Scorpions, Spiders, and Ticks

Scorpions, Spiders, and Ticks

They can bring shivers up and down the spines of a lot of people. Unfortunately, while the great outdoors has amazing things to offer to hikers, these three are going to be out there too. Hopefully, with the right knowledge and protection, you can avoid running into these three guys.

In this post, we’ll discuss each in detail, including identification, geographic range, and treatment of bites or stings. This post is not meant to scare, but to educate. I’ve hiked thousands of miles, and camped for hundreds of days, and I’ve been lucky enough to never have had a terrible experience with any of these, but if I do, I have the knowledge of what to do. Now you will too!

If you remember your from back in your middle school days, which I didn’t remember, spiders, scorpions, and ticks, all fall under the scientific classification of arthropods, and more specifically are of the arachnid class. This means that they have an exoskeleton and a segmented body. More specifically, each of these have eight legs. Which basically means that they are creepy.

These three arachnids are found throughout the United States

Spiders

Of the thousands of species of spiders found in North America, only three can cause serious injury upon being bitten.

Black Widow

There are three main species of Black Widows found in the United States, the Western Black Widow, the Southern Black Widow, and the Northern Black Widow, but is especially common in the southern United States. Each of these species look very similar, and I’m not going about to get close enough to verify which species of Black Widow it is in case you’re wondering.

The Black Widow is about inch across and is typically all black, with the exception of a red hourglass or red other red markings on its abdomen. They are not a hairy spider, and there abdomen is about the size of a small marble, and the entire black widow is the size of quarter or smaller. Only the female Black Widow is venomous, as the male black widows have the strength to puncture human skin.

As mentioned, they are found throughout the United States and are non-aggressive unless provoked. About 12% of black widow bites, are “dry bites,” meaning that no venom is injected. Black windows prefer to nest in areas that protect them from the elements. In urban environments they can be found in garages, basements, and along foundations. There webs are not works of art, compared to other spider webs. It is typically a messy type of funnel web, but it does the trick to ensnare their prey. In the outdoors, black widows can have webs under logs, leaves, or anything else that provides protection and is dark.

If bitten by a black widow spider, it may take a little time for the symptoms to appear, but usually include cramping of muscles, numbness in the area of the bite, excessive salivation from the mouth, general body weakness along with a restless sensation. Seek medical attention immediately if you know it was a black widow spider, even if you don’t feel any symptoms. The toxin from the black widow is one of the most toxic in the world, so it’s nothing to take lightly. There are very few fatalities from the black widow, but have occurred, typically in young children or elderly adults. There is anti-venom available that counteracts the toxins.

Prevention is the best way to keep you and the black widow from meeting. In your house, remove any clutter, empty boxes, piles of firewood, or other dark places where they might want to set up camp. Speaking of camp, the same applies in the outdoors. Stay on the trail, where frequently foot traffic keeps the spiders away. Never reach over or under anything you can’t see. If you must move a log or move a pile of leaves, do it with a stick first instead of with your hand. If you are working outdoors or in the garage and you are moving things around or cleaning up, wear gloves. Also wear closed toe shoes. No flip-flops.

I had a scary experience with a black widow a couple of months back… and I wasn’t even in the woods! I was at a business and the owner lifted one of the garage doors, and a large female had a web attached to the bottom of the door. As the door went up, the black widow was suspended and nearly hit me in the face before I spotted it… swinging less than two inches from my head. Let me tell you, that got the adrenaline pumping!

Now as mentioned above, this is not to scare you and give you nightmares, but to give you the knowledge to know what to look for, how to prevent bites, and what to do if bitten.

Brown Recluse

The brown recluse is a light brown to dark brown spider that is typically the size of a penny up to the size of a quarter. They are identified by a dark brown fiddle pattern behind the head. They are found primarily in the south, ranging from Texas, north to Iowa, and east to Georgia. While they are non-aggressive, their bite is very serious and can be fatal, especially in young children and the elderly. They can be difficult to identify since there are hundreds of types of brown spiders in the United States. They are frequently misidentified. Once again, just like the black widow, I don’t attempt to get up close and personal with any type of spider. I hate spiders! I’m pretty sure that I’m going to have nightmares just from writing this, but I want you to know what to do if you ever run into any of these guys while out on the trail. As a funnel spider, they typically build very tight and obvious funnels from which they jump out and attack passing prey.

The bite of a brown recluse isn’t necessary felt initially. Swelling and intense pain can start from the bit area as well as blistering. The brown recluses carries a hemotoxic venom, which means it destroys red blood cells, and can cause serious tissue damage, including necrosis in rare cases. Most of the bites by brown recluses occur when they sneak into clothing left on the floor or ground for  a couple of days. They typically bite as they are pressed up against the skin while the victim puts on the shirt, etc. A very small number of bites cause necrosis, which is where the cells and tissues near the bite area die leaving open wounds. They are nasty and sometimes require skin grafts and months of recovery.

If you’re bitten by what you think is a brown recluse spider, seek medical attention immediately. Apply cold packs and immobilize the bitten part of the body. While there is no anti-venom for the bite, certain medicines can be prescribed to fight the venom.

To avoid brown recluses, do not throw clothing on the floor and don’t poke your fingers into areas you can’t see. If you are in Utah, and you think you see one, I am willing to bet that it is a hobo spider instead of a brown recluse since they don’t habitat in Utah. I’ll discuss the hobo spider next.

Hobo Spider

Of the three spiders, this is the least toxic, but is also the newest addition to the group. While the bite of the hobo spider is not deadly, it can cause a lot of pain. It is found primarily in the northwest United States, from Washington State down to Utah. It is also called the aggressive house spider by some.

It is a brown spider that many confuse with the brown recluse as they are both about the same size and look very similar. Honestly, for me, every brown spider is either a brown recluse or a hobo spider, although I’d say 95% of the time the spider I see is actually neither.

Unlike the brown recluse, the hobo spider can be very aggressive, even when not provoked. They are also funnel spiders, like the brown recluse. Since they are kind of new to the scene in terms of being a scary spider species, experts have little research on the hobo spider. Many have conflicting opinions regarding the aggressive nature, the seriousness of the bite, and whether or not the bite can cause mild necrosis. If necrosis is possible it occurs in rare cases, but much less serious than necrosis from a brown recluse bite. They also seldom climb objects, but prefer to stay at ground level.

Hobo spider bites are not fatal, but can be painful. Small lesions can appear at the site of the bite. If bitten by a hobo spider, apply a cold pack to the bite to reduce swelling, and take a antihistamine.

As for prevention, as with the other spiders, reducing clutter makes a big difference in reducing the spider’s habitat.

Scorpions

In the Southwest there are dozens of species of scorpions. I have hiked hundreds of miles in the Southwest, and I’ve never spotted a scorpion. The true is, I’ve never looked for them, I’m too busy enjoying the scenery. Since there are so many types of scorpions, it would be very difficult to memorize what every species looks like, etc, so take my advice. Avoid them all! The scorpion pictured here is the most venomous scorpion found in North America. This is the Arizona Bark scorpion, and it’s been known send people to not only hospital, but it is deadly to small children and the elderly. This particular scorpion is found in all the southwest states, California, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, and even parts of west Texas.

Scorpions vary in size from less than an inch, to as big as six and a half inches long. The Arizona Bark scorpion is anywhere from 1.5 inches to 3.5 inches. At the end of a scorpion’s tail is the poisonous barb that injects venom. Even though they are found throughout the Southwest, there are many ways to avoid getting stung by one. If you are camping, always turn your shoes upside down and empty them out before putting them on. Always keep you tent door zippered shut to help keep them out. Don’t walk barefoot outside on the hike or at the campsite. Scorpions are nocturnal hunters, so they usually try and find shady and cool places to stay during the heat of the day. If you see one on the trail, leave it alone, don’t try and pick it up, that’s a guaranteed scorpion sting. Now, what happens if someone in your group gets stung by a scorpion? The majority of scorpion stings are likened to getting stung by a wasp, rather painful but not deadly unless you’re allergic. However, if it is an Arizona Bark scorpion sting, victims liken it to an “electrocution” type feeling. The symptoms will be intense localized pain at the site of the sting which includes throbbing and swelling, and excruciating pain just by touching the sting area. Numbness, tingling, or burning sensation near the area, and involuntary twitching may follow.

Take these steps if stung by a scorpion: Rinse the affected area with soap and water and apply a cold compress to alleviate the pain and swelling. If a young child in your group gets stung by a scorpion, and shows the above signs, take them to the ER. More advanced symptoms are frothing at the mouth, slurred speech, rapid eye movement.

Remember, few fatalities are attributed to scorpion stings in comparison to total number of bites. Just be aware, empty out your shoes before putting them on, and shake out any clothes before putting them on.

Ticks

Ticks are found throughout the United States, but are most prevalent in areas that have a warm and humid climate. While attending Scout Camp in Illinois during the summers, ticks were always a problem, and one year I found several of them on me over the course of the week. (I’d never been more paranoid of anything in my life than I was that week!)

Ticks are tiny, parasitic and can carry some nasty diseases, most commonly Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. They can take anywhere from a matter of minutes up to a couple of hours to start to feed. I was lucky enough to always find them on me before they began to feed. Removal is easy at that point. Their hard exoskeleton make them hard to kill. I would always take out my scout knife and just cut them in half. Ticks are commonly found on animals that are outside, both domesticated and wild. Deer seem to be the primary carrier of ticks, and studies have determined that places in warm, humid climates with a high deer population, have a much higher concentration of ticks. The summer months, May through September are the when ticks are the most active.

The Center for Disease Control has put together a detailed page of the geographic ranges of the different species of ticks that carry diseases. Click here http://www.cdc.gov/ticks/geographic_distribution.html to see the geographic range of different species of ticks in the US. The warmer months from May to September are the most active times for ticks, so be especially mindful during those times of year.

There are several things that you can do to reduce your exposure to ticks when outside:

1. Stay in the middle of the hiking trail, and avoid walking through tall grasses, as ticks like to wait on the tops of blades of grasses to attach to clothing.
2. Wear a hat, as this can prevent ticks from getting in your hair, making them difficult to spot.
3. Do a “tick check” during every water break on the trail, and do a complete full body “tick check” after you finish your hike. Check hair, ears, under the arms, behind the knees, and any crevice that a tick hide.
4. Take a shower as soon as you can after your hike, to remove ticks and to make it easier to find them on you.
5. Thoroughly shakedown your gear and equipment to ensure that no ticks hitchhike into your home.
6. Check your pets daily for ticks, especially if they go outside.

Here is what to do if you find a tick on you or someone else:

1. Don’t panic.
2. While there have been several suggested methods for removing ticks over the years, removing them with tweezers is the best, quickest, and safest method.
3. Grab the tick as close to the skin as possible with the tweezers and gently pull up with even pressure. Don’t jerk, or twist as you pull out the tick, as it may cause the head break off and remain in the skin.
4. Thoroughly wash the area with soap and water, or rubbing alcohol to clean the bite area.
5. Some people even recommend putting the tick in a jar and taking it to get tested for disease carrying bacteria.
6. If any symptoms like redness near the bite area, rash, or fever, see a medical professional. Inform them that you recently had a tick bite. As always, the earlier the symptoms are recognized and treated, the better.

Now I don’t want you to get done reading this and get all paranoid and freak out. Most of you probably won’t even come in contact with a tick. I wrote this post so you would be prepared and know what a tick looks like, how to prevent a tick bite, and how to safely remove a tick if found on the body. Better safe than sorry.

When I am hiking out in the southwest United States, ticks rarely cross my mind, and in fact, I’ve never even seen one out in that part of the country. However, when I hiked the Appalachian Trail in the summer, I was checking myself every 30 minutes. Wherever you go on a hiking or backpacking trip, be familiar with all the things big or small, that you could encounter along the way. And remember to wear your bug repellent!

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