Venomous Spider Invasion Closes Elementary School In Pennsylvania

A venomous spider invasion has reportedly forced the closure of a Pennsylvania elementary school.

According to CBS21 out of Harrisburg, Montgomery Elementary School in the Tuscarora School District is closed as district officials rid the school of brown recluse spiders.

“Over the next few weeks the pest control management company will be applying a series of intense treatments to the entire building. These two, non-residual treatments are known to be very effective, and the pest management company believes that they will be able to exterminate the pests,” the district, located in Franklin County, said in a press release obtained by the news network.

Brown recluse spiders are not native to Pennsylvania but “isolated occurrences” have been reported, according to Penn State’s entomology department. The spiders, which are chocolate brown in color, are about 9 millimeters in length with long legs, according to Penn State’s entomology department.

District superintendent Charles Prijatejl told CBS21 this is the second time the spiders have been found in that building, which, he said, “will not be opened until the district is confident that the problem has been eradicated.”

Prijatejl said the building should be ready by mid-August, according to CBS21.

The spiders, which have three pairs of eyes, are venomous but the bite is often not immediately painful, Penn State says.

Symptoms of a brown recluse bite include chills, fever, bloody urine, fatigue, jaundice, pain in the joints, nausea, rash, and in extremely rare cases, convulsions and death.

“Affected tissue becomes gangrenous, turns black, and eventually sloughs off, leaving a depression in the skin. Healing is slow and scar tissue results from the wound,” according to Penn State.

If bitten, healing takes six to eight weeks, but sometimes up to a year if the wound is large, Penn State said.

“Brown recluse spiders are rarely encountered in Pennsylvania, but they may be transported in boxes and similar items from a locale where the spiders normally occur,” according to Penn State.

(Photo: Penn State)