Suggest to your wife that spraying the house would damage your daughter more than a spider bite, if that's what has occurred.

That spider appears to be a Gnaphosid, one that doesn't bite people.

Spiders bite as a defensive thing such as when you accidentally push/shove it. They don't run up and bite people for no reason.

I doubt the problem is with this spider. It doesn't have nasty venom. (Although I'll add -- before someone else jumps in here and says "not so" -- that any reaction always depends upon the person's sensitivity.)

And understand that an allergic reaction means other than a reddened "bite" at the site of injury. Instead, it is hives or other things at a distance from the actual bite.

If it is truly an allergic reaction, you should consult with the baby's healthy caregiver and obtain emergency medications of an appropriate kind to have at hand.

I'll suggest you continue to look for the cause.

Thank you for the reply! Upon closer inspection of our daughter's irritated bite, I really wonder if it was a spider bite since there doesn't appear to be any holes associated with fangs...at any rate, both of us hate seeing these bites on her (leg) when we wake up in the morning. Any idea what other troublemaker could be biting her at night and possibly how to prevent it? I've heard neem oil is a natural insecticide and is safe for humans...maybe they make a neem oil lotion?! Thanks again!

In many ways people that live where the tree we get those Neem products from have used various parts of those trees with no harm done. But many people have transferred this to the extract from the seeds of this tree that we get the Neem Oil products from, with no testing, so no one really knows whether these products are non toxic to humans.
Any product that kills insects has the potential to be harmful to humans.
Contrary to what the manufacturers, and sellers, of the poisons used to kill spiders they are not something that you really want to use, especially with a child in development who would be even more sensitive to and whose long term health can be adversely affected by those poisons. We have found that a vacuum does a real good job of getting rid of unwanted spiders, even though you do need to get into spaces you normally would not think of getting into.

ljbrandt, I think that what is biting your daughter is probably something seeking blood. Mosquitoes, perhaps. Or biting gnats or midges.

There are plenty of safe (be sure to research) repellents on the market for young children...it might be worthwhile to apply something to her at bedtime.

Might be mosquitoes, fleas, bedbugs, or other bloodsuckers. It doesn't sound like spiders - certainly not multiple nights in a row.

Doesn't sound like spiders to me, either. Have you checked her bedding?

Well, it appears that whatever was biting her stopped as soon as we changed her bedsheets. For now, we're going to change her bedding more frequently and possible apply some diatomaceous earth around her bed and along the base boards in her room to see if that might prevent any more vampires coming after her. I'd like to say thanks to all you guys for convincing my wife not to hire an exterminator to spray in our daughter's room and all around the house!