cards of papers then setting them up appropriately.
Once you have made, put them on the floor and apply some pesticide. They are very good for mobile bugs like the wolf spider in this case.
Use pesticides
You can prevent spiders from colonizing your home by using pesticides. They will choke and kill the spiders within no time.
You however have to be careful that the chemicals do not come into contact with your skin. They could cause a lot of irritation and harm.
Keep your surrounding clean
This is perhaps the most important thing that can be of great use. Carry out cleanliness practices around your home from time to time.
Clear the bushes, trim the hedges and grass. You should also ensure that you do away with empty unused containers. These are homes for spiders.
Apart from that, do not use lights that are bright and attractive. Many insects are attracted by this, and consequently the spiders.
Use the sodium and yellow lamps are they are likely to attract fewer insects than the compact fluorescent lamp (CFL).
Seal all the cracks where the insects could hide
Ensure all the holes in the walls of your home are sealed. Make sure that broken window panes and screens are repaired.
This prevents the formation of holes on the walls where the spiders could creep in. After that, use weather stripping on your doors to prevent the spiders from creeping in.
Wolf spider Bite Treatment Options
If you’ve been bitten by wolf spider, gently clean the bite with warm soap and water. Place a bandage over the bite to prevent infection.There are also more other home remedies and treatments (prescription medication).
Home remedies
The use of home remedies is meant to neutralize the effects of the bite on your skin. Further, they are able to reduce the toxins that are produced by the spider.
There are many home remedies that can ease the symptoms and increase the healing. Here are some;
Ice pack
Running a lot of cold water and applying soap at the area of the bite is always the first step that you take. After that, apply an ice pack to the area affected. The low temperature produces a numbing effect to the nerve endings. This gives a soothing sensation and thus reduces inflammation.
You should do this using the following procedure:
- Take some ice cubes and then wrap them in a towel
- Place them to the affected area for around 10 minutes
- Repeat this after about 24 hours
- Alternatively, you could run cold water continuously to the affected area.
- You should never put the ice cube directly on your skin
Salt
It is useful because of its anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. This enable it to draw the venom out of the bite from the spider. The will promote the healing process. To do this, follow the procedure below.
- Rinse the affected area thoroughly by use of lukewarm water
- Put some table salt on a wet cloth
- Tie the wash cloth to the affected area for some hours after which you remove it
- Repeat this process till you get adequate relief
Baking soda
It is effective because it is alkaline. This enables it to draw the venom from the bitten area. This helps to reduce the pain, itching as well as inflammation. The following is the procedure
- Take a tablespoon of baking soda and mix with about three teaspoons of water
- Apply the mixture to the affected area using a wet cotton ball for about 5 minutes
- Thoroughly rinse the area using a lot of cold water
- Repeat the procedure if you realize that the discomfort still continues
Potatoes
The starchy potatoes are ideal. They are able to reduce the itching and inflammation. They possess the anti-itching and soothing properties. Apart from that, they keep the affected area moisturized and this hastens the healing process. Here is the procedure.
- Peel one potato and wash it well
- Grate the washed potato using a grater
- Put the grated potato in a piece of cloth
- After that, use rubbing alcohol to clean the affected area. Put the juice on the area.
- Give this time till the potato dries off
- Once dry, clean the area using the warm water and perhaps discard the potato poultice.
- Repeat the application till you have the symptoms gone completely
Activated charcoal
It is also an ideal treatment. This is because of the absorptive properties make it able to absorb the venom from the bitten area. Once it absorbs the poison, your skin will get relief from the inflammation. Here is the procedure.
- Prepare a paste of activated charcoal and some water
- Clean the affected area thoroughly using some warm water.
- After that, apply the paste and then cover it using a bandage.
- Carry on with the application after every three hours till the symptoms go away
- Besides that, you could consider taking the activated charcoal as capsules
Turmeric
This is an effective natural painkiller. It has antiseptic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This makes it able to enhance the recovery and reduce the swelling and inflammation. Here is the procedure:
- Get about two tablespoons of turmeric and mix with some olive oil to make a paste
- Apply some amount of the paste to the affected area
- Allow this to be on the area for about 10 minutes then wash it off.
Lemon juice
It has astringent properties. This helps to prevent swelling, itching and inflammation. Similarly, it is able to dry out the rashes on your skin that are caused by the bites. This prevents further infection. Here is how to use;
- Obtain the juice from the lemon and then apply to the affected area. Use a cotton ball to do this.
- Give it some time to dry and rinse using lukewarm water
- If not that, you can rub a piece of lemon against the area that is affected for about 3 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, rinse this off
Peppermint
It has both analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. This will enable it to reduce swelling, reduce pain and inflammation. In the end, this soothes and give calm to the itch brought about by the bite. Here is how to use it.
- Obtain and extract fresh peppermint juice.
- Rub the juice to the affected area.
- Give it about 15 to 20 minutes then rinse using cold water.
- Carry out the procedure two times in a day till you obtain relief
Aloe vera
The gel from this plant is the most ideal. It has both antiseptic, anti-inflammatory as well as soothing properties. This helps therefore to reduce the pain and itch caused by the bite. It also helps to bring about faster healing. Here is how to use it.
- Obtain a clean aloe vera leaf
- Cut it open and extract some juice
- Apply sufficient amounts of the gel to the affected area
- Repeat the application about three times in a day for about a week.
Prescriptions from a DoctorTreatment
There are other cases where you would need the intervention of your doctor. Here are some of the medications that your doctor is likely to prescribe for you.
Use painkillers. They are temporary solutions as they only give you relief from pain that is brought about by the bite.
Aspirin. You can use the topical aspirin in this case. This is because when you take the aspirin orally, you may suffer various side effects. Aspirin is thought to neutralize the venom as it provides quick recovery from the bite. It also has some anti-inflammatory properties that reduce the swelling.
Healthline.com also recommends a quick-acting antihistamine such as Benadryl especially when the bite becomes extremely itchy and uncomfortable. This medication can cause drowsiness.
References and sources
- https://www.treatcurefast.com/insect-bites/spider-bites/wolf-spider-bite-pictures-symptoms-side-effects-treatment/#Is_a_wolf_spider_poisonous_Can_it_kill_you
- http://askmyhealth.com/wolf-spider-bite-look-like-pictures-poisonous/
- http://spiderbites.net/wolf-spider-bite/
- http://www.top10homeremedies.com/home-remedies/home-remedies-for-spider-bites.html
Further Reading