Brown Recluse
The name “Brown Recluse” describes the color and the habits of this increasingly infamous spider. Brown Recluse spiders, with the scientific name of Loxosceles reclusa are one of the few spiders in the United States that are known to be very harmful to humans.
Identify Brown Recluse Spiders
Adult Brown Recluse spiders are yellowish-tan to dark brown. They have long, thin gray to dark brown legs covered with very short, dark hairs. Both male and female spiders are similar in appearance and are equally venomous. The most distinguishing mark on a brown recluse spider is the presence of a dark brown or black violin or fiddle on its back with the violin’s “neck” pointing toward the rear of its body. For this reason, they are sometimes called “violin spiders” or “fiddleback spiders”.
Brown Recluse Characteristics
The Brown Recluse is regarded by some as more dangerous than the Black Widow spider because it is considered a house spider and isn’t as simple to identify.
The Brown Recluse spider will lunge and bite the prey in a vulnerable area and immediately back away while the venom acts to quickly paralyze them. The spider then moves in to feed. The same venom that acts to liquefy an insect’s innards for consumption also causes the “flesh rotting” appearances as shown.
During the day, Brown Recluse spiders spend their time in quiet, undisturbed places. If they are seen roaming during the day, pesticide applications, hunger, overcrowding or a desire to find a mate has probably brought them out. Sometimes they will be discovered trapped within a smooth surface such as a bathtub or sink. But because they are primarily nocturnal, they will typically begin to stray from their hiding place about an hour or two after dark. This is when they spend their time hunting for food. This explains why many bites occur while victims are sleeping. While they are hunting for food, they may crawl up onto a bed and bite when the victim inadvertently rolls onto the spider during normal sleep movements.
Brown Recluse spiders are remarkably resilient and can survive 6 to 12 months with no food or water and have an average life span of 2 to 4 years. In laboratory conditions, they have lived as long as 7 years.
High Risk Areas
Brown Recluse spiders prefer warm, dry locations. Here are some places where they are typically found indoors:
- Baseboards
- Boxes
- Dressers
- Showers & Bathtubs
- Couches, Tables, & Chairs
- Bed Sheets
- Stacks of Clothes
- Shoes
- Behind Pictures
- Closets
- Furniture
- Garages
- Storage Sheds
- Cellars
- Firewood
- and more…
Don’t let spiders hide in these high risk areas of your home or business in the OKC metro.
Call The Bug Guy today at 405-973-5522 or schedule an appointment online.
