What Does a Brown Recluse Look Like?

You can identify a brown recluse spider by the appearance of a violin-shaped marking found on the dorsum of the cephalothorax. The neck of the “violin” is pointed toward the spider’s abdomen. These spiders are a light brown or yellowish-brown color. Adult brown recluse spiders are between 6 and 11 mm in length. Unlike other spiders that usually have eight eyes, the brown recluse spider only has six eyes. If the legs of the spider you are trying to identify have thick spines, they are not brown recluse spiders as the brown recluse only has very fine hairs on their legs.

Where Do Brown Recluse Spiders Hide?

The brown recluse are shy spiders that stay in dark, sheltered places such as your barn, basement, or in undisturbed corners of your home. They generally make their webs close to the ground, but their web is not used to catch prey often as they are predators that like to hunt for food. These spiders are very common in Texas.

What Do Brown Recluse Spiders Eat?

Brown recluse spiders are carnivores. They hunt for and eat crickets, cockroaches, ants, other spiders, and pretty much any crawling bug it can get its legs on. They aren’t going to walk away with your fruits and vegetables, but they can be found carrying other insects back to their web for mealtimes.

Are Brown Recluse Spiders Poisonous?

If provoked, a brown recluse spider can bite. If you are bitten by a brown recluse, the reaction to the bite will depend on how much venom was injected and where you are bitten. Sometimes, you would just experience mild skin irritation while other people may experience fevers, itching, muscle pain, and convulsions. 

Most brown recluse spider bites heal on their own and do not have any pain associated with them, but in some rare, extreme cases, brown recluse spider bites have resulted in necrosis (the death of living cells) and painful, open wounds that require treatment to heal properly. If you are bitten by a brown recluse, seek medical attention immediately.

Does Innovative Pest Control Offer Brown Recluse Spider Control?

Innovative Pest Control helps you eliminate all spiders from your home, including the brown recluse. Since spiders are hunters, we can make your home less of a target by eliminating other insects from your home. We also offer exclusion services to help keep the spiders from finding a way into your home in the first place and eliminate any existing infestations of brown recluse spiders. For an inspection and treatment plan for brown recluse spiders, call us at (903) 326-7395!

How to Prevent Brown Recluse Spiders

Many people are afraid of spiders and don’t want them in their homes, dangerous or otherwise!

Here Are a Few Tips to Help Prevent Brown Recluse Spiders:

• Carefully seal all openings in your foundation, around windows and doors, and around pipes.
• Vacuum daily to eliminate any spiders that have made their way inside, focusing on corners and dark areas where they are likely to hide.
• Invest in a quality home pest control program from the East Texas extermination specialists at Innovative Pest Control!