Originally posted by Vulcan
We have a similar spider ... well its bite is said to have similar reactions, its an Aussie import, the White Tail.
Theres a big argument over what its bite does. Some say it causes necrotising arachnidism, flesh rot. Others say it causes long term flu symptoms. Others say it depends on the spiders diet (it eats other spiders).
I got bit one about 4 years ago and it put me in hospital for 4 days with bad asthma. Ever since then I've had asthma back (had it when I was a kid up to 12, then it stopped) and been on regular asthma meds.
A customer of mine also got bit, she got the flu like symptoms which come and go for 2 years.
All the official studies say the bite does nothing but irritate. But they also say the spider is not agressive, which is BS, I've come across big uns in my garage and they are very very argressive (ie charge you with their fangs and forelimbs raised). So I'm inclined to believe their might be different whitetail species involved.
Very wierd spider.
I was bitten on the finger by a White Tail three years ago while I was fencing. It was on top of a post that I put me hand on while I was stapling up the wire. I didn't see it until it bit me. The little sod has a fairly painful bite too, I jumped back a couple of feet. I didn't get any flu like symptoms but my finger didn't fare too well. Initially it only turned red, but within the week it had turned into a swollen puss filled mess. Two courses of antibiotics didn't seem to help at all, and it took months to heal up.
It's the big centipedes I watch out for, spiders don't bother me, if they did I would probably go mental cause I see a lot of them while I'm working, including huge Avondale spiders. But the White Tail is in a class of it's own, it's just plain nasty. I kill 'em on sight.
