Learned the hard way - check waders before putting them on...

[Grn Mt Man]

Had left chest high waders in the back of my pick up after last fishing trip and didn't think that would be a problem. Have a fairly tight, or so I thought, hard cover on the back of the Tacoma. Slide waders on as usual and started to wade into the river when I felt the sensation of a mosquito bite and some itching sensation on the back of my right leg just above the knee. Sort of rubbed at it and went on with the wading into the river. Soon afterwards felt another similar sensation on the back of the right leg; but, this time it was further down and below my knee. Rubbed the area again and back to fishing. And, once again the same sensation and down about midcalf this time. Kept fishing and no further problems, or so I thought. Finished in a couple of hours, took off waders and didn't bother checking my leg or the waders as nothing was itching or bothering me at this time. Later that night asked the wife to check the back of my leg as it was itching again. She said I had what looks like at least three or four, either mosquito or chigger like bites on my leg. Put some of that "Anti-Itch Bug Bite" stuff on it and then later before bed a goodly dose of Lanacane. Next morn up popped another "bite" on the front of my shin. They all turned ugly red and rose up like a nasty mosquito bite. Continued to treat them with the "bug Bite" stuff and some antiseptic cream. Took a while for the bumps to go away; but, finally left after a couple of weeks. My wife asked if I'd checked my waders for "SPIDERS" and I said no. She opined that next trip it might be a good idea to do so and she also said maybe you'd better spray your stuff with some kind of bug killer too!

ME - 2 trout. Killer spider or whatever - 4/5 bites.

Moral of the story: When you get less bites then the "CRITTERS" it's not a good day!!!

[herefishy]

Glad it wasn't snakes. Glad I keep mine inside the truck. Probably still a good idea to check.

[DaleW]

Where I live, when you leave your yard work sneakers on the back screened-in porch, always give them a good bang and inspection before putting them on as there are spiders who are always looking for a place to set-up shop. And some of the spider species in these parts are the brown recluse and black widows. So I'm kinda in the habit of inspecting the foot wear before I insert foot. Now if I could only learn to do that with my mouth! (LOL)

[jay92]

Might be a good idea to turn them inside out. The inside dries thoroughly, and you'll be able to see vermin before you flip them to wear.

[Panman]

Been there and done that. It was not a positive venture. TAKE CARE.
Tim

[sgallas2]

same here. hung my waders over the deck to dry and forgot them overnight. next day ad a critter in one.nasty bites. I check boots and waders before I pack them for a trip.
Best,
Steve

[maodiver]

Glad they weren't black widows or recluses...

[appalachian angler]

Sage advice since I hang my waders to air dry overnight and into the next day in the carport. Of course, the critters would have to get over the funk first

[waskeyc]

ME - 2 trout. Killer spider or whatever - 4/5 bites.

Moral of the story: When you get less bites then the "CRITTERS" it's not a good day!!!

I'm sorry to hear about your bad experience, and I'm glad to hear that you have recovered from the bites.

In the interest of adding to this lesson, does anyone have a good idea about what kind of spiders these might have been? Or were they not spiders, but an insect or other critter? On this forum, with all of the combined bug knowledge, there must be someone who knows a little about insect and spider bites. Some of us even use flies tied to look like spiders!

Here's what I know, incomplete as it may be, and maybe even incorrect on a few points. My seven year-old son (who is terrified of spiders) likes to point out that all spiders are poisonous, but I have heard that only a few species actually bite. In North America, those would be the Brown Recluse, Black Widow, and Tarantula. From corporate scare-mail about spider bites sent in the interest of raising awareness about safety topics, I've seen that Black Widow and Brown Recluse spider bites can be very bad, requiring hospitalization and significant tissue damage from just a single bite. Maybe that is not typical, I don't know. If it is, our hapless wader bearer was lucky to get by with just anti-itch cream. Unless the critters weren't spiders.

I've tried some searches on Wikipedia and elsewhere to answer several questions about spiders, since I go through a fair number of webs on my way to any given stream. What I can't seem to figure out is whether other species of spider either can't bite humans (mouth geometry or something similar), aren't disposed to bite non-food items, or whether the line that all spiders are toxic is really true. Does anyone know? In other words, how much should I worry about the Orb Weavers that end up crawling all over me after going through half a dozen webs early in the morning? And what about the large Wolf Spiders that are lurking under rocks and logs, do they pose any hazard?

Orb.jpg

[Uncle Jesse]

I've seen that Black Widow and Brown Recluse spider bites can be very bad, requiring hospitalization and significant tissue damage from just a single bite. Maybe that is not typical, I don't know.

With Brown Recluse significant tissue damage is very much the case. Hospitalization is probably not uncommon but not required in every case. My brother in law was bitten in his bed several years ago, he started sweating got out of bed and laid on a couch, so he wouldn't disturb his wife and not realizing it was a brown recluse that bit him. He said he thought he was having a heart attack. He went to work at Baptist Hospital in Memphis the next morning and a doctor but him in a hyperbaric chamber. Without prompt medical attention the tissue with rot away. Growing up in the rural south on a small hill farm and having used outhouses many time, I have been somewhat amazed there were not common occurrences of farmers and their family being bitten on they backside. But, maybe there are some places a brown recluse will not go.