How to Eliminate Brown Recluse Spiders

Brown recluse spiders inhabit areas full of clutter like garages, attics and crawlspaces.

The brown recluse spider is one of the most terrifying pests you can have in your household. This spider is feared for its painless bite, which can cause severe pain and inflict disfiguring skin ulcers which can take months to heal. Brown recluses are yellowish-tan to dark brown with a dark, violin-shaped marking behind three pairs of eyes. They tend to dwell under old boards, cluttered areas full of junk and in storage spaces. You can control brown recluse spiders in your household, by taking steps to prevent their in-habitation, while dealing with the pests themselves.

Things You'll Need

• Gloves
• Insecticide
• Vacuum cleaner
• Broom
• Sticky traps
• Glue boards

Instructions

1. Wear gloves to avoid accidental spider bites, before you do any cleaning. Clean your house of all the untidy clutter, to prevent a possible home for the brown recluse. Use a vacuum cleaner or broom to clean up your house and to remove spiders, webs, and egg sacs. Push your furniture away from your walls and curtains and focus your cleaning around, behind and underneath the furniture. Clean behind your outdoor window shutters. Remove items from the closet and inspect your stored clothing.

2. Seal entrances and openings into your house that come from the outside. This will prevent them from entering and establishing themselves inside your home. Use an insecticide at the base of your house as a barrier treatment to repel brown recluses.

3. Remove firewood, brushes and vines from your house. These are perfect environments for the brown recluse to inhabit; this increases your chances of infestation.

4. Place glue boards and sticky traps flush along your walls and in corners, to capture large amounts of the spiders. Insecticide sprays and dusts can be applied to areas that are home for the pests.

Tips & Warnings

• Spiders prefer quiet, undisturbed areas like closets, garages, basements, and attics.

• Routinely inspect your house to keep up on possible re-infestations.

• Brown recluse spiders can be found in clothing and shoes. These items should be stored in plastic bags or boxes. Always shake your clothes and shoes out, before wearing them to check for spiders.

• Always place tarp or plastic on items and areas that you do not want insecticide residue to rest upon.

• Huge brown recluse infestations possibly require a professional pest control company.

References

• University of California, Riverside: How To Avoid Bites
• University of Kentucky: Eliminating Spiders Around Homes
• University of Illinois Extension: The Brown Recluse
• Urban Integrated Pest Management: Control of Brown Recluse Spiders

Resources

• Colorado State University: Brown Recluse Spiders in Colorado: Recognition and Spiders