While a bite from one of these is exceptionally more dangerous than other, it's best to take proper steps in keeping these spiders as far away as possible.

It never fails, you're bound to hear a story from someone involving two dangerous spider, the black widow and brown recluse. You might role your eyes at the thought of them being in northern Illinois but it is possible. It won't be something to roll your eyes at if you get bit by one of them.

Brown Recluse In Illinois
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The brown recluse spider can live in any part of your home. In fact, the Illinois Department of Public Health recommends using sticky traps or pesticides to control these possibly poisonous insects, but not aerosol foggers - the little pain-in-the (whatever they bite) like to hid far from site.

They are fond of building their retreats and resting on wooden surfaces, such as inside furniture, cardboard boxes, wall voids and in the wood framing of crawlspaces, basements and attics. They are not often found far from structures.

According to IDPH, getting bitten by a brown recluse isn't too common, are they don't typically bite humans unless they get trapped in clothing or bedding. If they do get you, there might not be any sting and if there is it probably won't hurt any more than a bee sting, the stories about losing limbs are usually far fetched. But, venomous brown recluses do exist, but probably not as far north as Rockford. READ MORE HERE. There is another spider to be aware of, though.

Black Widow
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The black widow. Finding them in northern Illinois is not out of the question. They can pack a mean bite, too. It's not necessarily the pain of the sting, but the power of the venom carried by the female black widow.

The neurotoxic venom typically causes chest pain, muscle tightness and cramping, which may spread to the abdomen. Swelling can occur in the extremities but rarely around the bite. Other symptoms have been recorded but are less common.

 

Severe symptoms may not occur, and many people bitten by widow spiders do not require treatment of any kind. Bites very rarely result in death.  Symptoms usually begin to decline after 48 hours and are gone within five days, but milder symptoms may persist for weeks.Children and the infirm are at greatest risk for complications.

If you're like and trying really hard to not feel like they're already crawling all over you, go make some preemptive moves to keep this bad boys girls away. (Males do exist but aren't poisonous. The IDPH says to check out these spots around the house.

Filing holes and voids, sealing cracks and crevices, reducing outdoor lighting (so as not to attract insects on which the spiders feed), keeping vegetation away from structures and disposing of outdoor debris helps make an environment unfavorable to spiders.

You can try to control their destiny with appropriate pesticides by using a vacuum, fly swatter, shoe, or board. I'm not making up that last option - it's actually mentioned by IDPH.

I'm going to direct your to IDPH's website for more information because, after explaining all of this, I need to burn my clothes and bedding, and do some serious vacuuming.


Catch JB Love on ‘Q98.5 Mornings with Lil Zim & JB’ on Q98.5 from 5:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. Follow him on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

 

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