Wolf Spider, this name might scare a lot of people, but on the contrary, wolf spider bites are not dangerous at all and do not usually require any specific medical assistance. Although a person might be allergic to spider bites, in such cases, the person will feel more pronounced, or we can say strong symptoms and may feel generally unwell.
However, this doesn’t happen much; thus, if a person gets bitten by a wolf spider, they can be treated in the same way as any other minor insect bite. For those who are not aware of wolf spiders or haven’t seen one, you are at the right place; because in this article, we will share important facts about wolf spiders so, let us get started.
Contents
What is Wolf Spider?
Wolf Spiders are members of the Lycosidae family; they are robust, agile hunters and have great eyesight. They hunt their prey with their great eyesight, which is not generally observed in spiders. There is another special characteristic that is they do not make spinning webs, unlike most spiders.
They have adaptation skills & can live in different environments, and are solitary spiders, i.e., they live alone. You may find them commonly in grassy areas, and amidst fallen leaves, some of them tend to live in & defend burrows while some are seen roaming around looking for their food.
Like many spiders, wolf spiders also tend to avoid humans, i.e., us people, and live in around basements, lofts, sheds, and garages. Wolf Spiders resembles Nursery Web Spiders, except the former carry their egg sacs with them, plus they have large eyes, unlike nursery web spiders.
How to Identify The Wolf Spider?
Distinguishing characteristics of wolf spiders include their fairly large size ranging from 0.5-2 inches long. Wolf Spiders are generally brown in color, but they can change their coloration depending upon their surroundings, which helps them blend in.
They have 4 pairs of eyes, with one pair being particularly large, and their eyes glow if a light shines towards their eyes. People often get confused with wolf spider and brown recluse spider except that the latter one bears a distinctive violin-shaped marking on their heads. Plus, brown recluse spiders have 3 pairs of eyes and are more dangerous venomous spiders.
Another type pf venomous spider is the Black Widow Spider, have black smooth body & red markings on the bottom of their abdomen. Also, the black widow spider is distinct from both wolf & brown recluse spider.
Is Wolf Spider Bite Dangerous?
As already mentioned in the article, a wolf spider is not dangerous. And if, in any case, a person gets bitten by a wolf spider can have the same medical assistance as they would in case of any other minor insect.
Although an itchy or sore red mark might appear on the skin at the site of a spider bite. Bites from the wolf spider are almost similar to any other minor insect; so, the only way a person can identify if the bite is from a wolf spider and not from any other minor insect is if the person actually sees the wolf spider biting.
Critical Care Nursing Clinics of North America published an article in their journal that stated that spider bites may seem alarming, but in reality, they pose a minor risk unless the spider is venomous. A person may have a severe allergic reaction in rare cases after getting a bite from a wolf spider.
If a person’s symptoms worsen quickly or start feeling generally unwell, they should immediately seek medical assistance.
Following are symptoms could signal an allergic reaction to the bite:
- Swelling,
- Itchiness,
- Blistering,
- A rash around the bite,
- Breathing problems.
Wolf Spider Bite Treatment
If you ever get bitten by a wolf spider or if you witness someone getting beaten by a wolf spider; then there are some basic steps that you can follow to avoid infection and to help manage any swelling, itchiness, or soreness resulting from the bite:
- Clean the area bitten with soap & water,
- Apply an ice pack to reduce swelling,
- If the bite is very itchy, take over-the-counter antihistamines,
- Avoid scratching, which can increase the chances of infection.
The symptoms should probably clear up after a few days; if they do not, you should seek a doctor’s advice and possibly effective treatment.
Wolf Spider Bite Prevention
Since wolf spiders are solitary, they do not produce any webs, which makes it difficult to locate them or simply to know if they are around or not. This can make preventing a bite tricky.
If you keep or store your footwear, mainly shoes or any cloth item outside/ or in an area that is easily accessible from outside, then you need to be a little extra careful to make sure no wolf spider has made a house out of your belongings. You will also have to take even extra care in places such as garages, storerooms, sheds, or lofts.
Be careful around piles of leaves, as you might see some wolf spiders home in between. If you want to keep your belongings safe from wolf spiders then you should apply proper insulation to your home & area around, as it helps in reducing the chance of wolf spiders entering from outside. Specific areas where insulation can help include windows, doors to the outside, lofts, and basements.
Conclusion
To sum up, wolf spiders are not to be feared, their bites are rare, non-venomous and people need not worry about it until or unless they are allergic.
The only reason Wolf Spider bite people is when they feel threatened i.e., survival instinct. So, you can reduce the chance of wolf spider biting you by being careful around areas where one can find wolf spiders inhabiting, e.g., amidst fallen leaves, sheds, lofts, abandoned places, garages, areas accessible from outside, and lofts as such.
Wolf spider bite is almost similar to any minor insect’s bite; thus, do not require any major medical attention, but again, if the person develops allergic reactions, you should rush to seek medical assistance. Since their bite marks are similar to other insects, it becomes a little tricky to say if the bite was from a wolf spider or not; unless someone saw a wolf spider biting.
