WOODLOUSE SPIDER (Dysdera crocata) This spider is sometimes mistaken for the brown recluse spider, though there is only a vague resemblance between the two. Yet, like the brown recluse, the woodlouse spider has six eyes and is most active at night.
The woodlouse spider (Dysdera crocata, Family Dysderidae) (Fig. 8) has six eyes which are grouped closely together in triads near the anterior margin of the cephalothorax. Despite this and the lack of bodily pigmentary pattern, the woodlouse spider is commonly misidentified as a brown recluse.
An even more important identifier is the number and arrangement of the eyes. Unlike most spiders which have eight eyes, brown recluse spiders have six eyes arranged in three pairs. Note also that the legs of brown recluse are not spiny or banded like those of many spiders it is often confused with.
Brown recluses have plain brown abdomens and plain brown legs with fine hair but no large spines. 4. Does it have extremely long and skinny legs? If it has extremely long skinny legs like the spider in the image above, it is a cellar spider (or daddy-longlegs), not a brown recluse.
The brown recluse may have fine hairs, but no spines, on its legs, which are uniform in color with no stripes or bands. According to Vetter, if the spider has more than one color on its legs, it's not a brown recluse. The wolf spider has long, hairy legs of varying color.
Brown recluse spiders are mostly only active from March through October, so trying to control them from October through March is generally not necessary or useful. 2. They are found outdoors in Kansas and other Midwestern states, as well as within structures. They tend to thrive in the same environments that humans do.
One of these bad decisions is trying to physically hit or squish a brown recluse. Doing so puts you in close proximity to the spider and makes it feel threatened. This is a combination that significantly increases your chances of getting bit.
Days after being bitten
However, people who have a strong reaction to a brown recluse bite will see a blister form after a day or two. The pain may become unmanageable at this point and most will seek medical care.
If you see a brown recluse, you don't have to be afraid. Just leave it alone and get in touch with pest management pros who can help keep you and your household safe! Brown recluse spiders don't design their webs to catch prey, so the design is much more irregular and loose than a typical spider web.
Although the word recluse alludes to the spider's solitary lifestyle, brown recluse spiders are prolific breeders. A typical female brown recluse lays up to five egg sacs, and each egg sac can contain as many as 50 eggs. So yes, if you see one, it could mean that you have hundreds of them.
Some people are unaffected by a bite, whereas others experience immediate or delayed effects as the venom kills the tissues (necrosis) at the site of the bite. Many brown recluse bites cause just a little red mark that heals without event. The vast majority of brown recluse bites heal without severe scarring.
Sustenance. The brown recluse is a hunter spider, and nothing makes a home more attractive to these predators than lots of food. Their primary food source is small bugs. The more small bugs you have, the more attractive your home will be to a brown recluse.
Preventing a Brown Recluse Infestation
Move your bed away from the wall and remove any skirts and items stored below to prevent a spider from crawling onto the bed. Items worn or used occasionally should be stored in plastic bins and bags, especially if they are found in garages or other dark storage areas.
All Brown recluse spiders have a single “violin-shaped” mark at the top of their cephalothorax (fused head and thorax). This mark varies in size and intensity, but it's always darker than the spider's body. The violin “body” is broadest at the top of the spider's head, behind its eyes.
#2: Tiger Wolf Spiders
These brown spiders are easily discernible from the brown recluse because of their furry little bodies. They have black and yellow patterns on their backs and are slightly larger than the Brown Recluse.
Brown recluse spiders (Loxosceles reclusa) are native to a region comprising Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Alabama and parts of Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska, according to Vetter.
Among 45 cases with features consistent of a BRSB, 43 (95.6%) occurred during April–October. Both the Vetter study and our study serve to demonstrate seasonal activity for brown recluse spiders.
Spiders in general are not fans of strong smells, brown recluses are no exception. Potted indoor eucalyptus played on windowsills can be a strong deterrent to spiders.
A vacuum cleaner and some insect spray can take care of many spider problems, but homeowners should call an exterminator to deal with an outbreak of especially venomous species like confirmed brown recluse or black widow sightings around the home.
Though many spider bites aren't serious, a brown recluse spider bite may cause severe side effects or require immediate medical attention.
The quickest way to positively identify a recluse spider is to examine the arrangement of the eyes – there should be three pairs. Brown recluse spiders usually have a “violin pattern” on the cephalothorax. Funnel weaver spiders and wood louse hunters are the two groups most commonly mistaken for recluse spiders.
Bathrooms, with their dark corners and pipes, can attract these spiders looking for a cool, humid place to settle. Fix leaks: Brown recluse spiders are more likely to be drawn to areas with moisture, so fixing any leaks in your bathroom or kitchen is essential.
Brazilian wandering spiders
It has a highly toxic venom and is regarded (along with the Australian funnel-web spiders) as among the most dangerous spiders in the world. Based on one of the few pharmacological studies performed in the 1970s, Phoneutria's venom toxicity was more virulent than both Atrax and Latrodectus.
The majority of the mist ends up falling on floors and countertops. It rarely penetrates the hidden crevices where spiders live. The active ingredient used in most bug bombs doesn't work on arachnids.