When you think of fall in Tennessee, you probably think of colorful pumpkin patches, vibrant leaves falling from trees, and the comfort of wearing a lightweight jacket in brisk weather. But fall in the southeast region of the U.S. also means the increased likelihood of crossing paths with brown recluse spiders.
Living up to its namesake, this arachnid (Loxosceles reclusa) comes in various shades of brown and prefers to live alone, away from people as well as other insects, and to be active at night. Like most spiders, the brown recluse builds a web to capture prey at night. During daylight hours, the brown recluse hides in structural places (including boxes, furniture, crawlspaces, and basements).
How do you know you are looking at a brown recluse? Similar to how the black widow is recognized by the hour-glass shape on its back, the brown recluse has a dark shape resembling a violin on its back. Another identifier is how the brown recluse has six eyes, which are arranged in pairs of three.
You should also be warned: The brown recluse is venomous. Most bites – which resemble a mosquito bite or a pimple – can cause pain around the area for several hours. In rare cases, a brown recluse bite can cause necrosis, or tissue loss, which will turn the area around the bite white, purple, or blue. This symptom is a sign that the bite requires medical attention.
Is there any way to avoid this pest? Certified Pest Control has a few recommendations:
- Eliminate Clutter
- Prevent Hitchhiking
- Set Out Sticky Traps
- Seal Cracks, Gaps, & Holes
Spiders are covered under Certified Pest Control’s Yearly Protection Plan. Contact us today about spider control in Nashville.
Eliminate Clutter
The brown recluse loves clutter. And when we say clutter, we mean clothes, shoes, sports equipment, loosely-sealed containers, cardboard boxes, and really anything that makes for a good hiding place.
In addition to keeping items picked-up off the floor in your home and storage areas, it’s always a good idea to inspect them they have been sitting unmoved for awhile. Give these items a good shake. Beating your shoes before slipping them on your feet is also a safe move and can minimize your risk of being bitten. If you are reaching into dark spaces – whether in a closet or storage area – use caution!
Prevent Hitchhiking
The brown recluse actually has earned a nickname as a “hitchhiker” because of its love for stowing away in boxes, furniture, and other structures that humans might bring indoors. What’s worse, it doesn’t take but bringing one female brown recluse into your home to create an infestation; a female can mate a single time and produce 150 (or more) eggs in a year!
To prevent an infestation, you need to stop the brown recluse from hitchhiking. Inspect anything you are about to bring indoors, whether it’s firewood you had stacked in your backyard or furniture you purchased at a yard sale. Any loose items (including clothes) that could be harboring a brown recluse can be stored tightly in a plastic tub or bag where a lack of oxygen will kill the spider.
Set Out Sticky Traps
As eerie as this sounds, setting out sticky traps can help you assess just how much brown recluse activity you have in your home, garage, or office. It’s also a very simple approach to catching and killing the brown recluse without the use of pest control sprays that can be irritating to your family members and pets.
The sticky surface catches and eventually kills the brown recluse, but it can also catch other insects. You don’t want to attract brown recluse with other trapped bugs, so make sure you are disposing of sticky traps regularly.
Seal Cracks, Gaps, & Holes
Because the brown recluse hunts other insects, including crickets, silverfish, and cockroaches, you need to keep an eye out for sightings of their prey – a brown recluse may not be far. The same avenues these insects use to enter and infiltrate your home can also be used by the brown recluse to gain access, such as cracks, gaps, and holes in your floors, doorways, and even walls.
Sealing these areas with caulk or other materials can keep out not just the insects but the brown recluse, as well. Sanitizing and employing a pest control service to spray your home and look for potential insect entryways are not bad ideas, either.
Contact Certified Pest Control to schedule an exterminator visit to your Nashville home.
