What are the characteristics of a brown recluse spider?

A brown recluse has a dark brown violin shape on the cephalothorax (the portion of the body to which the legs attach). The neck of the violin points backward toward the abdomen. However, what you should look at instead is the eye pattern of 6 eyes in pairs with a space separating the pairs.

What is the behavior of a brown recluse?

Brown recluse spiders are shy and rarely bite unless provoked. Bites usually go unnoticed until effects manifest a few hours later. Most bites become red and fade away, but in uncommon cases necrosis or tissue damage can occur.

Are brown recluses aggressive?

If they come inside, brown recluse spiders will go to dark closets, attics, or basements. They aren’t aggressive, and they bite only when disturbed.

How can you tell a brown recluse from another spider?

If the spider you’re looking at has stripes or bands, it’s not a Brown recluse. Many spider’s legs have multi-colored banding or speckled pigmentation, but Brown recluse legs do not. Likewise, other spider’s legs are frequently darker than their bodies, brown recluse’s legs will be lighter.

What time of year are brown recluse most active?

Brown recluse spiders are mostly only active from March through October, so trying to control them from October through March is generally not necessary or useful. 2. They are found outdoors in Kansas and other Midwestern states, as well as within structures. They tend to thrive in the same environments that humans do.

Are brown recluses common in houses?

Question: How common are brown recluse spiders in the home? Answer: Brown recluse spiders are not that common. There are several species of recluse spiders in the United States. They are found in almost every part of the country.

Which state has the most brown recluse spiders?

The brown recluse makes its home in the south-central area of the United States. They appear most abundantly in states such as Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Kansas, Alabama, and Kentucky. As seen below, the brown recluse can be found in many other states as well.

Does one brown recluse mean more?

Yes, sighting of one brown recluse spider is a tell tale sign that there are more brown recluses inside your home. But brown recluse spiders don’t live in large groups. There can be a few and if your home is big then there can be multiple brown recluse spiders hiding inside your home.

What keeps brown recluse spiders away?

Apply essential oils

Peppermint oil, lavender, and tea tree oil are also thought to be effective. You can easily make a DIY spray to apply to areas where you believe the spiders might be hanging out. Hedge apples also are known to repel brown recluse spiders as well.

What do I do if I find a brown recluse in my house?

You can start by setting up sticky traps in hopes of catching them yourself, but with this pest, it’s best to call the professionals. Brown recluse spiders can give a nasty bite, so it’s best to leave them to be dealt with people who know how to arm themselves and protect against a potential brown recluse spider bite.

Where do brown recluses hide?

The brown recluse spider lives by itself. They are a difficult species to find as their hiding places are often dark and undisturbed. Outside, you might find brown recluse spiders under logs, rocks, and in your firewood pile. If they get indoors, they may seek hiding places in boxes, shoes, clothes, and furniture.

Can brown recluse jump?

The spider does not usually jump unless touched brusquely, and even then its avoidance movement is more of a horizontal lunge rather than a vaulting of itself entirely off the surface. When running, the brown recluse does not leave a silk line behind, which would make it more easily tracked when it is being pursued.

Do brown recluses Get in beds?

When indoors, brown recluses favor cardboard because it mimics rotting tree bark. They can also be found in boxes, clothing, shoes, tires, bedding, furniture and storage areas. And if you spot one of these spiders, there may be many more hiding in your home.

Does 1 brown recluse mean more?

Yes, sighting of one brown recluse spider is a tell tale sign that there are more brown recluses inside your home. But brown recluse spiders don’t live in large groups. There can be a few and if your home is big then there can be multiple brown recluse spiders hiding inside your home.

What causes a brown recluse infestation?

You have piles of wood debris or clutters of trash outdoors – The more mess you have in your home, the more likely it is to have brown recluses. These insects are usually comfortable in heaps of junk or stacks of firewood where it is dark and they are undisturbed.

What eats brown recluse spiders?

Brown recluse spiders occupy an important niche in the food web. They help regulate the populations of the species of their prey (nutrition), but they are not at the top of the food chain. They have many natural predators including blue jays, crickets, and the praying mantis.

What states have brown recluse?

Brown recluse spiders are established in sixteen states: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas.