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10 Natural Remedies for Spider Bites

| Modified on Jun 17, 2023
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The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
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Activated Charcoal
Posted by Cg (Texas, US) on 03/24/2015
 ★★★★★

I had a brown recluse spider bite last year, called the closest dermatologist office who never returned my calls, so, so I did some research and ended up making a paste of activated charcoal, applied it to the wound (after popping and draining the blister and removing the loose skin) for about 3 hours to neutralize the toxin; I also swallowed some of the activated charcoal (use capsules) to neutralize the toxins internally. Afterward, I used bentonite clay powder to make a paste and applied it to the wound to draw out the toxins, etc., changing it out 3-4 times daily until healed, which it did in about a week with only a light brown scar about the size of a nickel. I'm glad the dermatologist office didn't return my call and I'm glad I researched natural remedies.

Baking Soda
Posted by Peter ( Kelowna Bc) on 05/06/2015
 ★★★★★

The baking soda poultice worked very well on a spider bite on my wife's neck. Just overnight did the trick.

Baking Soda
Posted by Babsinbloom63 (Louisiana, US) on 11/18/2014
 ★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Two weeks ago I got bit on my upper back 3-4 times at my daughter's house in Texas by what we now know was a Wolf Spider. I had killed one earlier that morning in my daughter's kitchen as my daughter has a 3 month old baby and she was afraid the spider would get on the baby. That night I went to bed and woke up with a tingling, burning pain on my back which later started itching also. Then hard, swollen welts developed which quickly formed pimple like heads. I had a total of 4 of these all confined to a small area of my back. I put some neosporin and benadryl spray on them but that didn't seem to do much more than ease the itching for a short time. So I started researching what could have bitten me and came to the conclusion that it had to be the Wolf spider as my daughter and her husband just moved into their new home in Texas a few months ago and their home was built on a half acre lot that was a field and they have been having problems with spiders ever since they moved in.

Anyway, I was already on antibiotics for a tooth infection and the one I was on was one they give for spider bites (clindamyacin). I wasn't really getting any relief or healing from any of the things I tried so I did more research and found this site. I read about the baking soda poultice and remembered that my mom used to make a poultice from tobacco and baking soda when we were young and would get stung by wasps and bees and I know that worked. So for the past few days I have been making a baking soda poultice and having my husband apply it to the bites which I then leave on for at least an hour to an hour and a half. I could feel the very first poultice drawing pain out and that night I slept with no pain and no itching and in the morning the swelling, etc had gone down a great deal. And this morning after applying a poultice again yesterday, there is no swelling and the bites are healing.

I wish I could put the before and after pictures I had my husband take. There is tremendous difference using the baking soda poultice. I am making me a first aide kit with cigarette tobacco, baking soda, and benadryl tablets along with the gauze pads and tape I used to hold the poultice in place. If I get bit again I will use this from the start along with ice packs off and on. To think I might not have had to struggle with the pain and itching for two weeks if I would have tried this from the beginning, I would definitely recommend this to everyone.

Baking Soda
Posted by Wanita (Las Cruces, New Mexico) on 12/09/2014
 ★★★★★

Thank You, I say hooray for baking soda!!!

I'm not sure about the kind of spider, I think I was bit in my storage unit moving things around. It first looked like a pimple and was very tender. I used "Prid" drawing ointment, but it got larger and so sore it woke me up . Then I used a green clay and Yerba Mansa poultice, it got bigger and still sore ... but began to swell into a boil. I took Ibuprofen and used some Benadryl gel on it ... no change. The center opened, but no distinct drainage noted and was the size of a quarter, so sore! And I had a low grade fever.

That's when I looked online, it had been 4 days of no improvement with my tried and true remedies for such things AND I had to go to work today (3 massage therapy clients) and had to get this under control ... too much to do, this is my right arm we're talking about .... eeeeeks!!!! ).

So I used the baking soda and oh how gorgeously effective it was. After three poultice applications and a good sleep, I awoke and have found the quarter sized boil to be painless, the redness smaller and no swelling. The inflammation is gathered centrally and the hole closed instead of open like an ulcer. When I had the 2nd poultice on it, it began to itch like crazy. I knew that was a good thing ... neuro-vascular activity no doubt!

I love you all! Thanks again, Earth Clinic is bookmarked in capital letters!

Wanita

Tobacco Poultice
Posted by Lawton (Corpus Christi, Texas) on 01/14/2019
 ★★★★★

Tobacco poultice for stings and bites: Since childhood (over 50 years), I have been using pure tobacco for drawing the poison out of a bee sting or a spider bite. Simply wet the tobacco with water or better yet saliva (it is acidic and helps break down the tobacco and get things happening quicker) and tape it with a bandaid or tape onto the wound. Leave it on for a couple of hours and put on a fresh application.

Apple Cider Vinegar and Baking Soda Poultice
Posted by Sabita C. (Orange City, Florida) on 08/26/2018
 ★★★★★

I also found an effective poultice to be made from saturating 2 folded up paper towels (folded twice) with apple cider vinegar and a thick layer of baking soda to be very effective. I treated my husband's spider?/insect? bite with this. He had developed a large affected area with a black area in the middle and had been put on antibiotics. His symptoms were fever and chills, lack of appetite and he slept a lot. After I applied this poultice (pressed down on bite area until dry, a couple or more times a day), his symptoms disappeared and he recovered quickly.

Bread and Milk Poultice
Posted by Barbara Wellman (Co) on 08/10/2018
 ★★★★★

My Mother used a bread poultice for many small wounds, splinters, bites, etc. You cover the wound with a small bit of bread moistened with milk and put a bandage over it. You can feel relief almost instantly. I can't tell you how many times this has worked for me. Make a poultice out of sage and water, for spider bites. That works really well.

Baking Soda and Salt
Posted by Stacyj913 (Kansas City, Mo) on 07/23/2018
 ★★★★★

Editor's Choice

I've had very good success using both salt and baking soda for brown recluse bites. I live in Missouri and have been bitten three times. With this most recent bite, I immediately washed with soap and water when I realized what had woken me up, dried, and applied salt. I wet a bandage with witch hazel, generously applied a layer of salt, and taped it over the bite.

When removing the salt 2 hours later, I could see a moistened area right over the puncture site, which I really believe to be some of the venom being drawn out.

I then applied a dab of Neopsorin and spent most of that day and the next icing for 15 minutes at a time, reapplying salt a couple of times. Ice is a must for the swelling and pain and/or intense itching. I once read it can actually help neutralize some of the venom; I'm not sure if this is true but it certainly feels much better.

I've likewise read that heat can exacerbate the bite and believe that to be true based on experience. For the next couple of days I took a bath as cool as I could comfortably stand, with a bit of Epsom salts and baking soda, and believe it helped a lot. I also increased my vitamin C the first few days, 3,000 mg daily (I probably could have gone higher), and turmeric 1,500 mg daily.

About a week later, the bite is healing beautifully, and I don't believe it will leave a scar at all. I'm at this point just applying Neosporin and a Band-Aid at night. I've had similar great results using baking soda in a similar way, again seeing a moist spot in the baking soda after a couple of hours. (I just didn't immediately have baking soda on hand this time around so used plain salt instead.)

The only bite that did take a very long time to heal and has left a noticeable scar is the one where I never applied baking soda or salt (Not realizing until later that a brown recluse bite is actually what it was). ~

Baking Soda
Posted by Mama To Many (Tennessee) on 03/14/2016

Dear Kissa,

I just mix the baking soda with water until it is paste like and apply it to the bite. I cover that with some plastic wrap and then the top of a sock or cohesive tape. (Masking tape in a pinch! )

It is best to cover any part of the sting that is red and even beyond that area. I do a poultice overnight. During the day I change it once or twice.

~Mama to Many~

Baking Soda
Posted by Mama To Many (Tennessee) on 08/03/2015

Dear Traci, Are you sure it is a spider bite? What you are describing sounds more like a bulls eye rash that sometimes accompanies a tick bite. Baking soda paste might be helpful. Apple Cider Vinegar diluted 1/2 with water applied to the bite is also helpful. But if this is a bulls eye rash from a tick bite, you will want to treat also with some things internally because of the risk of Lyme Disease. (Turmeric, Colloidal Silver, Vitamin C.) ~Mama to Many~

Flaxseed Poultice
Posted by Susan D. (Snohomish, Wa) on 07/28/2018
 ★★★★★

Brown recluse bites: My husband has had two bites over the years. His grandmother taught me to make a poultice with flaxseed. It draws the poison out. Works for slivers and glass to draw out. Crush the seeds to powder, add just enough water to make a paste. Put in gauze and apply to the area overnight. Do this several times.

Activated Charcoal
Posted by Debbie (St. Louis, Mo) on 12/21/2015

Hi, so glad I found this site. I notice a red itchy bite on my left arm this morning. The area developed a small pinhead size pustule. I first applied, coconut oil mixed with turmeric. To reduce the itching. Did not seem to be helping, then I tried raw honey. Still not better.

Getting more concerned. I had bought a while back a brown recluse spider bite kit. It has the charcoal powder and liquid echinacea, lobelia & plantain mixture. I have been placing the poultices throughout the day.

After reading the reviews of others. Thank you so much. You have put my mind a peace with what I'm doing. I see I am doing the right thing.

I just drank a glass of the activated charcoal as well. For internal detox of the venom.

It seems from what I have read, if I would have went to the ER, they really don't know what to do. Right? They seem surprised at how a simple poultice of activated charcoal and the liquid drop mixture draws out the venom from the bite. So much that the bite heals fine.

So I just keep applying the mixture till it bite is totally gone?

Activated Charcoal
Posted by Mama To Many (Tennessee) on 12/22/2015

Yes, that is what we would do in our family. Continue with what you are doing until it is healed. Good job on dealing with it yourself, and thanks for sharing!

Baking Soda
Posted by Christina (Boston) on 09/14/2013
 ★★★★★

Baking soda healed my spider bites beautifully and quickly!

I always read the remedies on this site but never took a moment to post my success. I've had such amazing results this past week with baking soda for my spider bites I wanted to share.

We must have spiders in the apartment- they might be hiding in the exposed brick. It's an older building in Boston.

I had tried "popping" spider bites a few times, not knowing what they were. (The tellltale red, raised bump with the white pinhead can resemble a pimple. ) I tried popping one on my leg above the knee and it swelled up to about 10x the size and looked more like a giant welt. This bite is still healing, from about 3 weeks ago.

Once I came on this website and saw the recommendation for baking soda, I resisted the urge to pop the unsightly pinhead, and applied a baking soda paste (baking soda mixed with water with the consistency of a toothpaste). I did this on a bite I got on my upper arm about a week ago. I applied the paste and covered the area with a bandaid (under my clothing for work). When I got home from work on Day 1, the bite swelling and redness had reduced significantly -and the white pinhead (that looks like puss) had raised on the surface of the skin and enlarged. I had an event that night and was discouraged because I wanted to wear a dress which would expose that area of the arm, and it looked like I had a giant zit on my arm.

I once again resisted the urge to pop (reminded by the slow healing of the bite on my leg) and instead applied more paste and covered with a bandaid. In the next few hours I lifted the bandaid and saw that the white stuff had popped on its own and begun to ooze out a bit, but had been absorbed by the dry paste. All on Day 1 of applying!

Over the next 2-3 days I continued to apply the baking soda paste and each day the appearance improved dramatically. I believe right now I am on Day 4 and the bite is non-existant in appearance and completely healed!! Amazing!

Meanwhile, the bite on my knee from 3 weeks ago is scabbed and healing slowly. Thanks so much earth clinic! I will use baking soda from now on!

Charcoal and Baking Soda
Posted by Debbiesmiller (Geneva, Il, USA) on 12/30/2012
 ★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Once again EC saved the day. Thursday night my son called and he had been bitten by a spider on his earlobe. I told him to come on over. I quickly looked on EC for rememdies. When he walked in the door my first reaction was head to the ER. His ear, the lobe and his neck behind his ear were bright bright red, with the earlobe quadrupled in size. I calmed down, made a paste of baking soda and activated charcoal. Put on his ear and let sit for 10 minutes. (this whole time my husband is calling me the voodoo queen and asking me if I am chanting while doing the "home" cures. ) Well, I had my son go wash off the mixture and sterilized a needle to put a small puncture where I could see the bite. He came back into the kitchen, and with a paper towel ready I took his earlobe gently into my and hand and OH MY GOODNESS, the green and yellow pus came pouring out of his earlobe. And I mean it was running down his beard, all over my hands and all over his shirt. The relief he felt was instant. Once this stopped, I placed the mixture on his ear again. But no more pus would come out. However, the top of his ear to the swollen lobe and the back of his neck lost all the redness. But, the earlobe was still HUGE. We decided to stop trying to get anymore gunk out and I gave him the bs and charcoal mixture to take home. But just for kicks I placed honey on the front of the lobe and sent him on his way. (Husband is laughing really hard at the honey remedy. ) Next morning, son called. Sometime in the middle of the night he thought the honey had gotten gooey and was running down his neck. Went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. The backside of the earlobe was draining profusely. Still had big ear, but the relief was great!!! Went and visited him last evening. Put more baking soda and charcoal on ear. Nothing more would come out. He just called me this morning, again in the middle of the night, ear opened up, spewed all the gunk and now his earlobe is normal size with very little redness. THANK YOU ALL WHO HELPED US WITH YOUR POSTS!!!! Probably saved hundreds of dollars in ER bills and medicines that would take days to work!!!

Oregano Oil
Posted by Aromatherapy Teacher (Usa) on 05/15/2016

Oregano oil has many broad antibiotic capabilities. Get a medical or therapeutic grade for body use.

However, straight oregano oil can "burn" the skin - especially for sensitive areas, sensitive people, young and senior people. You can prepare the skin for the oregano oil by putting some pure vegetable oil on first. Olive oil from the kitchen is good - or any other available oil from your kitchen. Most massage oils are also good.

THEN apply the oregano oil. Go slow - start with a drop or two to be sure your skin won't react to the oil.

Alternatively, you can mix some oregano oil with the olive or other carrier oil. Then apply it to the site.

Avoid eyes and mucus area of the bodies.

IF you do develop a sensitive or burning skin reaction to the oregano oil, use the olive (or similar) oil on the site to dilute the oregano oil. Essential oils cannot be washed off with water. They must be diluted onsite with a carrier/vegetable oil.

Medical/therapeutic grade lavender oil can be used about anywhere on the body without causing any discomfort - for most people.

If you are new to essential oils, best to test a small area first.

Most people can also comfortably and safely apply essential oils to the BOTTOM of the feet.

Differing schools of aromatherapy have different ideas and teachings on where and how to apply essential oils. Know they are strong plant/spirit medicine and do work. Test which approach works on your body by starting slowly and observing your own reactions.

What works on your biology may or may not work on someone else.

Tobacco Poultice
Posted by C Johnston (Redlands, Ca) on 06/02/2011
 ★★★★★

You have no healing remedies for spider bites. I was recently bitten by a brown recluse spider and made a tabacco poltis using 2 cigarettes and enought water to moisten. Heated it in the mircowave, covered the bite with it then put plastic over it and went to bed. The next day a huge blister had formed. I then punctured it and removed alot of fluid which had some of the venom in it and repeated the next night. Really lessoned the effect of the bite, which can be life threatening. Also works for bee stings.

Castor Oil, Tea Tree Oil
Posted by Geri (Dothan, Alabama) on 05/06/2011
 ★★★★★

I had excellent results treating my spider bite with tea tree oil and castor oil! As soon as I knew I had it, I began applying tea tree oil with a Q-tip, being real sure to soak the center of the bite well, letting it dry, then applying castor oil. For three days I also applied one of those "spot" bandaids on which I put another drop of tea tree oil. I have done this twice a day for four days. Today I left the bandaid off, because the pain is all gone, and the center of the bite is dried and healing well. I'm sure it helped that I take several grams of vitamin C daily along with liquid vitamins, minerals, and other supplements every day, but the tea tree oil and castor oil relieved the bite pain and swelling, as well as helping with the healing.

Aspirin
Posted by Grace (Fairview, North Carolina) on 06/16/2009
 ★★★★★

Yes, we have used aspirin on spider bites and it really helps with the itching. It also seems to speed up healing, maybe due to its vasodilatory and anti-inflammatory effect.

Dried Basil
Posted by Kat (New Brighton, PA) on 12/28/2007
 ★★★★★

If a spider bite itches, take a pinch, or more of Basil (McCormick, crushed basil) rub it on the bite until the basil is fine as sand, or until the itch is gone. Repeat if necessary. This will also keep the bitten area from swelling. This does work. I have used basil on bitten areas; and I have also used on my mother's arm. thank you.


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