Brown Recluse Archives - J&J Exterminating

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Signs Of A Brown Recluse Infestation

Being able to detect a brown recluse infestation early on can help you avoid getting bitten by this dangerous spider. In this article, we’re going to go over the signs that indicate the presence of brown recluses in the home.

Webs

The first sign that you have a spider infestation in your home is the presence of webs. However, brown recluses do not usually build their webs out in the open – they will instead be hidden inside clutter. As such, it can be hard to detect an infestation by simply looking for the webs, but if you do spot one in a hidden corner or crevice, then odds are that a brown recluse is hiding behind it.

Egg sacs

As you clear or rummage through the clutter of the home, you might come across brown recluse egg sacs. These egg sacs resemble white berries covered with silk. While the spiders will be very protective of these sacs, they may not be around them the entire time, so you could come across the egg sacs and no spiders.

The presence of other insects

If you have a lot of insects in the home, you can expect to have some spiders inside as well. Brown recluses prefer to eat cockroaches, crickets, flies and moths. So if these insects are present in the home, and you have a lot of clutter, you are at high risk for a brown recluse infestation.

Identifying brown recluse spiders

If you happen to catch a spider out in the open, then you might be able to tell if you are dealing with a brown recluse. There are plenty of pictures online of this spider, but the gist of it is that they are tan to dark brown in coloration, and their color is uniform, with the exception of a violin marking on its abdomen or back.

What to do if you have an infestation

If you suspect that you have a brown recluse infestation, you can call over a pest control pro who will perform an inspection followed by a control procedure, which will consist of applying insecticides and baits to remove the spider infestation from the home. If you are looking for a long-term solution to these infestations, a pro will also be able to install residual insecticides, which will prevent the spiders from entering the home. Contact us today for more information.

Two Brown Recluse Spider Species Commonly Infest Homes And Buildings In Louisiana

Black widow and brown recluse spiders are currently recognized as being the only two groups of spiders in the United States that have the potential to inflict medically significant bites to humans. However, both black widows and brown recluse spiders are not each their own species; instead, each of these spiders consists of numerous species that span the entire US. For example, widow spider species include northern, southern and western black widows, just to name a few. But their currently exists 11 documented native recluse species as well as two non-native recluse species in the US. The name “brown recluse” is often applied to all recluse species, but in truth, the term “brown recluse” is a common nickname for only one recluse species, L. reclusa. The state of Louisiana is home to two recluse species, one of which is native, the other of which is non-native. These two species are the brown recluse and the Mediterranean recluse, respectively.

Both the brown recluse and the mediterranean recluse are, as you can guess, brown-colored species that exist almost exclusively in the northern half of Louisiana. However, the mediterranean recluse, which is not as abundant as its native counterpart, has been found in New Orleans, and experts believe that this species dwells in isolated pockets throughout the state. Given the Mediterranean recluse’s tolerance of hot coastal habitats, it was not surprising to find this species in the south of the state, especially in urban environments where it arrived via cargo shipments from Europe. The brown recluse invades homes in northern Louisiana frequently, and the Mediterranean recluse is almost always found near or within homes and buildings. Despite their commonality within homes and buildings, the rate of medically significant brown recluse envenomations are surprisingly low in the state. Pest controllers in Louisiana combat indoor infestations of recluse spiders often, but they urge residents not to be alarmed the spider’s indoor presence, as they are generally shy creatures that only enter homes by accident due to their habit of wandering long distances in search of food.

Have you ever encountered a brown recluse species in your home?

Brown Recluse Spiders Prefer To Live Indoors

Around 40,000 spider species have been documented worldwide, and a small minority of these species are frequently encountered within homes and buildings. Some spiders that prefer to live outdoors often appear within structures due to accidentally wandering indoors or to pursue insect prey within homes and buildings. These occasional spider invaders include grass spiders, wolf spiders, fishing spiders, and even tarantulas. Other spiders that are frequently found indoors are synanthropic pests that have lost their ability to survive in the natural environment. The word “synanthropy” refers to organisms that benefit from living in close association with humans, and most synanthropic spiders spend their entire lives eating and reproducing within structures. Synanthropic spiders are often referred to as “house spiders,” and they include American house spiders, yellow sac spiders, cellar spiders, southern house spiders, and many cobweb weaving spiders. Unfortunately, the most dangerous spider species in the United States, the brown recluse spider, maintains a synanthropic habitat where they pose a medical threat.

Brown recluse spiders establish indoor harborages in dark spaces like closets, shoes, storage rooms, beneath clutter, attics, in piles of clothing, and beneath furniture. It is not uncommon for homeowners to find large numbers of brown recluse spiders indoors, and most recluse bites that are reported to medical facilities and poison control centers occur on residential properties. Amazingly, a brown recluse spider infestation consisting of more than 2,000 specimens was found within a single-family home back in 2001. Due to their familiarity with manmade structures, massive numbers of brown recluse spiders are able to inhabit homes without drawing attention from residents. These spiders only emerge in open living areas at night to seek out food sources, and they are known for behaving boldly around sleeping humans during this time. For example, doctors recently pulled a brown recluse spider from a woman’s ear. The spider likely crawled into her ear while she was sleeping in her infested home. Brown recluse spiders are not aggressive toward humans and most bites occur when specimens become trapped in clothing or are inadvertently pressed by humans. About 10 percent of all recluse bites result in skin lesions that often develop into necrotic infections that require medical attention.

Have you ever encountered a brown recluse spider indoors?

How Frequently Do People Sustain Medically Harmful And Deadly Brown Recluse Spider Bites

The brown recluse spider has become notorious for inflicting bites to humans that sometimes cause tissue necrosis, dangerous allergic reactions, and/or systemic symptoms like fever, chills, vomiting and diarrhea. The brown recluse spider (Loxosceles reclusa) is the most widespread and commonly encountered recluse spider species in the US, and they are abundant throughout Louisiana. The US is home to 13 recluse spider species, two of which are non-native species that were inadvertently transported into the country. One of these non-native species, the Mediterranean recluse, has become established in New Orleans and other urban areas in southern Louisiana.

Several laboratory studies on recluse spider venom, and multiple case studies on recluse spider bite victims have found that all 13 recluse spiders in the country are capable of inflicting medically significant bites that produce the same symptoms. The brown recluse is responsible for inflicting the vast majority of reported recluse bites, as the other species, with the exception of the Mediterranean recluse, prefer to dwell in undisturbed areas of the natural environment where they are very rarely encountered by humans. While the Mediterranean recluse is not widespread, it is similar to the brown recluse in that it is an urban-dwelling species that benefits from living in close association with humans. Mediterranean recluse infestations are becoming more common, as a recent nationwide survey of pest management professionals revealed that the Mediterrranean recluse was the most commonly controlled spider pest within homes during the 2016 year.

Brown recluse spiders and the danger they pose to humans started to become well known to the public during the 1950s when the medical community took note of several fatal brown recluse envenomation incidents. Between 1983 and 2009, 42,544 brown recluse spider bites were reported to the American Association of Poison Control Centers. Of these thousands of brown recluse bite victims, only seven died as a result of envenomation. Brown recluse spiders are among the top five most commonly controlled indoor spider species in the US, and their presence within a home may go unnoticed for a time due to their habit of hiding beneath clutter in storage rooms, attics, garages, and basements. Infestations tend to grow more extensive over time, and eventually, their indoor population increases to the point where residents begin to spot the spiders in open living areas during the day. Although brown recluse spiders very rarely inflict deadly bites, residents should not attempt to eliminate the spiders from homes themselves, as most bites occur indoors. Most infestations require professional pest control intervention.

Have you ever found brown recluse spiders in your home?

Posts Tagged ‘Brown Recluse’

Signs Of A Brown Recluse Infestation

Two Brown Recluse Spider Species Commonly Infest Homes And Buildings In Louisiana

Brown Recluse Spiders Prefer To Live Indoors

How Frequently Do People Sustain Medically Harmful And Deadly Brown Recluse Spider Bites

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