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MACON TELEGRAPH (Georgia) 25 May 03 Black Widow wins 'worst bite' award
Some folks are afraid of things that go "bump" in the night.
Not me. I am much more concerned about things that itch, crawl, slither, sting and bite.
Although turkey season is over, I go to the woods almost every day. I enjoy wildlife and when I am not checking trail cameras and filling feeders, I might be doing nothing more than quietly sitting and observing.
This brings me in constant contact with all the above critters that I loathe. Gleaning from my experience, I want to spare you some of the discomforts I have had. Having been bitten by about every one of these critters, I will say that the Black Widow spider is about the worst, even more frightening than the two pit vipers (copperhead and cottonmouth) that have sunk their fangs into my carcass.
Along with the aforementioned widow, there is the Brown Recluse or "fiddle-back" spider. This sneaky rascal has the shape of a violin on its back. Both like dark places, although the Black Widow likes it damp and the Recluse wants it dry. The Widow attacks the nervous system and can be deadly. The Recluse causes severe decay of the flesh in the bitten area. With either, getting to a hospital in a hurry is important.
The two pit vipers mentioned are joined by several species of rattlesnakes and the Coral snake. Never count on a rattlesnake warning you before it attacks. Best prevention from getting hit is to wear boots or snake chaps and just watch where you put your feet and hands.
I grew up being taught the cut-and-suction treatment. Then came freezing and finally electric shock. Now the medical profession says not to use any of these; just be calm and get to a hospital as soon as possible. Just for the record, I used the tourniquet-cut-suction method on myself when a cottonmouth hit me and I believe it saved my life.
Many western movies show the scorpion. We have a smaller version, black in color, in north Georgia. I have never heard of these taking a casualty, but I can attest to their giving you a painful bite. Never again will I stick my foot into a boot without shaking the boot first.
Wasps and hornets build nests above ground. Yellow jackets build in the ground or in a stump cavity. There are also bees to contend with. Any of these will give you a painful bite and some people are so allergic that the stings can be fatal. Again, just watch where the nests might be.
Mosquitoes now carry the West Nile virus. Ticks carry Rocky Mountain Spotted fever, Lyme disease and a multitude of other deadly diseases.
Since I am baring it all here, I have also had Lyme disease, which is no fun, but easily treated with antibiotics if caught in time. Fleas, found on practically every species of wildlife, also carry deadly diseases.
The best method of prevention from all these is to be sure you don't get bitten. Permanone or equivalent should be sprayed on one's clothing, but never on the skin. Permanone will kill all these little blood-suckers. I like to spray my clothing with Permanone and let it dry before putting on the garments. If you don't get wet, this treatment is good for at least two days. Any insect repellent with 20 percent Deet will repel mosquitoes, ticks, chiggers and deer flies, but has no affect on bees and wasps.
Now, stay away from poison oak, sumac and ivy and you might survive the summer.
Black Widow wins 'worst bite' award

Does anyone know whether they're found in Iowa?? I was walking a nature trail with my girlfriend the other day and found a spider about the right size, shape and color to be a male but didn't think any were found in the area.

I have heard that the only states that do not have the black widow are Hawaii and Alaska. The guides list latitude 45s and 45n as their range. The field guides also show Iowa as part of their range. It seems they are abundant in the warmer states, with sightings in the majority of States. With the way people move around I would imagine these guys are everywhere.