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 where they have been transported in luggage and
clothing that has not been used
household furnishings. Other species of recluse spiders
during the current season.
live in the southwestern states particularly in desert
Concentrate on areas outside daily
areas. This spider lives outdoors in the southern part
human traffic patterns. Homes and
of its range and primarily indoors throughout the rest
buildings that have been unoccupied for
of its distribution. It is commonly found in older
months or longer are particularly
susceptible to increased spider
homes in the Midwest. The Brown Recluse is smaller
populations.
than the Black Widow; it has an oval abdomen rather
Outdoors, in the southern and western
than a round one. The abdomen is uniformly tan to
part of its range, these spiders may be
brown without marking. A dark fiddle-shaped mark is
found in cracks between the soil and
obvious on the cephalothorax -- the broad base of the
structure foundations, door stoops, and
fiddle begins at the eyes and the narrow fiddle neck
in window wells.
ends just above the attachment of the abdomen. Legs
Outside of their range, inspect around
are long, the second pair longer than the first. The
luggage, trunks, and furniture brought
Brown Recluse makes a fine, irregular web. It
from s o u t h e r n E u r o p e , t h e
commonly wanders in the evening in indoor
M e d i t e r r a n e a n , or North Africa.
infestations.
American personnel, who have, lived
Bites. Recluse spiders avoid parts of rooms where
overseas in these areas, sometimes
human activity is prevalent, remaining where there is
introduce L. rufescens in returning
no activity and in closed or unused rooms. Even
household goods.
though indoor infestations can be large, household
inhabitants are seldom bitten. Bites can be expected
Habitat Alteration
when guest rooms are suddenly put into use or when
Recommend careful mopping or dusting
stored clothing is brought out for use. Brown Recluse
of seldom-used rooms and closets.
bites are sharp but not initially painful like those of the
Inspect winter clothing that has hung in
Black Widow, but a blister is quickly raised, broken,
hallways or unused closets through the
and surrounded by a red welt. The depressed center of
spring and summer. Store them in
this raised, red circle (the size of a dime to a quarter)
plastic bags.
turns dark within a day. The dead tissue regularly
In the evening, reinspect spaces
sloughs away, and the bite area scars over in one to
disturbed by dusting and mopping. Kill
eight weeks. Death seldom occurs, but the bite is
moving spiders.
debilitating and psychologically traumatic.
The spider is delicate. After biting, it frequently
Pesticide Application
can be found lying where it was slapped by the victim.
It should be killed and taken to the physician along
Residual pesticides labeled for spiders, should be
used carefully to control the Brown Recluse spider.
with the victim for positive identification. Other biting
Carefully use residual pesticides labeled
arthropods can produce lesions resembling the bite of
for spiders.
the Brown Recluse spider.
A foreign species of recluse spider, Loxosceles
Apply the pesticide in all cracks and
rufescens, is imported from Mediterranean Europe and
crevices -- particularly in spaces outside
North Africa. While this spider closely resembles L.
daily human traffic patterns.
reclusa and has successfully infested several locations
Spot treatments will be less effective
than crack and crevice treatments
in the middle Atlantic states at least for short periods,
because spiders touch spot residues only
its bites do not result in trauma like those of L. reclusa
with hairs at the tips of their legs.
and have been noted to be far less venomous.
Inspection
Follow up
Recluse spiders should be sought near places
Spiders not killed by the pesticide treatment will
where bites occur.
wander. Warn clients to be wary of immediate use of
Look along walls in uninhabited rooms,
rooms not normally in use. They should watch
under and behind furniture, in the far
carefully for spiders one or two days following
reaches of storerooms, in unused
treatment. Monitor and, if indicated, retreat the
closets, under stairs and in hanging
structure in one or two weeks.
Module Two, Chapter 3, Pg 3
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