My dog woke me up this morning around 8:30 and I noticed that my right hand was very painful. I couldn’t see a mark, but it was dimly lit and I didn’t have my glasses on. The pain seemed to be located at the base of my right index finger. It didn’t itch - it felt like nettles.
Not knowing what else to do, I licked my finger, told my dog it wasn’t morning yet, and shoved my hand back under my pillow and drifted off again. About ten minutes later I woke up again and my hand hurt like hell.
This time, when I pulled my hand out from my pillow, there was a spider attached to it. It’s pretty creepy thinking about it but at the time I was mostly pissed off because I was tired and wanted to sleep. I figure I must have brushed against the spider the first time and then the second time, I partially crushed it and it bit me in reflex. It was clinging to my hand just above the base of my right thumb.
When I saw the spider, I swatted it and brushed it off and now I can’t find it. It was definitely dead. Or undead, maybe.
Anyway, it’s about two hours later and my hand still doesn’t show any marks. It still aches a little and tingles some around my thumb and index finger. I suppose if it hasn’t erupted in sores by now it’s not going to.
The spider was a waxy pale cream color. It was a little larger than a nickel. It’s legs were even length and evenly distributed (not like in a X shape or crab shape, like some spiders.)
I live in NE Ohio and I think it’s a pretty common spider for this area. I’ve seen spiders of this type in the house before, especially when it’s wet. I never see this particular spider in a web, just scurrying around sometimes, along the floorboard or the edge of the ceiling.
I’ve been looking at spider pictures for an hour now and can’t see anything that looks like my attacker. Is it ringing any bells for anyone?
Evenly distributed legs, running, with no web sounds to me like a wolf spider. (Some of the photos on that page are for different varieties that may not occur in Ohio.)
I’m no expert, but from what I’ve read, the brown recluse is a dangerous spider, and unfortunately not very far from your description. But based on the distribution map it seems unlikely.
I think hotflungwok beat me to it! I have always called these guys *Cream House * Spiders, link. They are not very dangerous, but still can deliver a painful bite (as you can now attest!).
From what I’ve read, the brown recluse is the most commonly mis-diagnosed spider bite, and it is next to impossible to identify a spider from its bite. Funny, I read that in the link you gave. My vote is for NOT a BR.
Hm. That’s not so hot, then. There are four spiders in the US whose venom can have serious negative effects on humans, and the yellow sac spider is one of 'em. Its venom can (worst case scenario) cause necrosis of the tissue around the bite site. If you got a venomless bite, you won’t have any problem. There’s a chance you’ll have a rash for a few weeks.
A Michigan friend of mine got bit by a recluse 10 yrs ago approx. Every now and then the area erupts and looks all infected and ugly. Then it goes away after a week or so.
A study in a town in Missouri found brown recluses in 80% of the homes. pretty common ,but you have to go look for them.
