Donald J. Chescavage doesn't suffer from arachnophobia, but said a spider bite can jangle your senses.
"I've had tick bites and all before, but I never had anything like this," Chescavage, Pottsville, said Wednesday.
While walking in the woods in West Brunswick Township on July 19, he was bitten by what he believes was a spider of some sort.
"It was 4 inches above my ankle. It swelled up pretty good," said Chescavage, who was given medication from his doctor to treat the infected area July 20.
While out in the woods on July 19, Chescavage said he noticed collections of cobwebs in the tree stands he uses for bow hunting, more than usual.
Susan C. Hyland, Master Gardener coordinator with Penn State Cooperative Extension, Pottsville, said there's a simple explanation.
While the warmer weather has spurred the insect population, it's also kept other creepy crawlers crawling, namely spiders.
"We have more spiders for the same reason we have more insects. We had a relatively mild winter which didn't destroy their eggs. We also had moisture which created a lot of food for insects and spiders, so, yes, folks are seeing more spiders," Hyland said.
"When a population of prey goes up then predators, like spiders, would also do so. It's a basic ecological concept, and it makes sense," said Patrick M. "Porcupine Pat" McKinney, the district's environmental education coordinator.
While there are no statistics, there's no cause for alarm in the rise in population, said Steven Jacobs, an urban entemologist with Penn State's Department of Entemology at University Park.
"There's probably a higher survivorship this year because we had a mild winter. I think there is a slight increase in the number of spiders, just sort of a bump in the total numbers that are out there," Jacobs said Wednesday.
In Schuylkill County, there are a variety of spiders; some helpful, some dangerous.
"Poisonous ones like the black widow and brown recluse are very uncommon in most of our county. However, Pine Grove is noted for black widows due to them being transported in via rail from the Midwest," McKinney said.
Hyland said spiders are welcome in the garden.
"In horticulture, spiders are not a concern. They're a good thing," Hyland said.
"Keep in mind that spiders eat lots and lots of bugs including flies who are pests to us," McKinney said.
"Like mosquitoes," Hyland said.
But spiders can be a nuisance in the home.
"The Master Gardeners generally recommend that homeowners follow integrated pest management if they are troubled by spiders in the home - use the least toxic method first, removal. Since spiders trap and eat a host of insects that are more of a problem, we suggest spiders be swept out of the house to the garden where they will do their work," Hyland said.
In autumn, spiders will make an effort to enter the home to escape heat or search for water and will be found in damp areas frequently, Hyland said.
"Homeowners can make every effort to keep their indoors dry during the autumn so not to provide a sanctuary for spiders. Spiders are shy and hide from humans so are often seen individually and can be taken care of simply by removing them from the home. Spray infrequently has desired effect and can release toxins into the home," Hyland said.
At the end of summer, people in Schuylkill County will spot the yellow garden spider or Orb spider which is large, about an inch long and yellow in color.
"This is the time when the female will spin a large web about 10 inches to 20 inches wide, oriented vertically, to trap food for her production of eggs which she lays at the end of summer," Hyland said.
For the most part, all spiders have jaws and fangs to deliver venom, Hyland said.
"However, most spider bites have little or no effect on humans. The exceptions include people with compromised immune systems or other medical conditions that leave them vulnerable to spider venoms. Most spiders are too small to be of concern to humans. The fangs of these tiny creatures cannot penetrate the human epidermis unless the spider is held in place and allowed to bite the very thin skin between the fingers or toes. Larger spiders can bite, but they are shy and will attempt to escape unless trapped between the skin and some other object, like clothing, sheets, and shoes," Hyland said.
Venoms from any spider are poisonous or toxic to their prey, but most are not poisonous or toxic to humans. Very few spiders produce venoms that are potentially harmful to humans, Hyland said.