How to identify and get rid of brown recluse spiders

Few spiders in the US evoke a kind of fear like brown recluse spiders. Their shy, secluded behavior and rare but infamous bites have created many myths and folklore surrounding them. But don’t be too worried about these little critters invading your space! They are often harmless, and many of us live with them unnoticed.

In fact, brown recluses are only found in about 15 states in the Central and Southeastern United States. While a brown recluse could hitch a ride on a vehicle, package, or goods, there is a slim chance you will have an infestation in your home if they don’t live there already!

Brown recluse spiders have been known as fiddle-back spiders, violin spiders, and even simply recluse spiders due to the violin-shaped marking on their cephalothorax (the fused head and middle section of a spider) and their secret and secluded behavior.

Males and females are tan to light brown and females are often bigger than males. Brown recluse spiders have a unique arrangement of their eyes. Unlike other spiders that have eight eyes, brown recluse spiders have six eyes in three pairs.

Their long legs aren’t spiny or banded like other lookalike spiders.

What other spiders look like a brown recluse?

There are many false alarms when it comes to reporting brown recluse spiders. Several small to large brown spiders can resemble a brown recluse spider, especially if they are moving fast and hard to see.

It’s important to remember that brown recluse spiders don’t use webs to catch prey, so you won’t see one hanging in a web, like cellar spiders or orb weavers. Additionally, they don’t have any banding on their legs like wolf spiders or huntsman spiders.

And for those in the Northwestern part of the US, don’t confuse the brown recluse spider with the hobo spider. Hobo spiders are only the size of a nickel, create a web funnel to catch their prey, and don’t have that classic violin shape on their backs.

How big are brown recluse spiders?

Females are the size of a quarter with their legs spread out and can sometimes be twice as big as the males.

Spider bites are often difficult to diagnose and even medical professionals may misidentify a brown recluse bite. 90 percent of all brown recluse bites are medically insignificant and heal on their own. There are too many stories that circulate about skin-rotting bites caused by these spiders.

That being said, in the unlikely chance you are bitten, the venom of a brown recluse bite has been known to cause the flesh to rot in rare instances, looking like an ulcer or lesion on the skin. This can take several weeks to heal and professional medical treatment is advisable. If you can locate the spider, bring it to the appointment for proper identification from an expert.

Brown recluse spiders don’t like to be seen during the day; that’s why they are recluse! They prefer dry, dark, and undisturbed areas to live in. They create little disorderly webbed lairs under wood chips or debris outside.

Only at night do they leave their lairs and hunt for prey. This is why eliminating them one at a time with sprays or sticky traps can be difficult, as the infestation may be bigger than you think!

However, homes make the perfect habitats for brown recluse spiders to hide in and find suitable prey. When their invasive numbers increase within a dwelling, they can be difficult to control and often dangerous to the health of children and older adults.

Their preferred habitat is dark, dry spaces, such as woodpiles, sheds, closets, garages, attics, or cellars.

Controlling a brown recluse infestation can be tricky, given their nature to hide in inconspicuous and secluded spots.

It is important to use multiple methods of control, including control products and sticky boards. With a Pestie subscription, you won’t have to worry about choosing the right product off the shelf. We’ll deliver the best one to your home for you.

You want to make sure your home is clutter-free and clean to reduce the number of hiding spots. If you are headed into a place in and around your home that you infrequently visit, such as a closet, shed, or storage room, use caution to look out for these spiders.

If you suspect you have an infestation and frequently see brown recluses on your floor or walls, it is a good practice to shake out bedding, sheets, coats, or other clothing that you have stored away.

You can also seal cracks in walls, doors, or windows to keep spiders out of your home in the first place!

Pro tip With the Pestie sprayer, you can easily get these hard-to-reach places and ensure that spiders don’t creep through the crevices.