Few things are more nerve-racking than stumbling onto a spider. Spiders are feared by many for their creepy looks, many legs, and multiple sets of eyes. However, most species of spiders are benign pests that eat other and much more destructive and annoying pests, like mosquitoes, ants, and cockroaches. 

There are two primary types of spiders in North America that are dangerous to humans: the brown recluse spider and the black widow spider. Both of these species are considered medically hazardous due to their venomous bites. Brown recluse spider bites can cause serious side effects, including fever, vomiting, dizziness, and destroyed tissue around the bite area. However, tissue destruction is rare. Even more rare is a fatality caused by a brown recluse spider.

Still, it’s wise to take brown recluse spiders seriously if you spot them on your property or inside your home because the risk is there. Medical attention is often needed to make sure that you do not end up with an infection from the brown recluse spider bite. 

Homeowners need to know how to identify, get rid of, and keep brown recluse spiders away from your property. Keep reading to learn the signs and causes of brown recluse infestations and methods of spider control.

How To Identify Brown Recluse Spiders 

Brown recluse spiders are also known as Loxosceles reclusa, fiddle-back spiders, or violin spiders. Identifying brown recluses can be tricky because they resemble many types of spiders. However, identifying them is crucial because they are venomous spiders. 

Appearance

Brown recluse spiders are brown, and they sometimes have a dark brown violin-shaped mark on their back, which is where the name “violin spider” came from. When their legs are extended, they are around the size of a quarter. Unlike most spiders, brown recluse spiders only have six eyes, rather than the typical eight eyes. Their long legs and bodies are covered in fine hair, which makes them appear velvety. Some people mistake wolf spiders for brown recluses. However, wolf spiders are noticeably larger, hairier, and do not build webs. 

Behavior

Another critical factor is their incredibly solitary, reclusive nature. Brown recluse spiders are not aggressive pests and will typically not bite unless they feel threatened and are pressed up against human skin. When they do bite, however, their bites are dangerous and can cause serious medical harm, especially to children and seniors, or those who are immunocompromised. 

For the most part, brown recluse spiders will retreat to their hiding places during the day. If you begin seeing brown recluse spiders during the day, your chances of having a large infestation are much higher. Daytime activity is unusual behavior that may indicate some brown recluse spiders being driven out of your home due to hunger from overcrowded spider populations. 

Location

Brown recluse spiders are typically found in the South and Midwest, though they can be found throughout the United States, primarily in warmer climates. Texas, Ohio, Alabama, and Georgia are some of the most heavily infested areas for brown recluse spiders. When they are found in colder climates, they do not typically form larger infestations due to less favorable conditions. 

Web

Brown recluse spiders are part of the web-building spider group, so if you have an infestation, you can expect to find webs throughout your home. Brown recluse spider webs are irregular and loose, rather than the neat spiral or symmetrical webs that many other species of spiders build. They tend to create webs in dark, dry spaces, like closets, crawl spaces, attics, basements, and more. 

Signs & Causes of a Brown Recluse Spider Infestation 

Unfortunately, brown recluse spiders prefer living in human homes, unlike most spiders — making getting rid of a brown recluse spider infestation difficult. 

Typical signs of a brown recluse spider infestation include irregular, loose webs throughout your home or property. Others include finding off-white silken egg sacs, having an existing insect infestation (food source), and being bitten by a brown recluse.

Causes of a brown recluse spider infestation can include overgrown weeds and tall grass, cold weather, easy access to food and water (including existing insect infestations), and plenty of hiding spaces. Brown recluse can hide in closets, crawl spaces, basements, general clutter, and even firewood piles or debris outside. They can come in through open windows or cracks and crevices in your home’s exterior as well.

It’s important to know how to spot the signs early on with brown recluse infestations to help prevent spider bites.

How To Get Rid of Brown Recluse Spiders…

In Your Home

If you’ve found brown recluse spiders in your home, you should treat them quickly. Brown recluse spiders create egg sacs and quickly grow into infestations if not dealt with immediately. Don’t hesitate to start treatment on your own or hire professional pest control help. 

Thoroughly clean your home. Keep your home clean and free of food crumbs to reduce the chances of insects coming into your home. Brown recluse prefer to eat insects, so this will discourage them from taking residence in your home.

Use spider traps. Spider traps, which are typically sticky traps or glue boards, are great for catching spiders. Once a spider runs across a glue trap, it cannot move, and you can easily throw them away on the trap. You can DIY sticky traps with an index card and petroleum jelly or rubber cement. You should check the traps once a week to see if they’ve been effective.

Spray an insecticide to fight spiders. Apply a spider-specific insecticide to get rid of spiders, including brown recluse, and other pests, in your home. Closely follow the pesticide instructions. You should apply it liberally around the perimeter of your home and other spider hot spots inside your house. 

Spray with spider repellent. Aerosol spider sprays can be an effective way to spray and kill any spiders you see quickly. Have one on hand to help you immediately deal with brown recluse spiders without having to risk getting too close to one and getting bitten. 

Destroy webs. Use your vacuum cleaner to quickly clean up dirt, egg sacs, and spiders that you see. Then, use a broom to knock down any spider webs that you see. Destroying webs gets rid of the spider’s ability to catch food, and they may eventually leave.

Install door sweeps. Door sweeps can prevent brown recluse spiders and other pests from entering your home by filling in that gap underneath your door. Use these to your advantage to exclude pests from entering your residence. Door sweeps can also save you money on heating and cooling, so they are an overall beneficial addition to your home. 

Declutter. Brown recluse spiders love clutter, like stacked boxes, and quiet, undisturbed areas, like your garage or shed. Thoroughly declutter these areas to remove potential hiding places brown recluse may use to build webs and create egg sacs. 

In Your Yard

Get rid of outdoor hiding places. Brown recluse spiders love to build webs and hide out among woodpiles, debris, leaves, stones, and other piles of material outside. Clean up these piles regularly and move them away from your house. This prevents these piles from being used as entry points into your home. 

Seal cracks and crevices in your home’s exterior. Regularly examine your home for any cracks or crevices in your exterior. Then, use a caulking product or sealant to fill these holes so pests can not enter your home through them. 

Examine window and door screens. Take a look at your window and door screens and replace or repair any with tears in them. 

Kill other insect infestations immediately. Brown recluse spiders are often attracted to our yards because of other insects in our yards. Insects, such as ants, cockroaches, crickets, and bed bugs, are preferred food sources for these spiders. So, if you have any other pest problems, make sure that you immediately take care of them with pesticides or other treatments before it attracts other pests, such as brown recluse spiders.

Keep up with your yard work. Brown recluse spiders love to hide in tall grass, debris, piles of leaves, overgrown yards, ledges, vegetation, and more. Make sure that you regularly trim your plants, especially those near your home, to prevent brown recluses from getting too close to your house.

Minimize outdoor lighting. Outdoor lighting attracts many insects, such as flies and mosquitoes, which are excellent food sources for spiders. Keep your outdoor lights on only when needed to minimize their attraction to your home. You may also want to consider changing your bulbs to yellow or sodium vapor light bulbs to discourage pests from hanging around your lights and attracting brown recluse spiders.

Apply diatomaceous earth. Diatomaceous earth is an effective household pest killer because it affects the spider’s exoskeleton and dehydrates them until they die. Apply thin strips of diatomaceous earth near entry points into your home and other typical outdoor spider havens, such as near firewood or sheds. 

Apply insecticide outdoors. There are many effective insecticides on the market that can be applied outdoors to kill brown recluses and other pests. While effective, keep in mind that many of these are not safe to use around children and pets, though. 

Natural Remedies

Use insecticidal dust. Dusts can be helpful in removing brown recluse spiders because dusts can be sprayed in places spray can’t reach. Dusts also provide longer lasting protection. Good places to put dusts, like diatomaceous earth, in basement and attic spaces, crawl spaces, baseboards, closets, and behind walls.

Use vinegar as a spider killer. Vinegar, such as apple cider vinegar, is highly toxic to spiders. If you find brown recluse spiders, you can liberally spray them with vinegar, and they will die from the acidity. 

Use essential oils. Many pests, including brown recluse spiders, dislike strong scents. Many people use essential oils, like eucalyptus, peppermint, and lemon oil as natural repellents for insects and spiders. Unfortunately, little evidence exists to prove that essential oils are effective in repelling spiders. However, other natural substances, like cinnamon, can be used to repel insects and help prevent a brown recluse infestation.

Use an ultrasonic pest repeller. Ultrasonic pest repellers emit ultrasonic sound waves and vibrations that scare away many pests, including spiders and cockroaches. It’s an entirely natural method that many homeowners prefer. However, you should keep in mind that your pets may be able to hear the noise and will likely be bothered by it too, so this option is best for pet-free homes. 

Today’s Homeowner Tips

Brown recluse spider bites can cause serious side effects, such as fever, vomiting, dizziness, and destroy the tissue around the spider bite area. However, this is rare.

Final Thoughts

Brown recluse spiders are solitary, non-aggressive spiders that eat many other household pests. However, they’re still a severe danger to homeowners due to their venomous bites, which can cause serious health implications, discomfort, and, in extreme cases, fatality. If you have a brown recluse spider problem, don’t hesitate to reach out to your local pest control service. Brown recluse spiders breed quickly and can rapidly take over your home, making it an unsafe place to live in.

Knowing how to identify signs and causes can help you catch a brown recluse problem and resolve it quickly.