Writing About Spider Bites

Writing about a spider bite for a character? First I want to go on record: I hate spiders.

While painting an item on our screened porch, something dropped from above and landed on my shoulder. Like Little Miss Muffet, minus curds and whey, along came a spider who sat down beside me.

I thought nothing of brushing it off my shoulder, until it fell onto my bare shinbone. And bit me. Hard.

The bite felt like someone pinched me with a pair of sharp tweezers. Brown recluse spiders are common in Indiana, so after dispensing with the beastie I put him in a clear bottle for closer examination. Thankfully, it was only a Carolina green spider. Who knew Carolina Spiders came to Indiana?

All spiders have venom though, to kill their prey, but not all spider bites are fatal to humans.

This spider gave me all the venom it had, apparently.

The bite didn’t heal well. Two small red marks formed a crater. It didn’t become infected, but a reddish-bruised area about the size of a quarter formed. It took weeks for the small central crater to heal. Wounds on lower legs tend to heal slower anyway, but this surprised me. The area hurt at times and had a definite bluish-purple tinge for months afterward.

Around thirty-three percent of people have arachnophobia, and it’s most likely a survival instinct. The reason is poisonous spiders. Even a minor spider bite can be a problem for your character. Of course, non-poisonous spiders have venom to kill their prey.

In the United States, Black and Brown widow spiders are common throughout the west and southwest. In the Midwest and the South, Brown Recluse are common. In the Pacific Northwest, severe bites have been reported from hobo spiders.

Most spiders prefer to hide away from humans, but if provoked they will protect themselves.

Even a pet tarantula will bite if it feels threatened. Tarantula bites aren’t fatal unless the person is allergic to the venom, and gets a severe allergic reaction.

Questions to ask yourself when writing about spider bites: Click To Tweet

What is your character’s age? —This is one time where it’s NOT better to be a young child. Because of the ratio of venom dose to size, children receive a much higher venom ratio. A black widow bite in a young child can be fatal. The U.S. averages about three fatal bites a year, and all of them were children. The frail elderly are also more susceptible.

What time of year is it? Some early data from a study in Albania showed spiders may be more venomous in the summer.

How was your character bit? Most spiders won’t bite unless provoked somehow. I guess my spider didn’t enjoy his flight to my leg and that made him or her mad. A glancing bite won’t inject as much venom as a full bite. Before the advent of modern plumbing, many spider bites occurred in outhouses. Let me go on record again: OUTHOUSES are the TRUE haunted houses. As someone old enough to have visited one as very young child, just trust me on this. A bite to the face will deliver venom quicker to the central nervous system than one on an extremity, like a foot. (see Brazilian Wander Spider bite below)

What is your Character’s Occupation?: Construction workers, outdoor workers, building cleaners, park workers, painters, and those who work around old buildings or deal with sorting attics/old boxes or out in nature are more likely to get bitten by a spider.

5. What area does your character live in? Spider species are like plants and animals. Check to see if the particular spider you want to use lives in the area of your character(s).

6. Is your story set in Australia or South America? If you thought American spiders were scary, take a look at the Australia and South American ones! Positively horror story material. The SYNDEY FUNNEL-WEB SPIDER in Australia, Atrax Robustus, takes the prize for most venomous spider in the world. What is the second most venomous spider in the world? The BRAZILIAN WANDERING SPIDER.

7. Is your character diabetic, has heart/kidney disease, or peripheral vascular disease (swollen legs & feet)? Even the simple bite I got could have turned into an infected or chronic ulcer for anyone with underlying health conditions that cause poor circulation.

8. How to prevent spider bites for your character, and you, too:

Don’t paint in shorts on a porch with lots of spiders and webs.

Wear gloves to garden in or when working around old materials or in places like attics.

Dump out shoes and boots first before putting them on.

Keep your house (and your back porch) clean. Clear out spider webs.

Don’t pile up junk and old cardboard boxes. Spiders just LOVE to hide there. (GUILTY as charged)

Is your tetanus shot UTD? Who knew? Spider bites can cause Tetanus! New article on writing about spider bites at www.novelmalpractice.com Click To Tweet

Writing about Black Widow spider bites?

(First photo above)

Most only cause minor symptoms similar to my experience above, but more serious cases can have systemic symptoms. Patients develop nausea/vomiting with severe abdominal cramping, rise in blood pressure, excessive sweating, inability to empty the bladder, muscle twitching and/or cramping, dark cola-colored urine, fatigue (particularly in kids), and body aches.

Writing about Brown Recluse spider bites?

(photo with the penny is a brown recluse)

These spiders pack a venomous wallop, but you may not feel it at first. Even Charleston Heston found that out. I had the privilege of hearing him speak years ago, and he told how he had never once missed a curtain call. That’s an impressive work record.

One time, though, Heston came close to missing the curtain. Because of a brown recluse spider bite! He wasn’t sure when or how he got the bite, but it caused him enough pain and swelling in his arm he almost cancelled that evening’s performance.

Heston was a big man. I was astonished how tall and broad-shouldered he was – like NFL player level-size. Peyton Manning-sized. Imagine what the dose of venom did to him, then compare that to a small baby crawling around on the floor.

Writing about Brazilian Wandering Spider bites?

Unfortunately, on October 31, 2023 Brazilian singer Darlyn Morais was bitten in the face by a venomous spider (unconfirmed reports say a Brazilian Wandering Spider) which led to an allergic reaction and his death a few days later.

His teen step-daughter was bitten on the foot and has so far survived.

Read about it here:https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/brazil-spider-bite-death-singer-b2443777.html#

Remember: even the lowliest of spider species can still pack a wallop of venom and make your character uncomfortable for weeks!

For more tips on writing about wilderness injuries, see my post here: https://novelmalpractice.com/writing-about-wilderness-medicine/