Hobo Spider Bite Symptoms

The hobo spider is a non-native species of spider that originally came to the United States from Europe. The spider is found in the northwest portion of the country, and probably arrived in the 1920s, getting into the country accidentally in packages and crates that were shipped from overseas. The hobo spider is brown with no special markings, but it has a potentially dangerous bite that produces distinctive symptoms.

Dry Bites

• As many as half of all people bitten by hobo spiders will have no symptoms. This is because the bites are "dry", meaning that the spider failed to inject any of its venom into the person.

Early Signs

• When venom is injected into a bite, the area will become numb within 15 minutes, with other parts of the body, such as the tongue, possibly feeling numb as well. It will begin to turn red, and become swollen and hard within 18 hours.

Blistering

• After a span of 24 hours, the hobo spider bite will start to blister in the middle of the wound. During this time, the victim may experience bad headaches and suffer from visual or auditory hallucinations.

Serious Symtpoms

• The blister will break open on the second day and ooze fluids, eventually scabbing over in about 3 weeks. In severe cases, after 2 to 3 days the area can become black, and in 10 days the flesh in the region of the bite may rot, requiring surgical intervention.

Scars

• The hobo spider bite will leave a scar. In some instances, it can be as long as 2 or 3 years before the bite heals completely.