Home Remedies for Spider Bites
You probably didn’t know that nearly all the spiders you come in contact with are poisonous – a common feature that allows them to hunt their prey. However, the majority of spiders in the United States are harmless – too small to pose a threat to a human. Yet, if you live in a warm climate, you should keep an eye out for the black widow and brown recluse spiders, which pack quite a bite. Getting familiar with home remedies for spider bites couldn’t hurt either.
Spider Bite Symptoms and Facts
In the United States, the black widow and brown recluse spider pose the largest hazard to humans. The black widow (sometimes called the red-black spider) is shiny black with a red mark (in the shape of an hourglass) on its back. Since a black widow spider delivers a toxin that affects the nervous system, it is important to act fast. When bitten, the spider’s venom causes instantaneous pain, burning, swelling, and redness at the site. Double fang marks are sometimes visible [1].
Dwelling in the southeastern region of the U.S., the brown recluse is known for leaving behind large wounds, but is less likely to significantly injure a human victim. Measuring about 1-inch long, these spiders possess a violin-shaped mark on the back of their midsections. They often reside in closets, basements, and attics. While not an aggressive species, they will attack when trapped or pressed against the skin. A brown recluse spider bite causes burning, pain, itching, redness, deep blue or purple discoloring, rash, fever, nausea or vomiting.
Spider Bite Home Remedies
Even though most spiders do not possess strong enough venom, some people will suffer an allergic reaction, which includes redness, swelling, pain, itching, and symptoms that seem to worsen over a period of 24 hours. Severe reactions include hives, shortness of breath, wheezing, and weakness [2]. To minimize your reaction to a spider’s toxins and treat existing bites, consider the following home remedies:
a) Cold Water and Ice:
Reduce swelling and provide spider bite relief by applying an ice pack or cold, wet washcloth to the skin.
b) Baking Soda:
Mix 3 parts baking soda with 1 part water to create a paste to speed up the healing process of a spider bite. Depending on the severity of your bite, you will see changes within a couple of days.
c) WD-40:
Prevent a reoccurrence of spider bites that take place in the home by spraying your windowsills, door frames, and screens with WD-40 in an attempt to keep these insects out of your household [3].
d) Elevation:
If a spider has bitten you in the arm or leg, it is suggested to elevate the site to prevent swelling.
e) Hydrocortisone 1% Cream:
Treat itching and redness of a spider bite by applying hydrocortisone cream (1%). Calamine lotion makes an effective substitute.
f) Hydrogen Peroxide:
Since washing a spider bite site will help disinfect, choose hydrogen peroxide as an effective antiseptic for insect bites.
g) Dried Basil:
To ease the itch of a spider bite, take a pinch of crushed basil and rub on your bite until the basil turns into the consistency of fine sand. This home remedy will also help keep the swelling down.
h) Turmeric and Olive Oil:
Mix turmeric and olive oil to make a paste that treats the swelling and redness of a spider bite. Over the course of seven days, apply to your bite to help release some of the toxins. The combination also makes a decent pain reliever. Repeat the treatment at least two to three times throughout the week.
i) Aspirin:
To gain relief from a spider bite, it is necessary to neutralize some of the poison. Soak an aspirin tablet in a little bit of water until it creates a paste. Apply to your spider bite to alleviate itching. For some people, symptoms are relieved within ½ hour.
j) Antibiotic Lotion or Cream:
Fight infection (especially in children) by applying an antibiotic lotion or cream to a spider bite.
Resources
[1] http://www.umm.edu/non_trauma/spider.htm
[2] http://firstaid.about.com/od/bitesstings/qt/07_spider_bites.htm
[3] Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things by Reader’s Digest; pg 376.
My auntie says you can use garlic and salt to heal your spider bites. Saturate your bite with salt and leave on for about 20 minutes. Rinse off the salt and put a fresh garlic clove on overnight. Repeat the process for one week and your bite will be nearly gone. For her, all that was left was a small scab where the bite used to be.
take hydro-cotazone creeme for the itch then the next day us some icthamal to draw the poison
my daughter believes that she was bit by a spider.She has a area on her upper leg that is swollen and at the center of it she has been able to squeeze a large amount of pus out of it.it just keeps filling up.We have no transportation at the moment and i need to find out what we can do at home to help relieve the pain and swelling?
Baking soda and salt seemed to help a few bites. I have bitten twice, two different occasions. Both times I thought it was a skin blemish. I squeezed the zit and puss came out two points. I knew then it was a spider bite. Two different website: one suggested baking soda and the second suggested salt.
I mix the 2 together. My skin pulsated and when I removed the dry mix, it had pink and yellow color.
The bite site went from a swollen, warm bump to relief. I reapplied until all the hardness was gone. I still have a red mark where the fangs injected, but nothing noticeable. I hope this is a lost art and cures everyone with a spider bite. No promises.
I was told to apply toothpaste to the wound area as I am doing right now…I have no results yet I just did this last night and its 7:30am. Of course I have used Arm & Hammer Baking Soda Toothpaste
I just tried the baking soda and salt mixure and it worked like a charm! The redness and swelling immediately went down and the salt and baking soda sucked out the liquid.
my husband was bitten by a spider, I looked on this site to see if there was anything that I could do. I am currently trying the baking soda and water, and later if no results I will try the baking soda and salt. I am just a little worried about the burn of the salt…
wish me luck
Mrs. K
Soak a pad with witch hazel,(available at any drug store) and spinkle with epsom salt. tape on the sting and keep re-wetting, and sting goes away in 24-48 hours.
hi no tip here just reading all the remedies it seems i got bitten by a apider few days ago it hurts like hell, its red and swollen alittle bit its been a few days, iam taking anti-biotics, have notice some change in size and pain, today i applied the baking soda and salt on my arm and bandage it up good, hope it works iam also taking ibuprofen 800mg for pain it works, my addvice is to seek medical attention, if you live close to it, and can afford it me i dont have insurance so its up to me and online sites to go for help, today iam calling terminex guys to spray my place for spiders itsb out time i hate those crittters!!!.
dont get bit by spiders?! lol. i hate the creepy lil things. my brother was bitten, and i believe its a spider bite, the bump is large and red and raised, nothing came out of it, but i didnt squeeze too hard, i could see a hole, looked like a lil black hole, im gonna mix him up some baking soda and salt and see what happens.
06/12/2010 I was bite by a spider around 3-days ago and for the last few days i have been squeezing yellow greeninsh puss out of it and the area of the swelling went down. i am going to try this baking soda idea because i still have a hole in my toe with redness and puss coming out, it hurts and is still burning. what do some of you think i should do?
My husband was bit by something like 10 minutes ago. So, that was at 2:00 AM EST. He says that it burns, but I’m not to sure what to do about it. I gave him a allergy pill as a just in case if he has an allergic reaction to what ever it was that bit him. If the bump get bigger and red I’m going to try the baking soda and salt trick and maybe some dried basil for the swelling and pain. Thanks for having this site, it is very helpful!
Spider bites are the worst. I suggest squeezing until blood comes out of the bite. If it hurts to much to squeeze, take a hot shower or bath and soak the bite in the hot water. Eventually the pus should start to ooze out. Well, thats what I did anyway. I think I’m going to try the baking soda and salt idea if my bites get any worse.
Okay, now I have a question–has anyone EVER heard of getting multiple spider bites ( in different areas–and YES I’m sure they are spider bites) getting infected at different times?!?! I have..maybe four or five spider bites –ouch btw..– and they all seem to get really bad and start to ooze at different times. I’m down to the last two getting gross, and by-golly do they hurt!!! I think I’m going to go find some baking soda and salt now….
–Liz =]
My boyfriend got bit by a spider and his whole lip is swollen. I am trying the baking soda and salt. he is also on prednisone, and took benadryl. so if this works, i dont know if its all three put together or not but it is pulling out the pus.
@Liz
YES! I woke up this morning with a whopping 12 spider bites! My parents couldn’t believe it so I literally took a pen and out-lind all the bites to show them. However, I can’t find a remedie that works! (Although, maybe I can set a record for the most spider bites on one leg!)
Never ever put hydrocortisone cream or any steroid anti itch cream on a suspected brown recluse or black widow bite. It lowers your resistance to fight infection and can make it much worse.
Liz, you probable have a staph infection from one bite that has spread to all bites. It is very common for this to happen, I have been an urgent care and dermatology nurse for many years and have seen it all when it comes to these bites. You need to forget the home remedies and get on some antibiotics.
I was bit by a spider, a few years ago, and I just put a whole bunch of hydorgen peroxide everyday, but got slow progress with bandages and tylenol. I recently got another one, and out of whim decided to take Ground Cloves, Ecanechea & Goldenseal, Honey, Sea Salt, and for kicks some Ginseng all together. Cloves and E&G are antimicrobial/antifungal, Honey seems reassuring, Sea Salt didn’t seem bad, and Ginseng is a fire element in chineese medicine, so in all, I’m hoping this mix will increase circulation and fight infection. I also drank clove tea. You could also heat this mix and add a bit of water to thin it out, which helps the clove fight infection.
Mint, Basil, Thyme, and Rosemary are things I’ll put into to my mix later if the green goo doesn’t work well. If you have Tarragon, it was a plant used in ancient medicine to treat Snake Bites, because it helps speed up the body’s removal of toxic wastes. Tarragon is nicknamed Dragon’s Wort and is a good substitute for salt.
Also, I was once stung by a scorpian in Las Vegas, and I went to the emergency room because my entire arm went numb in a matter of moments. At the hospital they wait to see if you develop allergic reactions and for the numbness they gave me pain killers, I was fine a day later, but it’s nice to know you can fight numbness with pain killers. Go figure. As well, any brown lacrosse spider could get you sick with a serious viral infection that needs to be tested for, becuase there’s been cases where people carry it years after being bitten. so yes, bugs carry diseases beyond their own toxins… go for the quick doctor check if you’re feeling sick. So many people die from not doing that. Just watch Dr. G Medical Examiner and see why it’s on her top ten list of common deaths.
My daughter has about 5 or 6 bites on her leg. I looked online and they look like spider bites. One of the bites is red and red all around it. She just told me today about it, apparently she has had it for a couple of days. It was not until we went to the pool and she had her swimsuit on that I saw it. I am trying the epson salt and the baking soda, but if it still looks bad in the morning I am taking her to the doctor. Anyone have any other ideas????
I tried the cortizone paste and it sucked. It increased the swelling and caused more pain and discomfort. I am going to try the salt and baking soda mix it seems that everyone is doing it. I will let u know what happens.
I got bit by an “unknown” insect a few days ago. I didn’t see what it was, but I felt the sting. Now the area on my stomach is very red and swollen (not infected though). I was advised by a friend to try turmeric. I mixed ground turmeric with some EVOO and rubbed it all over the affected area – then covered with gauze. I’m hoping for some improvement by tomorrow morning.
I was bitten by a spider about a month ago. It started to swell so I soaked the bite in hydrogen peroxide for about 10 minutes. It never hurt after that, but it did get a hard spot which went away after a day or so. I still have a small bruise that is slowly growing smaller. My suggestion is to simply soak the bite in hydrogen peroxide. Hope it helps!
I’M IN REALLY BAD NEED 4 SUM HELP.I GOT BIT YESTERDAY ON MY LEFT BREAST CLEEVAGE AREA AND THE BIT ITSELF IS OPEN BUT THERES LIKE A HARD HARD BLACK SCAB LIKE IN THE CENTER OF IT.NOTHING IS WORKING TO EVN GET IT TO BLEED. DOES IT MATTER IF THE BIT AREA IS OPEN OR CLOSED
? IT HURTSD SO BAD ITS HARD TO BREATH AND CANT TURN FRM SIDE 2SIDE AND MWT RT ARM IS HARD TO MOVE OVR MY SHOLDERS WITHOUT MAKING ME HURT.. HELP PLEASE…
PS DOES IT MATTER WHAT KIND OF SALT I USE FOR THE PASTE.
When I was bitten the (first time) by a black widow it felt like a hard jab from the end of a sharp stick. Immediately it formed a hard knot at the bite site on my wrist..A halo or circular bruise appeared. I figure, if there is no knot, no halo with a bruise,, its more than likely not a black widow or recluse,, not saying I know that for sure.. I just believe it..Examining my bite I saw two tiny bloody fang marks..Knowing the poison needed to be bled out as soon as possible and knowing bleach will disperse blood I ran a bowl of hot soapy bleach water and submerged my wrist. I jabbed a needle right into the fang marks deep enough to make them bleed freely.. I bled the site by sticking the needle in the knot, squeezing it to make it bleed until the knot was soft and flexible..Then I applied Regular flavor Colgate tooth past onto the wound, rubbed it in while wet and covered with a band aid..I had to work that day so I went right to work..That evening when I came home I soaked the bite in hot soapy bleach water and applied the tooth past and band aid again before bed time. By morning the bite was almost gone and I cleaned it with hydrogen peroxide a few times and that was that. Disclaimer…This may not work for you but it worked for me..
When a Brown Recluse bit me on the side of my face I applied a rag soaked in hot soapy bleach water and scraped the bite site with a dull knife to open the wound..In a few days the bite had a circle of tiny blisters, that halo effect which tells me the bite was bad. I scraped the blisters with a dull knife blade to burst them and washed in Hydrogen Peroxide. Next day more blisters. I scraped them and repeated the Hydrogen Peroxide. I did that for a few days and the blisters scabbed over. I got well with very little scarring and no rotting flesh. .Brown Recluse and some other spiders can carry bacteria on their fangs that may be more harmful than their poison..I did not feel the recluse bite when it bit me. If so it was not noticeable as I was working in the woods and don’t notice a slight scrape.. The bacteria on their fangs can eat away at your flesh. It has to be killed or you can end up with some deep wounds and maybe even death. I find bleach water and dawn dish soap helps kill or remove bacteria if applied quick enough. If you can get a good antibiotic from your doctor you should do so if your bite is not responding to your home remedy. .. IF I were bitten where I could not put that body part in a bowl of hot soapy bleach water or apply a poultice of hot soapy bleach water, I would soak in hot soapy bleach water in my bath tub.. I think it’s also important to open the wound with a needle right into the fang marks and if need be in the hard knot..This may be a good way to treat some other types of open sores too.. I recommend people eat raisins to purify their blood if they get boils regularly..If your home remedy does not show improvement in a few hours seek medical help..Spend the money..save your health.
i dont know if im posting a tip or vommet on this damm thing….lol..any way a good friend of mine was bitten a few days ago…by what i belive to be a brown recluse.. she didnt see the spider that bit her.nor did i. i was out. but the next day when she leaned over on her knee. is when she felt it.. an showed it to me. id seen spider bites befor, tons of them an they all look the same to me. it started out looking like a pimple with a tiny black dot in the middle.. and a little red around it .. over the past few days.. it has gotten larger an more puss coming out..not a ton but enough..and shes been gettting sick to stamoch and throwing up..i kept telling her what it is but she just now starting to belive me…so i just started her rite now on some anti-biotics. and we are gonna try the salt and baking soda.. but what nonoe of you are saying is ….how much of this stuff do i miix togather to make the paste ??????? and how bad is it gonna burn her ????AND ONCE AGAIN. FOR ANNAS SAKE.. how long do we leave it on her ???im glad i checked out this site,. got a lot of info..and realy appriciate it..thank all of you folks..and i wish you all the best and painless recoverys…thanks again..yolanda.
i got bit by something on my pinky finger and it is swollen from hand to joint aint sure what to do
Being a “old” farm girl I believe everyone needs to keep a can of WATKINS or MC NESS BROWN CARBONATED SALVE in their homes. If you get bit by a spider or any other insect or if you get a boil or splinter of wood, metal in your finger or infection of any kind all you have to do is put a glob of salve on the area and then a bandage or band-aid to keep it on the area. Repeat every 4 to 6 hours and the salve will draw the venom, poison, infection out will also take the soreness and tenderness out of that area. This salve can only be bought from a dealer (I am not a dealer) can not be found in stores. Get on the Internet and find a dealer to order from. Not that expensive and last a heck of a long time. I have used it on my kids and animals over the years as my parents did when I was a child, as their parents did when they were children. All 7 of my children have this salve in their homes, so do my friends. Until you can get the salve you can take a potato and slice a piece of it and tape it over the infected area It will draw the infection out. Or use an egg….you take the white off the egg and whip the egg white until it looks like whip cream and put that over the infected area it also draws, also works very good as a facial, Hold a water warm cloth over your face to open the pores then cover your face with the whipped egg white let dry and then remove with a very warm water on a wash cloth, it helps remove black heads and pimples. Will sorry didn’t mean to get so long winded but I truly hope that this information from this old woman (me lol) help some of you. God Bless you and don’t forget to pray in the name of Jesus for God is the greatest healer of all.
I made a paste of baking soda, toothpaste, and water and applied to the bite. I think this helps to draw out the toxin which helped to reduce the sting.
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