Brown Recluse spider bites can be harmful

The Brown Recluse is a spider most Kansans know too well, but the small creatures can be harmful.

Flint Hills with Brown Reclusinator Inc. said you can avoid being bitten by shaking out any clothing or blankets you have on the ground before putting them near your body.

He said it also helps to move beds away from the wall.

When the brown recluse bites, Hills said it's usually an accident.

"They can be very dangerous," said infectious disease specialist, Tom Moore. "They try to avoid human beings."

Moore said to call your doctor right away if you get bit.

"You get a red mark that slowly enlarges and has the appearance of a lake or a series of lakes, and it's very very painful," Moore said. "The best thing to do if you have one of these is to put ice on it immediately."

The bites can be deadly, but that's rare.

"Probably every 20th customer tells me they're calling me because they got bit recently," Hills said.