OHIO (WJW)- In Ohio, all but one species of spider are venomous, but only two are considered dangerous to humans — the Black Widow and the Brown Recluse.

Fortunately, experts say these spiders are relatively uncommon in the Buckeye State, and spider bites (even small, non-concerning ones) are less common than you might think but here are some notes to keep in mind as both are in the midst of mating season — a time to be more cautious.

Brown Recluse

According to a Common Spiders of Ohio field guide, are “quite rare here” and most spiders believed to be a “Brown Recluse,” even by medical or pest control professionals, are misidentified. Experts note, that usually, the only time someone comes across a Brown Recluse is during mating season in June or July, when the males wander in search of females.

Brown Recluses are most likely to be found in warm, dry, and dark places. Outdoors, they might be spotted near rocks or woodpiles. Indoors they may be found in any area that goes undisturbed. 

“At dawn, these wandering individuals may take refuge in clothing lying on the floor. When someone picks up the clothing and puts it on, the spider is crushed against the skin and may bite,” reads the field guide.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, a Brown Recluse bite often goes unnoticed at first because they are painless. Bite reactions later vary from a mild irritation to a potentially dangerous reaction.

Dr. Christopher Bazzoli, an emergency physician at the Cleveland Clinic, said those bitten often report a “red, white and blue-type of bite” that becomes visible one to three days later followed by a scab.

According to Dr. Bazzoli, the scab should be monitored.

“When those areas of tissue are killed, in their place is a shallow ulcer or an open wound,” said Bazzoli. “In about 10% of cases of more severe brown recluse bites, you’ll need a plastic or general surgeon to basically clean out that ulcer. You may even need a small skin graft to reduce scarring.”

The Cleveland Clinic reports severe symptoms including rash, fever, dizziness, vomiting, and chills. CLICK HERE to learn more.

Black Widow

According to a Common Spiders of Ohio field guide, the infamous ‘Black Widow’ is not nearly as common in Ohio as in southern states, and only female Black Widows pose a bite risk but, a bite can be serious, and anyone bitten should seek medical attention immediately.

Experts report, that Black Widows are not aggressive but can bite defensively, with most bites taking place when someone brushes up against a web.

Black Widow breeding season takes place in late spring and early summer.

“When they’re laying eggs, female black widow spiders can be a little bit more defensive,” said Dr. Bazzoli. “We often see black widow bites on the hands and the ankles — the places where people are reaching into an area.”

Black Widows prefer warm and dry climates. Outdoors they may be found under rock ledges, woodpiles or in gardening equipment. Indoor experts say they are more likely to hide in cluttered areas such as basements, closets, and attics.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, the venom of a Black Widow attacks the nerve endings in muscles, causing symptoms such as severe, bodywide muscle pain and cramping.

A black widow spider bite causes a sharp pain, followed by numbness. The Cleveland Clinic reports symptoms can include trouble breathing, swollen or droopy eyes, headache, nausea or vomiting, excessive sweating, and fever. CLICK HERE to learn more.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A 19-year-old pregnant woman is dead and a 23-year-old man is in custody after a domestic incident Sunday morning in southwest Columbus.

Columbus police said a text was received by 911 about a domestic violence attack at 7:30 a.m. near the 4600 block of Parkwick Drive. According to court records, the text was from a woman stating that her sister-in-law, Brooke Devinney, was being assaulted by Devinney’s boyfriend, who the texter identified as Devon Blair.

At that scene, officers found Devinney inside the home. She was taken to a hospital in critical condition, but pronounced dead at 8:45 a.m., police said. She was pregnant at the time of her death, with the unborn child being pronounced dead at 8:49 a.m.

“Ms. Devinney was pregnant at the time,” Columbus Police Sgt. Joe Albert said. “This morning, when she was pronounced deceased, found out that she was pregnant, so there might be additional charges stemming from that.”

Police said when officers arrived, the suspect, identified by police as Blair, was seen leaving the home. Officers chased him on foot but lost him. He was taken into custody just before 12:30 p.m. near Cottrell Drive and Cottrell Court.

“Thanks to the alertness and just the overall sheer determination of locating Mr. Blair, one of the patrol officers who was the officer to perform CPR on Ms. Devinney located Mr. Blair about two and a half, little less than two miles away from where the incident took place,” Albert said.

Blair was arrested in December 2023 and charged with felonious assault, assault, domestic violence, and strangulation or suffocation, according to Franklin County Municipal Court records.

According to court records, Blair pleaded guilty to one domestic violence charge and one assault charge on May 16, resulting in strangulation and felonious assault charges being dropped. Court records show he was out on bond awaiting sentencing, but had that bond revoked on May 31 for violating the conditions of the bond.

Devinney also filed a report against Blair on June 13, the result of an incident where the couple was driving the day before when Blair allegedly punched and threatened Devinney, according to court documents. A warrant for his arrest was filed after the report was made. During this report, Devinney told police that she had been previously victimized by Blair, including that he “stabbed her in the past.”

“We see it quite frequently where an offender will re-offend on domestic violence, whether with the same victim or with another victim later on in their life,” Albert said. 

Blair is being held at Franklin County Jail. According to the Franklin County Sheriff’s website, Blair is facing a murder charge for this incident as well as multiple assault and domestic violence charges from the incident on June 12. He is scheduled to appear in Franklin County Municipal Court on Monday.

“[Domestic violence is] an issue that we’re, you know, working with community partners, trying to, but we need cooperation from victims,” Albert said. “I know, I know it’s hard to reach out and, you know, believe that you are a victim. Some people don’t believe they are victims of domestic violence, but this is a tragic ending to a very volatile relationship, it appears.”

If you or a loved one is experiencing domestic violence, visit LSS Choices or call 614-224-4663 (HOME), or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233, text BEGIN to 88788, or click here.

After coming to Ohio State from the Wildcats via the transfer portal ahead of the 2023 football season, the linebacker is back where he signed on to play college football out of high school.

Welcomed the newest members of our family to campus this morning pic.twitter.com/BwfuHsuvmc

— Northwestern Football (@NUFBFamily) June 16, 2024

He chose Northwestern during his recruiting process but entered the transfer portal following his first spring there, ultimately selecting Ohio State as his destination on Aug. 1, 2023.

Glover didn’t play a single snap in a redshirt campaign as a freshman. With Cody Simon, C.J. Hicks, Sonny Styles, Arvell Reese and Gabe Powers all likely cemented in front of him in this year’s linebacker rotation, there was no clear path to the field for Glover in his potential second campaign as a Buckeye. OSU also brought in a talented group of linebackers for its 2024 recruiting class with four-stars Payton Pierce and Garrett Stover.

Glover will have four years of eligibility remaining for use at Northwestern. He is the last of Ohio State’s transfer portal departures to decide on a new school, joining Dallan Hayden (Colorado), Cedrick Hawkins (UCF), Ja’Had Carter (NC State), Enokk Vimahi (Washington) and Kyion Grayes (Cal) in the spring window.