Let’s start off with a riddle. What’s brown, about the size of a quarter, and makes you go, “Ahhh! I have a brown recluse in my house!” While completely ridiculous, there is something we can learn from this riddle. There are very few people who would not be startled to find brown spiders crawling around in their home. In fact, the fear of brown recluse spiders is so great, that this is one of the most misidentified spiders that get into Texas homes. If it’s a spider, and it’s brown, the first thing you want to know is whether or not it’s a brown recluse. Here are a few things every property owner should know about brown recluse spiders, starting with how to identify them.
What A Brown Recluse Spider Looks Like
If you know that a brown recluse has a violin-shaped marking on its back, you’re ahead of the game. But that little violin marking isn’t easy to see because brown recluse spiders are very small. And brown recluse spiderlings are even smaller. When you add to this that you might see one of these spiders in a dimly lit room, you can understand how identification of a brown recluse might be difficult–even though you know they have a dark brown violin marking. A helpful characteristic to consider is the fact that brown recluse spiders are visibly hairless. If you see a hairy brown spider in your home, it isn’t a brown recluse.
Brown Recluse Webs
A better way to tell that you have a brown recluse in your home is to look for webs in low places. Brown recluse spiders establish webs in gaps, holes, cracks, crevices, and recesses that are low to the ground. These webs have a tangled appearance. It isn’t that brown recluse spiders are disorganized. Those webs are specifically designed to capture the bugs and tiny mammals these spiders feed on.
Brown Recluse Activity
When brown recluse spiders get into your home, they’re likely to be most active in June, July, and August. They’ll come out at night because they are nocturnal by nature. They will only bite you if they are spooked. And you can expect these spiders to stick to areas of your home that are still and quiet. They truly are reclusive spiders.
Brown Recluse Bites
If you are bitten by one of these spiders, you don’t need to panic. Most bites don’t amount to more than a small wound with a tiny ulcerous center. It is, however, a good idea to seek medical attention to make sure the wound is properly monitored by a physician.
How To Avoid A Brown Recluse Bite
If you’ve found these spiders in your yard or in your home, there are a few things you can do to prevent bites.
- Remove any bed skirts from your beds. This prevents spiders from crawling into bed with you by accident.
- Make sure your bedding doesn’t touch the floor.
- Move beds away from the walls.
- Turn your bedding down before sliding into bed.
- Shake out your shoes, clothing, towels, and other items before using them.
- Be cautious when retrieving items out of your attic or a storage room.
- Be cautious when opening boxes that have been taken out of storage.
How To Keep Brown Recluse Spiders Out
If you haven’t seen these spiders in your home yet, there are a few things you can do to reduce your chances of an infestation.
- Seal potential entry points in your exterior walls.
- Remove leaves, sticks, wood, and other organic debris that are near your home.
- Fill in any holes you find in your landscaping.
- Look for objects that recluse spiders can use to hide in and move them away from your exterior walls.
What To Do About Brown Recluse Spiders
In light of the threat these spiders can present, it is best to have a brown recluse infestation taken care of by a licensed pest professional. At Innovative Pest Control, our team members use the most advanced methods and products to track down brown recluse spiders and ensure complete removal of these spiders from your home. If you live in Texas, contact us through our web page and request a service visit. We’ll make sure to get all of those spiders out.
Categories:
- Brown Recluse Spiders,
- Spider Control,
- Spider Infestations,
- Spider Prevention
The post What Property Owners Ought To Know About Brown Recluse Spiders appeared first on Innovative Pest Control.