Brown Recluse Spider

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Identification

  • Colour Brown but varies from yellowish tan to light brown or dark brown. A dark fiddle shaped mark (violin pattern) on the back with the fiddle neck facing towards the abdomen. Spiderlings are pale and may lack the fiddle marking.
  • Size Adults ranges from 6 to 11 mm depending on species.
  • Body Two body parts cephalo-thorax and abdomen. Body covered by fine hairs making it look non-hairy. Four pairs of long and slender legs. 3 pairs of eyes, grouped in pairs and arranged in a semicircle pattern
A detailed illustration of a brown recluse spider. The spider has a brown body with a distinct violin-shaped marking on its back, and long legs extending outward. The legs and body have a smooth, textured appearance.

Why do I have Brown Recluse Spiders?

Mainly outdoors, brown recluse spiders are typically outdoor creatures. They prefer living in secluded areas, such as under rocks, logs, and in piles of leaves or wood. In their natural habitat, these spiders thrive in places that provide shelter from the elements and places where they can hunt for food. However, in Canada, where winters are cold, these spiders are generally more active during warmer months, and you’re most likely to encounter them outdoors. While brown recluse spiders are primarily outdoor pests, they have become increasingly adaptable to living indoors. This can happen if they find conditions that suit their survival needs, such as shelter, food, and warmth. These pests can find their way indoors through small entry points like gaps around windows, doors, or vents. If your home has cracks in the foundation or damaged window screens, these are perfect openings for spiders to enter. Additionally, they can hitch a ride indoors in items like firewood, boxes, or furniture that has been stored outside or in garages.

Once inside your home, brown recluse spiders are drawn to areas that are dark and quiet that offer both food and shelter. They are nocturnal hunters, so they’ll hunt, trap and scavenge insects like crickets, cockroaches, or other small arthropods. Wall and furniture voids, clutters, kitchens, basements, attics, and even garages are prime locations for brown recluse spiders, as these spaces provide a perfect mix of quiet hiding spots and access to food sources. If your home has an existing pest problem, it could be inadvertently attracting these dangerous spiders.

How worried should I be about Brown Recluse Spiders?

Brown recluse spiders are not just a nuisance, as they can be dangerous. When these spiders bite, their venom can cause serious reactions in humans. Although brown recluse spiders are generally not aggressive and will only bite in self-defence, their bites can lead to symptoms ranging from mild to severe.

The venom can cause localized pain, swelling, and redness at the site of the bite, but in some cases, it can cause more significant issues, such as skin ulcers, necrosis (death of tissue), and even systemic reactions affecting the whole body. While fatalities are extremely rare, it’s important to be cautious if you suspect a brown recluse spider is present in your home. If you are bitten, seeking medical attention as soon as possible is key to preventing serious complications.

What do Brown Recluse Spiders Eat?

Brown recluse spiders are carnivorous predators, primarily feeding on soft-bodied insects and other small arthropods. Their diet includes creatures like ants, crickets, cockroaches, and moths, which are easy targets due to their softer exteriors.

These spiders use their venomous bite to immobilize and subdue their prey before consuming them. Although they don’t actively hunt large insects, brown recluse spiders are skilled at finding and feeding on pests that invade your home. If your home has a bug infestation, it could unintentionally provide a food source for these spiders, which may lead to them setting up residence indoors.

Where do Brown Recluse Spiders live?

Outdoors

Brown recluse spiders are typically found in natural outdoor settings where they can easily hide and hunt for prey. They tend to live under rocks, woodpiles, or beneath tree bark. These spiders also seek shelter in cracks found in tree trunks or around utility boxes. If you have old, unused containers or hollow objects lying around outside, you may unknowingly be providing a perfect hiding spot for these spiders. Their outdoor habitat offers them both the shelter they need and easy access to insects to feed on, making it an ideal environment for brown recluse spiders.

Indoors

When brown recluse spiders venture inside, they search for quiet, dark spots where they can remain undisturbed. Basements, crawl spaces, garages, and attics are common places for these spiders to take refuge, as these areas tend to be low-traffic and have many hiding places. Brown recluse spiders also thrive in wall voids, cracks and crevices found around door and window moldings, where they can stay out of sight. Additionally, they may be found amongst clutter, such as in closets or storage areas, where they can easily hide and hunt. If your home has a lot of clutter or overlooked corners, these areas might be attracting unwanted guests like brown recluse spiders.

How long does a Brown Recluse Spider live?

Over the course of their development, they will molt a total of eight times before reaching adulthood. This process can take anywhere from 266 to 440 days, depending on environmental conditions, availability of food, and other factors. Once they reach adulthood, brown recluse spiders can live for an impressive amount of time.

Depending on their sex, adult brown recluse spiders can live up to 543 days, which is a long lifespan for a spider. The combination of their ability to survive for extended periods and reproduce multiple times makes controlling brown recluse populations a challenge if infestations are not addressed early.

How can I prevent Brown Recluse Spiders from invading?

  • Seal gaps and openings that these spiders can use to enter indoors, such as cracks and crevices, unscreened vents, missing roof tiles etc.
  • Modify habitats by eliminating or reducing harbourage spots such as both indoor and indoor clutter.
  • Maintain well-manicured landscape around house or building by keeping grass short, clean flowerbeds, removing weeds, pruning tree and shrub branches away from building surfaces. Implement habitat modification solutions such item containers, clutter, excess vegetation, etc. to reduce harbourage areas on your property.
  • If possible, avoid stacking items such as firewood, boxes or containers close to building along the walls.
  • Exterior bright white incandescent lights attract insects to surface of structure which in turn attract spiders, where applicable, replace these lights with  amber lights or sodium vapour bulbs  which are less attractive to insects, which  results in less attraction of spiders.
  • Control insects that attract and provides brown recluse spiders with food.

How to get rid of Brown Recluse Spiders on my property?

In order to capture brown recluse spiders on your property, you can use sticky traps in high spider activity areas. These traps are designed to catch spiders and can be placed in areas where spiders are likely to travel, such as along walls, near corners, and in dark, hidden spaces like basements or attics. These traps can help you monitor spider activity and reduce the number of brown recluse spiders in your home by trapping them before they can reproduce or bite. Be sure to check the boards regularly and dispose of trapped spiders to maintain an ongoing defense.

Regularly vacuuming your home and cleaning up cobwebs is an essential step in getting rid of brown recluse spiders. Spiders often build their webs in quiet, undisturbed areas, such as in corners, behind furniture, or in closets. By vacuuming these areas frequently, you can remove existing webs and spiderlings, making your home less hospitable to spiders. Don’t forget to empty the vacuum bag or canister promptly to prevent any captured spiders from escaping. Cleaning up webs also helps you spot signs of spider activity early, so you can act before an infestation develops.

If you’re dealing with a significant brown recluse spider infestation or if you’re unsure how to properly treat the problem, it’s best to call your local Orkin spider control Pro. Your local Orkin spider control expert has the experience, knowledge, and tools to ensure that your brown recluse spider issue is professionally managed inside your home or business. Contact us to get started today!

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