The brown recluse spider is one of the most dangerous specimens living on the territory of the United States – primarily throughout the central south and midwestern states.
And not in vain has it got its name, as it is both brown and reclusive. Being not aggressive, it resides in rarely disturbed places like storage rooms, attics, under old boards, or piles of junk.
You can look for these species outside in such places as sheds or barns, in woodpiles and other debris. Among various entry points, we can mention vents, gaps in and under doors, and cracks in the siding.
This type of spider has a bad reputation across the US because its bites are painful and may lead to severe pain, skin ulcers, or even life-threatening conditions. The brown recluse spider is a nocturnal hunting specimen that builds its webs in dark corners for retreat and laying eggs.
5 Steps on How to Get Rid of Brown Recluse Spiders
Is there a plague of brown recluse spiders? In some homes, it certainly seems like it. However, even though they make scary headlines and can cause serious injury to humans, the truth is that these spiders typically avoid people, and bites are pretty rare.
If you have a brown recluse infestation in your home, some steps must be taken to eliminate them. If not done correctly, a large population of brown recluse spiders may continue to live among you for months – until one day you find yourself severely bitten without ever seeing the spider that inflicted the wound!
It's therefore critical to take the proper steps when dealing with this type of pest control problem so as not to complicate or worsen an infestation.
Brown Recluse Spiders
First, let's review some quick facts about the brown recluse spider itself. These spiders are typically between 6 to 20 millimeters and have a dark brown violin-shaped marking on their back.
They live throughout the southern US and prefer warm, dry climates. Brown recluse spiders build irregular webs but choose to live in undisturbed areas such as woodpiles, rocks, storage boxes, or under furniture that is not used frequently. They may also be found in closets or in clothes left sitting out overnight.
These spiders are nocturnal hunters, which means they hunt for food at night when people are least active around them. They feed primarily on insects like crickets, cockroaches, and various types of bugs that live in clothing, such as clothes moths.
Brown recluse spiders bite only when they feel threatened, such as if someone sits on them or rolls over them when sleeping at night. Bites can also occur when handling boxes where the spider was hiding. They sometimes wander into shoes and socks left out overnight and get crushed by a person unknowingly standing or sitting on them.
Remove Clutter
The less there is in your home, the fewer places there are for the brown recluse spider to hide. Therefore, removing clutter drastically reduces your chances of coming into contact with their nocturnal wandering nature. Please don't give them any reason to hang around but be careful not to disturb or destroy any that already exist.You may think that it's impossible to get rid of all the brown recluse spiders, but you can make your house less appealing to them. For example, if there are fewer places for them to hide in your home, they'll leave.
If you want to keep your home safe from spiders, the best thing you can do is make sure there are no dark corners.
Sealing Cracks and Crevices
Spiders love to hide in tiny cracks and dark places where you cannot usually see them. Spiders are nocturnal creatures. They typically hide in dark places during the day and only come out at night to hunt for food.Spiders are sneaky. They love to hide where they can surprise you, like behind the toilet seat or under your bed.
So it's vital to seal off any entry points if possible. For instance, certain areas of the foundation and walls may be unsealed, whereas brown recluses could use as an entry or exit point inside your house if left unplugged over time.
Also, check your windows, doors, and other openings for gaps between the frame and siding because spiders will easily crawl through such holes to get inside.
Remove Spider Webbing
One of the quickest ways to find out whether you have a potential brown recluse infestation is by looking for their distinctive webs.The arrangement of the silk strands gives you a pretty good idea of what it is, and this can help save time for studying more harmful species. If you find their webs, check them out carefully for any signs of spiders themselves because it's likely that at least one or two are hanging around.
If you have a recluse spider infestation in your home, I recommend vacuuming frequently. Vacuuming will remove the brown recluse spiders as well as their egg sacks.
What's more, vacuuming is an effective way to prevent potential spider bites.Keep It Clean
Because they are so sensitive to vibrations, spiders prefer a clean home. It's essential to keep the house clean. Not only is it more hygienic, but spiders tend to shy away from areas kept tidy by regular vacuuming or mopping.Keep your floors, carpets, and other surfaces free of clutter because these are all magnets for insects which are the brown recluse's primary food source.
Spiders are often seen as pests, but they can be pretty helpful. For example, when spiders are around, it means that there's less chance of you running into a poisonous insect or spider in your home.Insecticides
To prevent an infestation from happening in the first place, keep your home as bug-free as possible with insecticide sprays around the perimeter of your house every few months before the warmer months arrive when brown recluse spiders are more active.If you have a specific infestation problem, insecticides containing pyrethrins help knock out spiders on contact. As you can see, insecticides containing pyrethrins are an effective way to eliminate spiders.
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[/best_choice]The first and foremost thing to keep in mind is that you need to be prepared. Before you ever go out searching for brown recluse spiders, it is recommended to wear gloves, so your scent is not transferred onto the spider's body or its environment. It can make catching the spider more difficult if they sense it is being hunted.
Summary: Brown recluse spiders live in dark, undisturbed places around the home or business, where they wander at night looking for insects to eat. To avoid being bitten, remove clutter and seal any cracks or entry points into your house while regularly cleaning surfaces to prevent spider webs from forming. Afterward, use insecticides with pyrethrin to eliminate any existing brown recluse spiders.
Identifying
If you still haven’t encountered it and are wondering what it looks like, memorize its color – light brown with a dark violin-shaped marking on its back. It helps identify the adult spider, which is not typical for young ones.
Remember one main feature of brown recluse spiders – the eye pattern. Their six or sometimes eight eyes are arranged in a semi-circle. Though many other harmless spiders are often mistaken for brown recluses, sometimes one needs either a quality lens or being a professional to distinguish this feature.
What Do They Eat?
Brown recluse spiders usually feed on other insects (e.g. cockroaches or even caterpillars) both dead and alive and even other spiders. They prefer hiding during the day and hunting for prey at night.
Interestingly, they don’t build a web to catch their food. When spiders are hungry and cannot find anything to feed on, they wander around during the day, crawling on walls and other surfaces.
Sometimes brown recluse spiders can even feed on other brown recluses. However, it may be considered something off the scale.
How to Kill Brown Recluse Spiders
Getting rid of brown recluse spiders is difficult but not impossible. You can make use of two types of brown recluse spider extermination.
Chemical Methods
- Sprays – an aerosol insecticide can be sprayed on brown recluses directly. Such a way of treatment is much easier than vacuuming.
- Dust application – this can be regarded as one of the best ways of brown recluse spider infestation treatment. As we already know, these spiders prefer secret nooks and corners, hiding in unseen cracks and quiet places; that is why dust puffed into all those secret places kills brown recluse spiders.
- Exterior treatment – do not hurry to seal all the openings in the outside walls. First, treat them with residual dust agents to avoid future spider entering.
- Spot treatment – the least successful procedure if done alone. It doesn’t guarantee a good result and must be combined with other brown recluse spider control types.
Non-Chemical Methods
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Inspecting all stored things. Other items should also be inspected when a spider is found in one stored item, e.g., an old box with rarely used things. If you ignore this advice, you will let the present infestation worsen.
Remember to wear long-sleeved clothes and gloves when inspecting your premises. This advice will help you to avoid bites. - Vacuum removal. A vacuum cleaner can easily remove spiders, their webs, and eggs. However, after the cleaning, the vacuum bag should be sealed in plastic and then (if possible) discarded miles away from your place.
- Exclusion. All the gaps and cracks of outside walls, pipes, vents, wires, cables, and other exterior items must be first treated with dust agents and then sealed with caulk. Do your best to isolate your house and avoid the infestation.
- Sanitation. To eliminate brown recluse spiders and avoid their attraction to your home, you should stick to the simplest sanitation practices, such as cutting tall grass and ivy, moving all debris away from home, improving storage, reducing clutter, etc. Keep to all the sanitation rules, and your house will be safe and sound.
If brown recluse spiders infestation is rather severe, and coping with it is much more difficult than you have thought, try to follow these simple steps, but do it thoroughly:
- Inspect bedding before going to bed.
- Make sure to seal all the shoes and clothing into plastic bags.
- If you store your clothing and shoes in wardrobes or closets, shake them well before use.
- Move your bed, couch, or settee away from walls to avoid spiders climbing on them and hiding under the mattress or among cushions.
Glue Board Trap
Another way to get rid of spiders is using glue boards. It is a rather popular method of capturing brown recluse spiders and other pests like cockroaches.
These boards are sold at hardware and some grocery stores and look like thin, sticky cardboards. The more glue boards you use, the faster you eliminate all the spiders.
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Anyway, there are many places where you can place them, and besides being very useful for detection, they can also kill many spiders that may wander around your premises. Treatment by glue boards should be carried out before applying insecticide agents.
Insecticides
Unfortunately, not all the spiders in your home can be trapped by glue boards, especially adult females. Therefore, applying certain insecticides to corners, cracks, and other places where brown recluses may hide is a good solution.
These are rather effective and include:
-
Delta Dust (deltamethrin) – colorless and odorless mixture that causes nerve damage in pests.
Careful! Avoid contact with eyes, skin, and clothing. It’s harmful to pets and might provoke eye and skin irritations.
- Tri-Die Silica Gel – professional pesticide. It is applied under or behind insulation in basements and/or attics, behind electrical outlet plates, cracks, etc. It penetrates deep into the surfaces and has a residual effect.
Sprays
Among various sprays, these three are the most often used:
- 565 PLUS XLO – has a slight odor, ideal for space treatment and direct contact, should be of room temperature when used.
- CB-80 Extra – has a wide range of effects, sprayed in cracks and hidden surfaces using a special nozzle.
- Ortho® Elementals® Home Insect Killer – is a completely safe and effective remedy, contains 100% natural and active soybean oil, easy to clean if spilt.
Getting Rid of Brown Recluse Spiders in Your House
If your home is invaded by other types of spiders, e.g., brown recruit spider or brown lacrosse spiders, getting rid of house spiders is conducted in the following way:
- Seal up your apartment
- Keep outdoor flashlight off
- Remove all debris
- Keep the house clean and tidy: vacuum the webs, put glue traps, apply insecticides or call a professional exterminator if something goes wrong.
Now that you know how to get rid of brown recluse spiders, it won’t be challenging to identify them among other species, avoid infestation and be ready to deal with them if necessary.
Take your time to thoroughly inspect your home with a flashlight, clean crevices and corners, behind furniture and clutters, above ceilings, and behind baseboards, and make your place discomfort for pests. Better safe than sorry.
Questions & Answers
If the venom from a brown recluse spider bite isn't treated, it can lead to serious health complications. For this reason, anyone who suspects their home or yard has been invaded by a brown recluse spider should hire a professional pest management company to help identify and eradicate the problem.
A tiny brown recluse spider usually doesn't go out of its way to aggressively seek out humans, but it may become more aggressive if threatened or cornered. Therefore deadly venom can still be injected.
Brown recluse spiders live in the dark, abandoned places, typically from a few inches to 3 feet off the ground. They have irregular wandering habits and can be found inside homes, under trash cans, and in cars. Unlike black widows, they won't chase you like prey- but they'll undoubtedly take the opportunity if it presents itself.
Brown recluses are nocturnal spiders that like to live in woodpiles, animal burrows, garages, and sheds. They prefer staying still, inside a web. They are also attracted to low-level light and dark, secluded places.
Brown recluse spiders are about 1/4 to 1/2 inches in length, with the females slightly more significant than the males. But they usually don't grow much more meaningful. In comparison, black widows can be within the range of 5-6" in males and 3-4" in females.
The brown recluse is a smaller spider that prefers being outdoors.
Brown recluse spiders are difficult to find since they are shy and like to hide in shaded, dry areas. A helpful hint also is that brown recluses love old sheds and barns!
I considered bringing in an exterminator before venturing out on your own.
Brown recluse spiders can be found in most of the United States, but they are particularly abundant in the Midwest. They are typically located between Nebraska and Ohio, Texas to Florida. They prefer warmer climates, and unlike most of their counterparts, they don't care for cramped spaces.
The habitats for brown recluse spiders range from fields infested with wild plants to human dwellings because they are so small and prefer dark, sheltered places.
I just got bit recluse and I stepped on it and save it just in case I had to show the doctor. But I hear peppermint oil works very well
I haven’t tried the peppermint oil yet but it also scares away mice rats and other rodents /And bugs
Is there a pesticide to kill garder snakes.? They are in my yard
You don’t want to kill garder snakes. They are a natural pest controller. They eat rodents and kill rattlesnakes. Garder snakes are harmless.
I know snakes can be creepy to some people, but if can positively identify a snake and know it’s not venomous, leave it be. They eat the same bugs and small mice that you don’t want in your house. It’s better to have a snake outside than to have all the bugs inside. They’re very beneficial.
You really need to leave the little snakes alone. They stay small and kills spiders and other bugs we hate.
moth balls is a good way to keep snakes away
Moth balls also keep away all types of spiders ,mice,birds that poop all over you porch, and masqitos, & and fleas and bed bugs
From away from your house inside Amd out…
hello and first of all Praise God that you only have Gardner’s just remember there are two types, one harmless except for the pain of the bite, the other is poisonous, make sure you know how each one looks like, O.K. two thing’s I have Used is Moth Balls, go to family dollar, Etc, those kind of stores c an save you a bundle, the other, ( and yes this is true and it will not kill your lawn), get a bag of water softener Salt, at Walmart it’s the blue and white bag, $4.69 I Believe, it’ll raise the PH in your lawn, and it actually Makes the Snakes, Very Uncomfortable and will drive all their food sources away, {NO FOOD, NO SNAKES}, I hope that helps, also keep grass cot to 2 ” or shorter, and try to keep the weeds to a few, Love and Peace Rev. Jeffrey
Hedge apples placed in and around the house work well. Cut one in half, place it in a pie tin, and place it under your bed to ensure a good nights sleep!
Hedge apples do not work. you need the concentrated chemical they have to repel insects on their own the concentration is so low it wont do much. it can however irritate your own skin if handled barehanded
Got a Brown Recluse infestation, too? Well, I don’t think I do… I found a dead one stuck on an old piece of tape that was holding up a piece of my artwork. I don’t know if I have an infestation or not. Everyone has been telling me over and over that they’re Recluses for a reason, that they probably didn’t mate… but I don’t know for sure, so I have every right to suspect I have an infestation.
Brown Recluses love cardboard. They like dry places. They hide near woodpiles outside, in sheltered corners in attics / garages, and in interiors, they hide in corners, behind pictures and in places like cluttered closets or in boxes. They also like to hide about in unused beds and piles of clothing on the floor. Shoes too, if it wasn’t obvious.
To get rid of these hiding spots, keep wood away from the home. Don’t keep lights on outside, ex. porch lights. Clean cluttered areas. Seal boxes. Get rid of cardboard boxes. Dust and vacuum regularly.
I’ve heard mixed results on how shy / aggressive they are. Everyone and their brother online says they’re very shy and only bite when pushed against the skin… but a friend of mine had one get into her bed, under her sheets and crawl under her clothes to bite her. I mean, this is spooky! As Hell!
Their mating habits and life span… Brown Recluses live for about 2 years, more or less. They spend a year (10 months) as baby spiders / larve / whatever, then become Nymphs, which is when they’re first born and they look all white. Then they’re adults. Brown Recluses mate in late spring / early summer. The mother spider lays 5 sacs with like 50 – 100 eggs in each. Terrible, right…
You’ve read how to get rid of them. I don’t remember all of the spray names, but
I do see your answer Nicodemus after “spray names, but” on how to kill brown recluse.
Sorry about your friend getting bit. I had a friend bit in his sleeping bag at camp. He had childhood diabetes and could not feel the bite. Worst thing I have ever seen. He lived for about five years after. The poison gave him doctors said was dirty blood. It damaged his heart and kidney’s before it killed him. Really bad spiders because their so sneaky.
I no it’s very fast when you try to kill it fastest spider I ever seen my son for bit and they almost took his foot off it eat down to almost 7 lays of skin he got one bad scare on his foot
All you have to do if you get bit by a recluse is cut a round 1/4 in slice off a russet potato and tape it with surgical tape to the bite. Leave it for 8 hrs and then reapply a fresh slice. After doing this about 2 or 3 times there will be no evidence of ever having been bitten. The potato draws out all the venom. I know this from personal experience.
Cut a 1/4 in thick slice off a russet potato and apply to the bite. Tape with surgical tape and leave on for 7 or 8 hrs then repeat with a fresh slice left on for same amount of time. After doing this about 3 times the bite will be gone as if you never got bit. The potato draws out all the venom and even reverses the gangrene that has begun. It works like a charm. I know from experience.
We are living in our mini motorhome temp while rehabbing our home. Problem is we fond these big a** spiders . We kill them as soon as we see them. However today while sitting on the bed in less then 5 minutes i watched about 5-6 little baby spiders crawl up the wall onto my bed. They was whiteish looking, and very fast. Not sure what kind of spider it is, but im arachnaphobia and panic. Whats best way to rid of them for good. Thanks
Get Terro from local coop
what do you mean get Terro? What exactly is it? A spice? How does it come, a box, a can, a bag, what? I need some. If I go to my coop and ask for Terro they won’t understand. Trust me.
Hope you have found the Terro spider chemicals now. It’s a spider killer in a small white bottle.my co op has it on the check out counter.
Last yr I started planting peppermint plants around our house. I’d read somewhere it helped to keep spiders away from your house. It grows & spreads real fast..seeds like crazy too. We do have a recluse spider problem. Sticky traps set out near everywhere. Have caught many. We’ve bombed several times.for bugs in general. It will kill off most of their food source. so maybe they’ll chomp on each other a bit..couldn’t hurt i guess…Allot of work after cleaning up everything though & i mean everything…Spray usually don’t kill them unless you hit one with it.
We’ve lived in our home now for 24 yrs And didn’t really notice a problem until we had our roof replaced after those really bad storms in 2006. Seemed to have awoken the beasts.
Ya’lls comments have given us a few new ideas . Hope we’ve passed along some to you guys..take care. ~D in TN.
but will kill most of their food supply.
Hello! I have experienced a brown racluse spider bite back in May on my arm!!! I found it dead on the headboard of our bed!!! I have since then found over 100 of them. Babies to mid size to adults!!! We have always had the house sprayed regularly and keep it clean!!! In the process of trying to get this problem under control and rid of these B.R! I order B.R traps from a place called Catch Master! That is how I am aware that we have an infestation of them!!! I can’t sleep and have anxiety over it! Bactrum and ointment helped my bite which I am grateful!!! Mine was bad but could have been so much worse! These spiders aren’t anything to mess with! Lemon pledge is supposed to be a good product to keep them away too! I am always going to purchase these traps as well! Hoping we get rid of these all together! Check the bed, under it and set traps! This is the only thing that allows me to sleep in our bed still!!! I want to sleep with one eye open! Sorry to anyone who has experienced this! It is just awful!!!
This is where i get bit all of the time. In my bed at night. They bite in my skin next to my nail’s for whatever reason. I have been bit 4 times in 2 years. Topical Antibiotic’s does work. One time had to go to the Dr.’s and get 2 different types of Antibiotic’s because the fist one’s did not work. Need to get rid of these nasty thing’s. i also have birds and need to use something safe. I am going to try the glue trap’s. Does anyone else find strange web’s all over their house. They pop up every where and i have to constantly have to Vacuum them up. So tired of this:(
Wow!!! of course! people have learned! that the more exclamation marks (!!!) you use in a statement!!! the more you’ll get people’s attention!! and the more you use! the more seriousness and urgency!!!! gets conveyed to the reader!!!!!! use them instead of commas!!! or fullstops!! or any other form of punctuation!!!!! just throw them in there!!!!
Nicole, I feel bad for you. No one should go through that. You might like to try mosquito netting as a barrier, not only for spiders but also if you’re in an area out west with lots of scorpions like Arizona. If you have a bed with 4 tall posts at the corners it makes life a lot easier. I think that might do the trick for you when you’re sleeping. It kept me from finding scorpions in my bed in the morning. Use glue-boards and then “Demand CS” to see hundreds of dead bugs every morning. Good luck.
If you still have the problem temprid sc is the best residual spray ihave ever used for all spiders it niw comes in a more cconvenient spray can (temprid ready spray) concentrate still a way better deal in the long run. Also if you do use an insecticide dust in wall voids etc. Tempo dust compliments the temprid well it has one of the same actives. .Sticky traps really do work wonders as well for hunter spiders like recluses. Feel free to reply with any questions i am a licsensed pro
My house is full of brown recluse what can I do cannot afford a pest control now I got glue traps down but that is not getting them all I want to know do home depo have any stuff that will kill them please reply. Thanks,
where are the best places to put those sticky traps. i put several under our bed near the bed posts and under night stands. no results as yet. it’s been several weeks. i have been bit 17 times in the last 2 months. we also bombed the bedroom as well 2x. Every time I return to our bed I get bit multiple times. we took apart the bed and vacuumed every inch thoroughly and washed all bedding 2x as well. how does it end up in our bed after all that?? we do not find signs of the spider but due to type of injury i get it def appears to be the brown recluse though everyone says it doesn’t live in our new england area. the bites are not from any other typical home bug as this has all been researched by the medical people who have excluded most all (ie: bed bug etc). this has been a horrific experience and i am arachnaphobic and this is just beyond my ability to cope. it not only is painful through all the stages but is an aggrevating and long recovering time (a month long and left with scar). i really need a resolution. we’ve not hired an exterminator because of the cost and not sure how they would actually find this ‘reclusive’ spider if nocturnal especially. we are trying to solve ourselves. our next thought was to bomb at night time (after dark) instead of day time since they are nocturnal and perhaps putting live crickets on a glue strip. we are open to any ideas. our local medical folks have treated me with antibiotics but are beyond words to know this has happened 17x for me and no one else in our house. it seems to be staying in the bedroom since i get bit while i’m sleeping.
I found Brown recluse under my bed… I had a bad sore on my face … first thought was a spider bite because it came on so suddenly when I awoke the morning,. i searched and dint see any , so we thought i had shingles… that was six weeks ago.. luckly in my sleep I felt the bite and wiped it away before it could do a good bite, I was sleeping I do remember slightly awakening and brushing my face and going right back asleep, any rate I treated the area with anti biotic cream,, nd was better in about three weeks … upon finding several browns under my bed I am pretty sure it was a bite as I had first thought … Okay enough ramble LOL… My plan I am doing right now… I am sweeping ever where thoroughly with a large canister vacuum then I will spread Rare earth … in all the crannies . and will make some home made Terro with corn syrup and Boric acid … i do have a small any invasion also.. soooo what ya think ?
Some people say that brown recluses are very shy and only bite if pushed against the skin NOT TRUE!™A BROWN RECLUSE WILL STRAIT UP GO TO WAR WITH YOU IF YOU ACCIDENTALLY WOKE HIS ASS UP WHILE SLEEPING IN YOUR SHOE „ TOWEL IN BATHROOM , OR CLOTHING , UNDER YOUR PILLOW, IN YOUR BLANKET ,EVEN IN YOUR PURSE AS SOON AS THE SUN COMES UP THEY GO TO THE NEAREST DARK PLACE TO SLEEP TILL NIGHT TIME AGAIN A RECLUSE DONT STAY IN 1 SPOT LONG IF THEIR IN YOUR HOUSE ITS CAUSE THEIR FOOD SOURCE IS PLENTIER THAN IT IS OUTSIDE APPARENTLLY!!!! THEY STAY ON THE GO WOKE UP AT 5:00am
& JUST FOLDED A LOAD OF TOWELS FRESH OUT OF THE DRYER PUT THEM IN THE BATHROOM later on that day I went to take a shower grab a towel and a spider fell out of it I tried to kill it got away I jumped in shower the water was pretty hot next thing I knew I got bit by that same freakin spider I tried to kill 2 mins ago it bit me 2 times on my stomach in the shower I jumped out of the shower turned off cold water and left the really hot water running that $%&++% went down the drain I seen it I turned the water back to way I wanted and got back in to shampoo my hair I looked down And here comes that $%-*# spider out from the drain right at me I squeezed shampoo all over it jumped out of shower grabbed the bleach cleaner spray & can of ajax and first I sprayed it then poured the whole bottle of bleach cause he wouldn’t die from spraying it it he still trying to come at me I squeezed the ajax all over him he was under a big mountain of it I went to my room and
With him right behind me i grabbed a thick phone book and smashed it to hell I then started getting this pain I couldn’t hardly walk I called my dad it take me to hospital I literualty took me 21 mins to get from my from Porch to the sidewalk to get in car I couldn’t walk when I got to hospital u told the I think a spider bit me not sure what kind I told them its now smashed under a thick phonebook and hopefully dead I told them about our battle fight that started in the bathroom ended in bedroom and he almost won until that *%$##& bit me. 2 times on my stomach after the doctor and nurses were able to contain them self’s from laughing so hard over my episiod with spider from hell he lanced my bite and drained the puss and core starting to harden in my stomach my flesh was scaring he scooped out the bad flesh and put me on antibotics my dad went and got the now paper thin spider and showed to doctor it was a $%&# BROWN RECLUSE I couldn’t stop laughing after I got home damm spider turned me into a comedian lol
Been getting bitten by something &do not know what, 2holes at top & one below, as if it is a tube that runs to it or something, going crazy trying to figure this one out, scars and bites all over me and my friend, please answer any suggestions,
Moth balls spiders hate moth balls you’ll get used to the smell but definlly keeps spiders, all bugs roaches, water bugs , snakes,pesty black birds that poop all your porch ,fleas, bed bugs, masquitos and of course moths
Dear Adrian, I live in OGDEN,IOWA, and we have a Hoarder who Lives next door, I have been fighting these for 3 yrs,and have over 270 bites, the local Hospital,ER has been Kind enough to photograph, all the visits, I’ve gotten it so bad I’ve Had Cellulitis, over 4 Times a year, if anyone has a infestation I do! I even have to bug bomb my two trucks each month, I’m Disabled to boot, the trucks have a little “cancer” around the cab, Doors. I have used just about every product there is except Boric Acid, what I wanted to say is you have to watch depending on the “Glue Traps” too, much, because I have seen the BR’s have gone as far as Biting There own Legs off, to free themselves, so just a word to the wise, be careful, and what That guy (or) women said is true, they came in the thick of the night while your sleeping, and I wake up with 5 or more bites a night, now they have “morphed”, it used to be you could squeeze out the stinger (or) fang after every bite, but now, it hurts sooo bad< yes I know too many o's, they have changed their bite, it's like a splinter and it hurts like hell for at least a month, Lidocaine doesn't even dull the pain! the problem is the town needs to take and cut down the tree and burn out the stump, but they have waited so long, they went as far as the middle school, so maybe when the school kid's get bit, they'll do something then, (sadly) of course, heck I've called all the way to Charles Grassley's , office with no luck. god bless and take care all of you.
I think I have a brown recluse in my work out shed but I’m a little sceptic to get close enough to look. Would I be able to use hair spray to kill it or would that just provoke it?
Yes, you could use hairspray with a butane lighter. Torch those guys.
that would upset it, it knows your there before you think it does, just use WASP spray, it has a 15 to 20 FT, thick spray, so you can stay at a safe distance, I’ll go up against any college “bug guy”, can’t think of their {title} right now another thing that works for quick “knock down” is a can of brake fluid cleaner, with THE STRAW, The red TUBE it Should come with, very Flammable, very smelly, but you can also use this on New England Hornets, it’ll drop em, like no ones business coming out of say a “hive”, good luck, and God Bless,Jeff
Don’t play games when it comes to poisons spiders! I was bit by a spider about 10 yrs ago and I had to go to ER where doctors had to do surgery around the bite area also they had to make a small incision to drain puss..luckily I was able to capture the spider that bit me and to my and all the doctors were shocked to learn that I was bitten by a brown recluse
My husband was bitten on arm by brown recluse and i actually thought he would have to have arm amputated. It was a terrible ordeal and doctors said the venom can stay in your system for 3 years. Think he was bitten when he was out hunting that fall.
Don’t play games when it comes to poisons spiders! I was bit by a spider about 10 yrs ago and I had to go to ER where doctors had to do surgery around the bite area also they had to make a small incision to drain puss..luckily I was able to capture the spider that bit me and to my and all the doctors were shocked to learn that I was bitten by a brown recluse especially because I live in New York and i am a F.D.N.Y. firefighter and live in Long Island and we aren’t supposed to have brown recluse spiders!!! I will always hate them and all spiders and need to know best spray to kill spiders
You could still use the dust indoors in inaccessible areas (wall voids cracks / crevices) i personally wouldn’t waste money on the oils
I live in the ozark hills of central missouri where the brown recluse is a fact of life.we’ve done everything from useing pesticides and sticky traps to calling in air strikes and the marines, they are here to stay.my advice is follow what the experts say.eliminate clutter and always shake out your clothing,especially if you’ve not wore something thats been in your closet for awhile.they also like to crawl into bed,I was bitten by one several years ago and although the bite didnt send me to the doctor,it was very painful.
be careful jumping to think its a brown recluse, there are many spiders that are very common looking, in a study done in 2012 archaeologists asked scientists to send in all spiders the identified as brown recluse, over 1000 were submitted, only 7 actually were. these were scientists, it is really hard to properly identify them. However, they are very poisonous, if no matter what kind they are, I wish everyone luck in getting rid of them,. I am trying to rid of spiders in my home as well, not sure if they are recluse, or funnel weavers, but i see a lot of them at night. so please keep all ideas coming, cause I cant stand them in my house anymore. (looking for all pet safe ideas)
Has anyone tried diatomaceous earth
I have used and still use DE in my woodpile and garage. Started using it when our Ortho guy told me it was good to use DE in the woodpiles to prevent termites. It did that very well – also, 2x per year I spray the inside of the garage and the exterior of the house with BENGAL concentrate. Get it at Home Depot and it ‘seems’ to work very well (i.e. no spiders or webs that you can ‘hear’ when touched (black widow). hope this helps.
Yes diatomaceous earth works really well used it in my workshop and spiders were gone or dead , but I am working on sealig the areas exposed, so naturally I have to reapply after 2 months or so. They also have a food grade type to use around places you dine or cook.
what is diatomaceous earth
Diatomaceous earth is basically seashells ground up into powder form. It works quite well controlling hard shell bugs, because it cuts their shells, drying out the inner body. When bugs crawl through it, they carry it back to their “homes”, be it ant hills, webs, or wherever, and help control pest infestations at the source.
call a pest control company, that usually works lol
I also was bit by a BR in Spring Hill Florida. I never even heard of this spider before and did not know what was wrong with me. I saw what looked like a boil on my calf and soon it became really sore and filled with puss. I went to the ER and the doctor told me I had a staph infection and squeezed the pus out . Wow that hurt. For 1 month I was laid out and the wound would not heal. I ended up building a cotton wall up around the hole and then bandaging over top of the cotton structure shaped like a 0 with the wound in the center then sanitary bandage around it. because and bandage applied to the wound will peel off the top layer of scab. It is the most horrible experience a human can go thru from a bug bite for sure and one of the worst exp of my 38 years. Now I know what it was and I live in The Keys . I turn all socks inside and out carefully .I put socks in my shoes to block the hole. I hang all clotes up on the wall, I never leave clothes on the floor. I put Vaseline on my bed post feet on the floor and I do not have my bed touching a wall. I use a smaller comforter that wont touch the floor if I toss and turn and I look thru every single piece of clothing and shoes. I also use latex gloves when I am cleaning up in cubbords or closets. it sucks being so OCD about this but my best advice is to be very careful with this spider. Think of it as a Traffic Avoidance System . I will soon use spray can lids turned upside down for each bed post with a quarter full of talc powder so the BR will climb into the cup lid trying to get in bed and be stuck in the insecticide spiked talc powder. This is only a theory It will be an experiment. I will take all precautions to never be so stupid in BR areas again. I like what the Vietnam Vet said above War is Hell but if you think you will survive. Good Luck to you.
Okay, so, after reading your post, I now know I’m not crazy.
My husband and I just moved into a 90 year old farmhouse. We are renovating, i.e., pulling up carpeting to expose the original hardwood floors, etc… We thought I was bitten by a brown recluse two weeks ago, only to discover I had an outbreak of shingles instead. But, guess what? We DO have brown recluses, as well as, camel crickets, cellar spiders, orb weavers, mice and more.
So, after locating four brown recluse exoskeletons in kitchen cabinets, I finally located a live one next to the hot water tank in the bathroom. She appears to be guarding an egg sac…
I have NEVER been freaked out by spiders to the point of phobia, but I am kinda going around the bend on this for some reason. I am afraid to exterminate because I read it can make it worse. I cannot determine whether or not we have an infestation.
I shake everything out, sleep with a lamp on, afraid to close my eyes in the shower, you name it… My nerves are shot right now which is so ridiculous. Not because of one hot water tank spider, but because I’m picturing the attic of this century old house. The inner walls. The cellar. My skin is crawling.
We have a detached garage holding 80% of our furniture until the renovations are completed. My husband found an old basket in that garage and used it to pick pears. I found two exoskeletons on the bottom of the basket. MY FURNITURE IS IN THAT GARAGE!! God. And my husband is beginning to think I’m blowing-things-out-of-proportion crazy.
It’s just that I wanted this house so badly and have planned my future here. Now it feels kinda like a bad joke. And my husband is immune to any type of worry, including venomous spiders.
I was bitten ten years ago and very luckily just experienced a dry bite. So, I completely understand everyone on this discussion and the escalating fears. The reality sucks. The little bastards. I hate hate hate fiddlebacks.
I have an exterminator come to the house every 3 months now. I’ve found quite of few brown recluses in my daughters room and the kids bathroom. My husband just found one under is pants after picking them up off the floor that’d been there maybe 20 minutes. The exterminator came maybe 2 weeks ago. I just read peppermint oil and water in spray bottle. Spraying corners. Window seals. Base boards. Then another says dish soap. How did you get rid of them? They are probably the worst in the area I live.
I have small children and although we have never been bitten I know what this spider can do I’m a big fan of spiders but when it comes to my FAM and our home I will stop at nothing to get rid of them please help my three yr old almost got bit
I have a huge shed out about 30′ from the house. I’m sure it has spiders, I just don’t know what kind. I want to clear the stuff out, but I’m now afraid to even open the door. There would be NO way to get behind stuff. Is there a way to fog them to kill them. Maybe carbon monoxide from a tailpipe?
Hi A great way to kill spiders or any other insect is white vinegar and salt in a spray bottle. Be careful how you add your salt. I say about two 1/4 teaspoons of salt will work well..
Just remember, if you have them in the house, they’re probably underneath (if you have a crawl space) and in the attic. If you use the sprays, do the crawl space and attic when you spray the house, and then treat the exterior of the house with a barrier.
My friend got bit by one and it isnt normal for them to be were we live but he got been and rushed to a hospital asap. We need to get something done.
This site has been very entertaining. Thank you from our family to all ofyou for the hilarious post. We will visit again soon!
I came home today to find what looked like a brown recluse in the middle of the floor of my dining room. I had heard from someone how their venom could be deadly so I freaked out. I got the biggest shoe and smashed it. This is the first one I ever saw in my house. I dont even know if it was really a BR. Anyway my question is since I have pets – even if i washed and used Lysol on the wood floor where I smashed it could the venom still be deadly to my pets who might walk on that spot and lick themselves? I know this might sound like a stupid question, but i really need to know. If anyone who is on here is a licensed exterminator i would appreciate a response. Thanks!
No it needs to be injected into the bloodstream (which is why it is considered venomous) black widow hatchlings are an exception to this statement they are poisonous
Brown Recluses can best be treated with Cyfluthrin or Cypermethrin poisons. You can get them in wettable powders or already mixed in a solution. Look for Cy-Kick, Demon WP, Cyper WP, Cynoff WP and others with Cyfluthrin or Cypermethrin as main ingredient.
You can also use Delta Dust which is a Deltamethrin poison or Tempo Dust which is a Cyfluthrin dust. You need a bulb type duster to apply these for Brown Recluses. Google “bulb dusters” and you can find them.
These are your best options for poisons to get rid of bronw recluses.
Agree entirely like i said in original post temprid and tempo is my favorite combo. Delta can withstand moisture though
I just moved into a tiny apartment that my brothers built for me which is attached to another building that is used for sewing, art projects, and woodworking. There are tons of spiders in the adjoining part of my house, and I have found and caught quite a few on glue boards. We don’t want to use chemical sprays so we are using boric acid and glue traps at this time.
That being said, I also made sure I sealed up all cracks, that includes calking around light fixtures, plug ins, and light switches. I also put saran wrap on the back of all my pictures which seems to be keeping them from hiding there.
I make a spider repellant that works wonders, I get a spray bottle and depending on the size of your bottle, mine is small, use more for a larger bottle, don’t have to be exact. about 10 drops of essential peppermint oil, 1 part vinegar, 1 part water, spray around doors, baseboards and bed at night. I also vacuum baseboards and move everything atleast once a week. No cardboard!! Spiders hate plastic anything. For mopping use vinegar and water and add some cinnamon or peppermint to that too. boil cinnamon on the stove and make the whole house smell like mint. Also, use coconut oil on your body, spiders don’t like it and it’s good for your skin.
And finally, keep the outside lights turned off, but keep lights on inside your house. I sleep with the lights on and the tv going spiders won’t be as likely to come out then.
If all this don’t help you can always resort to chemical sprays and poisons, I heard that raid fumigator, not bombs does work pretty good. and also these other things people are talking about on here too. Good luck to all!!
I added some sea salt to my repellant mixture and it works even better now. haven’t seen any on the floors lately, but have killed a few small ones on the walls. I swear I think brown recluses can walk through walls, it’s amazing how they just appear there out of nowhere. Freaking vampires!
My brother has ordered the diamataceous earth stuff. Will let yall know if I have any results with that.
You can also place glue traps under the legs of your bed frame to keep them from crawling up in bed with you. And perhaps give you some peace of mind so you can sleep.
Ortho home defence works for me. It claims to work for a year, safe for pets when dry
Everyone that thinks theses posts are so funny have obviously never suffered a brown recluse spider bite.
Sleep in full length PJs tucked inside gloves and socks. BR can’t bite through clothes. Also set bed posts inside plastic cups filled with Seven Dust or other insecticide powder so that when spiders try to climb up into bed with you, they will fall into the cup of insecticide powder. Move your bed out from the walls too.
I am currently in the hospital on my 5th day here with a BR bite to me face while I was sleeping. This is the most painful thing I’ve experienced and the entire right side of my face was full of puss and numb… it finally looks a little better today but looks like this is going to be an extremely long recovery. Do everything you can to get rid of these monsters… do everything, try anything!
The diamatacious earth has not worked for me at all. I guess I am going to try the ortho home defence now. My brother has lived with these spiders for years and says they will be in all their full glory in August. So its gonna get worse before it gets better.
So sorry to hear someone ‘Jennifer” got bit on the face. That is my worse fear.. I sleep with the covers over my head, but I was making my bed this morning and a tiny baby one was inside my covers. Must have been cuddling up to me all night… ugh!!
I must say that all I find now is baby ones. I think I have caulked up everything so that only the small ones can get through the cracks.
Im hoping the home defence works, I’m so tired of living in fear!
deltamethrin dust and glue traps
It’s hard to see the difference of a house spider and brown recluse. I live around the Bay Area and our house is filled with bugs. I hate them so much! A while ago I saw a spider crawl down my shelf less than 2 feet away from my face! I need the spiders out and quick! Although I don’t want to waste my time and money to buy the repellants. Does anyone know a natural and home friendly repellant or trick to help me out? Good luck to all of you fellows! Reply? Please&Thank you
I’m from Cali too. I fucking hate spiders so much I used to stop on my skateboard when I’d see one. Go back. Kill it and tell it to die slow.
Advice. Only advice I have for you is the same advice I have for myself. Research essential oils up the ass. PEPPERMINT WORKS.
I sprayed it all around my garage with sea salt. It’s just I’m bored to tears by the smell of it. Right now I’m researching NEEM and TEA TREE. EUCALYPTUS and ROSE. Rose oil is expensive but you can do your research on Ebay and Amazon and shit like that. I go bulk because I’m poor. I just choose an oil that’s on the top list and go for it. Right now I’m deciding between lavendar and rosemary. I think all these are good. Rose is actually toxic to spiders. The price is the problem. But you can just get a First Botany 1 oz bottle on Amazon Subscribe and Save. Cancel if you don’t like. Get a cheap nice diffuser for your motherfucking room. Put that shit in your face lotion. A lot of it. Watch your eyes. Put it in your body lotion. Then suddenly you have used the most potent of all essential oils on just the small space of your body.
Then.
Ebay has this place called SUN PURE BOTANICALS. There are other great stores on there as well. My trick to maintaining my sanity is to not get into the bidding. Just put “buy it now” on the research bar. Also, I like to put in “free shipping” just straight up because some of them will trick and put it for like 5 dollars but 80 shipping.
I’m just keeping it real.
I’m currently doing just small amount of rose oil to keep myself from freaking out about going to sleep. Then I go the other extreme and spray in bulk.
I got a be your own pesticide sprayer person jug thing from Amazon for under ten. It’s 1 gallon. Do what they say and put the soap in there or the oil will stay at the top and not get sprayed all around.
I had a spider lay it’s young in my leg and for a time I lost my sanity.
And I mean that truely.
I CAN HONESTLY SAY I HAD GOTTEN OVER ALMOST ALL OF MY ARACHNAPHOBIA.
Part of this is because I have a Japanese friend. Her Buddhist upbringing has me at least try to be most understanding of God. I don’t know what. Because I still hate the damn things. But she told me how to conversationally approach the spider. I know the damn thing doesn’t know what the fuck I’m saying to it. But the humour of the whole thing made it lighter on my shoulders. The burden of this fear I’ve had ever since I tried to tell them a spider buried it’s young it my leg.
They locked me up in an insane assylum for that. One thing led to another and I became a worse alcoholic then ever.
Now I’m sober almost 4 years.
I keep my head on my shoulders.
I put on my God-damn ROSE OIL BEFORE BED(and by that I mean respectfully that JaJa would damn Himself if shit didn’t get better). MAKE SURE YOU MAKE REALLY FUCKING SURE ANY ESSENTIAL OIL YOU GET IS UNCUT. Organic if fabulous. But if you’re on welfare like me JUST MAKE SURE IT’S UNCUT.
# 1 Rose oil in your lotion.
Ok.
# 2 Bulk oil in your bulk sprayer with soap to make sure it’s cool.
Done.
Other than that I’m what sloppy ass people would call a neat freak. I prefer to think of myself as a clean bitch.
ANYONE READING THIS WOULD DO WELL DO DO THE SAME.
Because I’m lower than all of you. I’ve been locked up for going crazy of spiders. I don’t think any of you motherfuckers out there reading this have a more shamefilled story than mine.
I only wrote what I just wrote so that those of you who are scared out there can get a truck load of essential oils. Get salt. Get whatever the fuck you need.
I recently had my brother stay with me. He gave me the gift of a professional.
The guy was great. He had top shit. I was impressed. If I liked the results I would have gone that route again.
The results were doable.
Problem is those spiders they fucking come in and take like 3 hours to die. They drop lines. And I get in there for my morning coffee and American Spirit cigarette and what the fuck do you know yet another one dropped another like.
Cause the stuff has like no smell.
So great.
But with essential oils and shit they have a little fair warning to not even come in at all.
Do I do this out of mercy?
Hell fuck no.
I do it out of whatever arachnamotherfuckingphobia is still in me. God damn.
No one is going to understand this except those that are as scared of them as I have been.
Now I can say reasonably to a spider, after if won’t leave because it doesn’t know what the fuck I just said when I offered it to leave in butchered Japapanese. Now I can say, “Koroshimasu.”
(I’m going to murder you in Japanese)
with my head held high and shit.
Fuck it.
ONE LAST THING. TRICK IS – AND THIS IS THE PART I DIDN’T GET WHICH IS WHY I THOUGHT THE ESSENTIAL OILS DIDN’T WORK AS WELL AS THEY SAID – TRICK IS YOU HAVE TO:
SPRAY WEEKLY.
With that being said, all I have to say is there is hope.
Fuck yeah there’s hope.
And I would do Diatomaceous earth but I’d rather drink it.
10-4
Over and out.
Bella
a.k.a.
Lilith
God. One more one-more-thing guys.
When I said spray, I didn’t mean your body.
That’s fine. I prefer lotion.
But whatever your style is, it’s cool.
Those are just details.
LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING THAT IS NOT JUST A DETAIL. WHEN YOU SPRAY YOUR HOUSE OR GARAGE. I WOULD SPRAY INSIDE FIRST, STARTED WITH YOUR BEDROOM. So the bitch ass things exit first from where you feel the most vulnurable. Like the bathroom.
Peace out.
Well,it’s 3am and I just killed the 5th Brown Recluse in our townhome…this started a couple months ago…I’ve lived in several friends houses in my early twenties in not so sanitary conditions never with a fear of these little bastards…my wife and I (to a point are clean freaks) I have 3 teenage daughters who make keeping things clean and tidy a bit of a task…my biggest concern is my 3 year old boy who is constantly playing about crawling around as he should be…our landlord doesn’t spray for bugs…I’ve done glue traps (it’s only been a few days with none caught)and Terro Spider killer (which only seemed to work when sprayed directly on the spider) my wife sells essential oils so I’ve also tried a 8 drop peppermint oil and water spray…in closing I’ve prayed,sprayed,and set traps…after much research it’s a remarkable spider that should be respected…I was going to go to sleep when I decided to look with a flashlight on the side of my fridge…that’s when I saw number 5 looking at me as a mountain lion would an unsuspecting hiker..I’m definatly thinking of calling a professional ASAP…my families safety and health isn’t worth the gamble…
Kris…you won’t usually see any out during the day so the baby “should” be ok playing in the floor. I have a pretty bad infestation and rarely have seen one during the day. They live in the walls and get there through cracks in baseboards etc. But it sounds like they may be hanging around behind your refrigerator . I pull my refrigerator out every week and have my vacuum cleaner ready to suck up any “day trippers”. They usually are so startled they will just sit there and let you get em. A professional sounds like a good idea and I have thought about it also. I tried and still use the essential oils in sprays and it does repel them, but if they get hungry enough nothing is gonna stop them.
I would like to say that I had excellent results with the Hot Shot no mess fogger. Its basically a fumigator. I came back in to 3 dead spiders in the floor and a very large “baby maker”, came out of a window sill and I got him with the fly swatter. Have not seen any in here in 5 nights, except 2 that I know came in from a crack in my front door because they were on the wall by the door.
Cypermethrin is the ingredient that kills so look for that in your sprays. If you use the fogger be sure to remove the babys toys first. Good luck.
We have been dealing with BR spiders for the last 5 yrs. No one has been bit by one yet they are not an aggressive spider, but however they do like to crawl up in beds. I have woke up with one on my arm using my body heat to warm itself up. Glue traps work be buy the terro baited traps, Ortho home defense didn’t work for us, and now we are using tempo solution and trippled the dosage have to babies caught in the glue traps so far, but until we can start remodeling we won’t get rid of ours. Terro spray works direct contact only. I also made my own sticky traps by using gorilla tape, duct tape ok but gorilla tape reall well. I made strips along the back sides of beds and dressers. When you put stuff in plastic storage containers tape the little whole and lids on they well get into those as well. Try anything you can possibly think of, no matter how off the wall it sounds, it just might work for ya. Hopefully some of this will help yall out, cause I found some other things to try as well
I use the Gorilla tape as well. It works great for catching them, though it still terrifies me that they r even in my house. We rent and the house is old and full of cracks n holes. It is impossible to seal the house like I need to. We are currently looking for another place to rent as I have a 8 year old and almost 2 year old and I don’t want them bitten. Till we find a place though Gorilla tape is keeping me somewhat sane.
We’ve notice a lot of these brown recluses running around the last month, then got the house sprayed by a professional, and it’s been a week later and these little bastards are running everywhere, killed 6 tonight, I got a big squared tape all the way around my bed, so one don’t do me in while I sleep, I’m not sure what to do, but sounds like I’m going to war with these suckas if I can make it through the night
To everyone who responded to my post thanks for the advice and response…it’s comforting to know there’s folks out there who will share their knowledge and own experiences…keep it safe everyone
I never had a problem with br. I freaked out when I found a few spiders here and there in the house. Sprayed like I was coming in with hand grenades. Didn’t see any spiders. Years since I now have br. Researching this, insecticides, spray, etc… kills off good spiders, then the nasty spiders like br. Move in and other spiders that are almost immune to spray. Some suggest finding wolf spiders and introduce them. They will eat br. They get to big to come inside as adults. But I would freak if I found one that come in small and I found it big. I can not be sure they are br, or house spider. They look so similar. But as nasty as br is, I’m treating it like its a br. When I tried killing one I tried three different sprays, and hardly phased it. It was smart too. Played dead. I turned around and it jumped up and off it ran like it was in perfect health. Before I sprayed it, it acted like nothing would touch it, wouldn’t move for nothing. Starting outside with Tempo sc ultra. If I control out side first, then move inside. They can be well managed. The Tempo ultra sc is like home defense on steroids. The wg is better for outside, but both work good.
While I was pushing the mower a couple weeks ago past the lean-to I built out of split logs a brown recluse w/ the body the size of my 12-yr old daughter’s fist came out between the logs about elbow level and stood on back legs & raised front ones as if it wanted me to pick it up, but it scared me so bad I let go of lawn mower it shut off, I went into shed, grabbed the broom and smacked the heck out of it w/ the hard area just past the loose bristles and then I hit it 2 more times, then got sledge hammer and pounded it in the ground. Can’t stand a spider and most snakes, but garders are okay, I remember chasing my momma through the house w/ one when I was a teen; and black snakes are also okay. Does anyone know …. my 1 1/2-yr Staffordshire Bull Terrior eats just about anything; like a goat, will it hurt her to be bitten or to eat them, I know she hates ants but will step in ant hill, she tries to or does eat every other bug she sees??? Lots of good info here and some crazy comments and hate to hear the sad stuff! God Bless Yall!
I’ve lived in southern Missouri all my life, so spiders (BR especially) have always been a part of my life. Probably been worse since I moved closer to the river (mighty Mississippi).
My cat LOVES to eat spiders. She will play with most other insects (she’ll play with crickets for hours), but not eat them. Spiders, on the other hand, are her favorite treat. Thank God. Because I hate them.
Anyway, I found this post tonight, because we just got home from eating dinner, I plopped down on the couch, and my SO said, “Honey — GET UP NOW” and I knew exactly what they meant. That meant a spider was behind me. It was the biggest spider I’ve ever seen (besides a tarantula or wolf spider). Don’t think it was a BR, but it was HUGE and brown. So big, my cat just laid there looking at it, like, “WTF am I supposed to do with that? It won’t fit in my mouth!”
We moved into this new house a month ago. When cleaning it out upon movein, I found probably 8-10 spiders, some living, some dead. We have spider webs everywhere, and this old crappy house has so many cracks, and a giant (walnut, I think) tree hanging over it with a massive spider web in it.
Not a good place for someone terrified of spiders. And I have 11 months to go before we can move. And of course, my SO is the messiest person ever, who thinks the floor is the best hamper in the world, regardless of how much I complain.
Any advice for me? My cat has done a good job in the past at keeping the spider population under control, but what are the best pet-safe methods, sprays, insecticides, etc? I need these f**kers gone ASAP.
I recommend the Hot Shot no mess fogger, just be sure to remove your pet and its food. These work wonderfully and I have not seen a BR in over a month. I know they will come back, but its nice to have them gone for a while.
We bought a new house about 10 yrs ago that happened to be infested with BR spiders. At the time, I didn’t know anything about them so began doing research online in earnest. Eventually, I stumbled on the University of Kansas website page of Jamel Sandidge, an entomology major who was considered the leading expert on brown recluse spider. His ph.d dissertation was on the distribution, population ecology, and genetics of brown recluse spiders in urban habitats. He was often sought after from all over the world to lecture on the br spider and more often on how to control a br population. I began a personal email dialogue with him during this period and learned quite a bit about br habits. I was able to eliminate almost completely my br problem because of his help.
Go to one of the DIY pest control websites. Order a box of sticky traps, Delta dust and Cyper WP. Initially, use sticky traps everywhere to knock down a heavy current population. This is only good for active spiders but really does nothing for the hundreds of eggs that are currently dormant and will eventually hatch. That is what the insecticides are for. A few weeks later you should notice a reduced population. Now use a dust bulb to blow Delta Dust into cracks and crevices, under baseboards, etc. Hint: you wonder how a br can seemingly come out of nowhere? They can flatten down to less than a 1/16 of an inch and insert themselves into the smallest of a cracks. So think wall sockets, framing around doors, windows, etc. They navigate inside the walls and if you have an unfinished basement, that’s how they get into the rest of the house. Once you’ve got dust where you want it, begin sealing all cracks and crevices. This is where caulk and foam are your best friends. Buy lots of circular foam from the insulation dept of your big box store. Stuff it between the carpet and baseboards and other obvious places. Last, mix up your Cyper in a sprayer and spray the rest of the house. This will give you good residual protection for a couple of months. The dust will give you protection for about 8 months. Repeat this in a few months and you should knock out most of the hatching spiders. You probably won’t get 100% elimination in the first year, but if you’re consistent with this plan each year you’ll get there. It really depends on the population in your home.
Tips: Brown recluse spiders don’t hate plastic or glass, they simply can’t navigate the smooth surface with their feet. I used to catch them in a plastic bowl – they simply can’t crawl out. Any container with a similiar smooth surface will work. Also, br spiders mostly feed on dead insect carcass. Where you find dead bugs is where you’ll find br feeding. Cleaning up dead bugs will help control a br problem.
I’m so scared I can’t take it anymore! Been bit twice! Can’t sleep due to fear! I wish someone would help me! I’m just a girl in the world! That’s all that you’ll let me be!!!!
Just call an exterminator and make sure their are no cracks in the wall and by the door and just keep cloths off the floor and ect. try that and let me know how it works
I don’t like Brown reclues spiders so what i do is is I find and keep wolf spiders in my house because they will eat them and wolf spiders are cool they can watch over you keep them.
Been finding the Brown recluse Spiders in Elmhurst Illinois now. I verified specimen with Illinois dept of public heath and it is documented. I been spraying and sticky paper and still they are turning up every now and then.
Been seeing them in Villa Park illinois now. I do landscaping and cleaned up a huge stick and leave pile next to a abandoned shed last year and there was a bunch of them. I know they are Brown Recluse because of the 6 eyes and fiddle on their back. Definately Brown recluse with 6 eyes. Look at pictures to positively ID. They are not that bad as the hype is over exaggerated. Use the sticky traps and monitor them and use boric acid powder in cracks and around behind insulation walls etc. There are other powders also recommended but these spiders are not no big deal freak out about. They are here in midwest and Chicago area now though 4 sure.
My golden retriever got bit on her tail. The vet didn’t want to amputate, so every 2 days she was sedated while they debrided it. So awful. Just when she was getting better, our boxer got bit on the top of the paw. We found that the laundry room, next to the garage, was infested. We live on the WV-MD border.
With success I’ve used two to three times the recomende foggers to the point that fog was coming out of the attic, the crawl space under the house and every other room and cabinet space, areas I coundnt reach I tossed them limke a grenade. Hundres of spiders and bugs had to be swept up two days later when I returned.
do you actually think they would give you their last name just because you asked for it? or even give you the correct last name??? :-/
Cyper WP or Demon WP is the only thing to spray for BR. Use glue boards too. You can use the DE puffed into cracked and crevices, but spray with Demon WP and the next day you will be shocked how many dead BR you find. Scary, but relieved they’re dead.
For those of you worried about bites and how to treat them without ending up in the hospital…
My father, unfortunately, has been bit several times. He’s a clutter bug and loves his recliner, which makes a nice place for them to hide.
Anyways, he uses oil of oregano on bites and internally when he gets bit. He gets an itchy spot but has never had any real problems and they heal very quickly. It’s amazing stuff. Google it!
Also, ichthammol ointment works well as a drawing salve.
I’m amazed at how many people I’ve met that have E perience Bar bite hell. I was bitten April 5, 2016. Today my 10 yr old son was bitten. I’m currently going through treatment for my wound, very long road ahead of me. As soon as he showed me the bite I made a baking soda seas salt poultice. After hours of the poultice and refreshing the poultice pack the bit sunk in. I took a picture to zoom in real close. There I saw it, the two little holes in the sunk in portion. Took him immediately to the ER. I’ve told my management company and landlord of this problem for many months now. They told me to put out sticky traps, I did. First thing in the morning we are going to use several cases of foggers in the house, attic and under the house. Then we are running away for a few days. When we return home the sprays and more glue traps will be put out.
The thing that amazes me is they say it’s rare to be bitten by a BR. Obviously it’s NOT FREAKING RARE! Just look at all the damn cases of bites America! Jesus Christmas people come on and wake up. Shit got real and fast! I’ve met at least 20 people in 1 month ty hat have been bitten in their home by one and many bitten periodically.
What’s even more mind blowing is how doctors, landlords, management companies dismiss the claims. Assholes the lot of them. Selfserving, greedy, selfish assholes. Don’t dismiss my claim like I’m some ignorant backwoods inbreed. I’m far more intelligent than they can imagine. There have to be laws set in place to protect every tenant FAR BETTER. I have the carcasses and one very nasty hole in my once beautiful arm. I pray my 10 yr old doesn’t go through this like I have. Thankfully I got much venom out off his bite quickley. We can’t afford anymore of this crap. No one has helped us and I doubt anyone will. Paying your rent consistently for 10 years and taking great care of a property will get you nothing. You damage their property or fail to pay rent they damn sure act quickly. Real pathetic if you ask me.
I Live in TN and my husband just killed (first one seen this year) one big one in our kitchen sink! He poached it with hot water and let it go down the drain. Living in our home for about 3 years is when I first seen them. They were here before that I am sure, but never identified one as being a BR. After hearing about them I looked one up on the internet and sure enough, there is a very identifiable “violin” on it’s back. We have lived here going on 7 years now and we do find them periodically. I have been spraying with peppermint oil and water mixture around baseboards, etc., and use traps. I will find some in the traps so I know they work. I have a 7 yr old grandson living here now and want to protect him as much as possible. I told him if he sees a spider, don’t panic but call someone right away and don’t touch it. I love my home and I guess it comes down to the fact I either move to a state that is suppose to not have any, or learn to live with them as best as I can. But, those little sons of guns better watch out because their little butts are going to be mine when I see them! Oh, and I do like the idea of putting traps under the bed posts. Never thought of that.
How to get rid of an infestation:
Bought a 115 year old house in the woods… they love wood piles… the HOUSE is a wood pile. I was killing 50+ a day at first. I wore a hazmat suit as I did my initial renovations.
1. The live in the walls. Unless you can get to them you’ll never kill them.
– Solution: I tore out all the drywall, insulation, stripped the house to the frame. no where to hide there.. next:
2. They live in the crawlspace under your house.
– Solution: I tore out the floor, removed the joists. Wheel barrelled 40 tons of rock into the crawlspace and poured a concrete slab over it
3. They live in the siding on your house. tons of privacy to hide under it and BREED like venomous tiny 8 legged rabbits.
– Solution: I am removing all of my siding, sealing all of the exterior wood and then I will be spraying something along the lines of stucco.
4. The love it under your deck too!
-Solution: I am ripping the deck off and pouring a nice concrete pattio
I have sticky traps out but I can go more than a month without catching one now. I am preparing to put drywall back up (after spraying the interiors of the wall one more time with poison and putting Boric Acid in them. Then when the drywall is up I will fill the walls with the spray in expanding insulation to leave as few airgaps as possible.
Then I will just have to decorate like I live in a utilitarian minimalist space station and spray regularly.
In the end, I live in the woods. They’ll always be there, but keeping the house as inhospitable as possible and keeping the landscaping near the house neat and tidy will hopefully encourage the tiny **** to move along. But going from 50/day to 1/month is a significant improvement. Unfortunately this is not the first Recluse infested home I’ve lived in (Yay TN!) and I’ve been bit once (inside my EAR) in the other house, never want to go through that again. 3 months of antibiotics.
If you have an infestation, you need to ask yourself how far you’re willing to go to fix it. Some poison and sticky traps will not work, sorry. Professional pest services will not work, been there too. Wasted a lot of $. So as for me, “I’m going all the way ’til the wheels fall off and burn ‘Til the sun peels the paint and the seat covers fade and the water moccasin die.”
I’ve just recently been finding br too. Been here, renting, 9 yrs, never seen them before. My landlord is a great guy, gave me glue boards and sprayed. Traps have got several along with some other bugs, not sure what they are, maybe dinner for br. Past 2 days I’ve killed 3, ugh. I’m going to have to do something around my bed posts too. Going to try Ortho Home Defense Max, hopefully that will get into the cracks and crevices that I had no idea about. I’ve always had an overwhelming fear of them and knowing I have br is not helping me sleep at night. Will keep light on tonight, grease up bed posts in the daylight tomorrow, then spray, maybe buy some of the Delta Dust too. Super glad I found this site. Thanks for all the helpful info. Good luck to everyone trying to rid your home’s of them.
Yardsales, anybody? Auctions, estate sales? Nobody lives a perfect hospital environment. Pets, re-clean everything after spraying,ie; dishe’s, clothes, curtains…,we have an old 7 bedroom home with 2 sun porches. I stress “old home”
old home”. We also have a couple cats. Due to injuries-went on disability. Lot of stuff in this old house. I will try this cyperwp&demon if I can find it. Wish me luck.
I have killed 5 Brown recluse in my home this year. The last one was last night, I plan to spray today, what do you recommend?
I also get crickets, meal bugs and silverfish this time of year, I live in the country
Cyper WP is really the best product to use for brown recluse. I had the onset of an infestation and didn’t even know it. I found 1 BR and knew there had to be more. Sat out glue traps and sure enough. I found out about Cyper WP, FIRED my exterminater and have been using it since. Spray it along baseboards, in all closets, basements, under sinks, in garage and exterior of your home. You will find dead recluses within 12-24 hours. They crawl out of their nooks n crannies to die it seems. I’ve also incorporated DE as a dusting agent…only bc I’m terrified of those bastards. Seems to work well. I spray Cyper WP every 3 months…I live in Kansas, heart of BR territory. It’s cheap, potent and works better than anything you’ll try. When spraying the exterior of your home, make sure there’s no rain in the forecast for at least 24 hours. After that, even when it does rain it’s still effective. It’s good stuff. It dries in a powder form but while its wet keep kids/pets away from it. Once it’s dry it’s fine/safe. Cyper WP. I order mine from west lake Hardware. You have to ask the manager to order it for you. It’s about $7 or $8 per package. Literally less than $30 and you’ve protected your home/family for an entire year.
I bought an old two story home with dirt crawl space two years ago. The area is also known for having high levels of brown recluse. The first year I put 12 glue stick traps around the house after noticing bites when i would wake up. These were not normal spider bites that lasted for a few days. These were more painful and would take 3 to 4 weeks to heal. The second year, i put more glue traps around including the attic which caught quite a few. The four corners of my bedroom and corners of my closets to keep them out of my clothes and my bed. What i noticed is they like to travel along baseboards so putting stick traps in the corners of rooms was very effective. The males are easier to kill because they instinctively come out at night to hunt. The females are harder to kill because they will guard their nest for weeks without food or water. The first year I killed around 150+ brown recluse with stick traps and I would estimate I was bit 10 to 15 times. The second year it dropped to around 75 and I was bit 2 or 3 times. I am now starting my third year with stick traps and i’ve killed 2 or 3 with only 1 bite. This time last year I had killed at least 30 or 40, so to only have 2 or 3 is a very good sign. I’m guessing a few females got caught in the traps. I won’t stop using the traps if the numbers caught drop because all it will take is a few females moving in to repopulate the entire house. I would suggest using non-repellant methods such as stick traps. Chemicals are ineffective because you will never reach the areas they hide in during the day without tearing your house apart. They can also sense chemicals and will just move to a different part of the house. Stick traps over a few years will weed them out.
I have caught several on my glue traps inside the house. Lots of tiny ones too. I sprayed around all wall boards with orange cleaner diluted with water. Seems to have stopped them some. Tonight, I went and bought ortho home defense and sprayed garage very well. I found six or seven in the garage and sprayed them with the home defense and it killed them. Sprayed around all wall boards with home defense tonight. We’ll see if it helps. I’ve had a couple come running across the floor at night, but mostly seen them in traps. I live in ky in a duplex that’s 11 years old.
Funny that I never seen it mention rather than shaking out clothes and have the possible br falling then running to hide if you even see it because some of them can be small babies, that putting clothes in clothes dryer for a few minutes not only will probably kill them and the babies but make your clothes nice and wrinkle free warm before putting on. Just make sure the clothes get hot enough to kill them. Another tip thought of by Uncle Ed.
brown recluse ,welcome to Canada.I live in Collingwood Ontario Canada and my wife was bitten by one two days ago.The doctors had no idea what it was so i showed them the pictures of the b.r and its bite.Well guess what,they saw the resembelence.So the litter buggers are up here now
Camel crickets eat brown recluse spiders. If you have both, do not spray with chemicals. I did. It only killed all the camel crickets and then the BR population exploded.
If you see a brief they generally will freeze. I like to keep a flashlight on me because when I am in the presence of one and shine the light on them they just freeze. at tis time with my propane tank between my knees using a lighter to light since the automatic ignition is broke. I approach with lit torch and send you the hell out of them if I don’t have a torch and then take my foot and cirratum across the concrete cuz I generally find most in the basement but I will not walk away when I see one I will kill it I will chase it into the corner until I know for sure it’s dead that’s how bad I hate them I have disfiguring scars from them.
I am glad to see where someone had mentioned what the babies look like cuz I have searched on the internet for that information cuz I could not find it and now I know what that little white tiny little spider coming from the upstairs floorboards in my basement above my washing machine.
Also might explain why I might feel like I got bit on my shoulders when I’m downstairs but yet I don’t see anything and I didn’t physically feel a spider on me but those little tiny baby ones that someone that describes it earlier I can see how I wouldn’t feel those and they just like dangle down a little tiny web bite go back up.
If he interesting it’s someone could answer this question when you’re killing a BR do the other BR spiders that they’re hanging out with they see you kill their little friend spider or their whatever their spouse spider brother spider do they now all went to take revenge on me. Do these BR spiders have the ability to think of some sorts to where they can identify me as their enemy when I come down the steps I mean like different compared to like maybe my daughter coming downstairs just just a curious question would love to see if somebody could answer that thank you
Have read above that moth balls are a good deterrent for all kinds of insect pests & (no insects) no snakes. What is the expected effective longevity of the moth balls for this application?
I got bit by the brown recluse down here in Missouri, so did my wife and son. Basically, the bite causes an allergic reaction if you have low oxygen/hemoglobin in your blood. The allergic reaction is different for everyone. Most the time, it goes away on its own. If you have a serious reaction, then sanitize a needle or knife blade or razor and poke the bite, squeeze out the blood, then wipe the bite area with rubbing alcohol or coffee grounds. Coffee grounds close wounds and speed up healing, however I just wipe with alcohol wipes to clean the area. I bought a house loaded with the brown recluse. Everyday I would find one by surprise here and there. I basically cleaned the house, mopped with bleach, sealed exterior and interior pest entry holes and played on my stereo some Quran. Look it up on youtube. The quran recitation sends out vibrations in just the right tones, now the recluse’s are only in my attic somewhere (I believe). Ill find out soon when I drill holes for my security cameras. But the bites are not deadly, for some people they are but most people find the bite visibly gone Or reduced after a few weeks
I bought a house down here in Missouri out in the country. Here is how I got rid of them brown recluse’s. First I cleaned with bleach, then I vacuumed, and mopped. Then I sealed the exterior entries into my house. Then I went around and sealed the interior entries. Then I found out they were coming from the crawl space under the house and from the attic and garage. I ended up finding out that they dont like noise. Especially noise that has low vibrations. The best noise I found was on youtube, called Quran recitations. I play that on my bluetooth party speaker and the spiders start dissapearing, even the mice, and it sounds nice too. Keep cleaning your house and moving boxes out of the way, lay down glue traps, use an air compressor, they hate cleanliness. As far as their bites, me, wife and kids all got bit. It went away after a week for my son, for me, it just felt like a strong mosquito, but no marks/reactions besides the fangs. The bite on my wifes leg looked red with a circle around it (like a target sign) but went away after a week. I was panicking thinking I was going to get amputed at the hospital, but luckily nothing happened. In fact I got bit twice, once by a big one when I was changing out the insulation in my bedroom (had to take the ceiling drywall down), it was hiding behind the old installation with its babies (in an eggsack) so I tried to vacuum her but she jumped on the vacuum hose and ran down it, I threw the hose on the ground and began stomping everywhere, but I missed. I grabbed my interior marking spray paint and sprayed her, but she scurried off and disappeared. Later that night I awoke to what felt like a mosquito bite, I jump out of bed, turn on the light and there she is, covered in pink spray paint running off, I squished her with rage and cursed at her. Those little spiders have a brain, she tried to get revenge or something. She unloaded a payload in me, but it was luckily not severe. Other time was when I was sealing the exterior of the house and that bite luckily did not lead to life threatening issues. With all the bites we got from them fiddle backs, nothing happened. One last thing, when I was vacuuming the cobwebs the brown recluses were actually running away, same when I was crawling through the old spider web infested attic, they were running away, adults and kid recluses, so like the author said, they wont bite you unless by luck you are in the wrong place at the wrong time. Hope this helps someone. Peace