Brown recluse spiders are one of the most feared and unwanted household pests. But even with their horrendous appearance and reputation as a venomous spider, these house spider species are actually important to the ecosystem as a whole. Brown recluses are a known insect predator and by hunting for their food source, they help control the population of pests and insects in homes.
So what exactly do brown recluse spiders eat? Brown recluses have a unique diet consisting of small dead insects and sometimes they may prey on other spiders. This type of spider does not necessarily need water to survive and they can go for months without hydration. However, they do need to have an abundant supply of food sources such as mosquitoes, crickets, roaches, flies, moths, and other soft-bodied insects and pests.
If you have a brown recluse infestation, one of the signs of their activity is the presence of spider webs. You can spot a spider web hanging on wall corners, crawl spaces, or near a crevice or vents in your home. The spider web is important to these pests because it stores their egg sac and it is what they use to catch their food.
Spider webs have a silk-like appearance but the threads or the strands actually have a sticky surface. When unfortunate flying insects attach to the webs, it’s difficult for them to let loose. At the same time, the webs will send a vibration to the hunter brown recluse spiders which alerts them that they have caught their prey. The brown spider will paralyze their prey on the spot and proceed to consume them.
Brown recluses are not picky eaters and they can ingest almost any insect that gets caught on their web. Their insect food can range from soft-bodied small insects like flies, mosquitoes, moths, cockroaches, silverfish, bugs, and other common household pests. Occasionally, they may also feed on other arachnids and spiders.
Adult brown recluse spiders can also choose to scavenge for their food victims. They are known to be nocturnal hunters and will sometimes roam at night to look for freshly dead insects. Thanks to their long legs, they can easily chase any insect that they will lay their eyes on. Brown recluses have small but sharp fangs that can penetrate any prey’s bodies and they will inject venom to successfully capture them.
There are more than 3,400 recorded types of spiders in the United States. Knowing how to identify brown recluses from other species of spiders is crucial to determine the pest control treatment that you will need. At present, the most common spiders that are said to infest homes are wolf spider, yellow sac spider, spitting spider, jumping spider, hobo spider, cellar spider, and black widow spiders.
Brown recluses are part of the Loxosceles reclusa spider family. Unlike most spiders that have four pairs of eyes, a brown spider has only three pairs which means they have a total of six eyes. The color of their bodies can range from yellowish brown, light brown, and dark brown. What really sets them apart is their characteristic violin pattern that can be found on their backs. With this violin-shaped marking, brown recluses are also widely known as the violin spider.
To determine whether you have an active brown recluse spider infestation, you should look for the signs of their activity. One of the most common signs is the sighting of an egg sac. A female brown recluse spider can lay an egg sac with at least 40 to 50 eggs. If you see an egg sac, you should immediately call a professional pest control company to help eliminate and stop a possible infestation.
Another sign of an infestation is the decreased population of flying insects, bugs, and pests in your home. Brown recluses can help manage the incessant buzzing and annoying presence of these insects but it can also mean that you have a spider infestation that you should look into.
If you want to do a quick sweep of your house and locate their possible locations, you should start by checking secluded and dark areas. Brown recluses thrive in isolated and hidden places where they can live undisturbed. These include wall voids, basements, attic spaces, storage cabinets, bed skirts, under furniture, inside cupboards, and behind shoeboxes.
Unlike termites and ants which are destructive pests and can cause damage to your home foundation and wall structures, brown recluses spiders are rather tame and they only are a nuisance to your living environment. However, pest and spider control is still important to maintain the cleanliness and safety of everyone at home.
Black widow spider and brown recluses both have poisonous bites but the former has more potentially lethal effects compared to the latter. At first, a brown recluse spider bite is painless but after several hours, you may experience pain in the skin, swelling, redness, and general feelings of weakness.
The brown recluse venom may also cause a necrotic wound, and in rare cases, a victim can experience chills, fever, joint muscle pain, nausea, and vomiting. Medical attention may be required if the brown recluse bite symptoms persist for several days.
Because of the possible health and safety risks of brown recluses, it’s wise to put up preventive measures that will keep the spiders away from your home. Here are some tips that can help control and get rid of spiders:
There’s no better time than now to get professional help from pest control experts to help secure your home from a brown recluse spider infestation. When it comes to effective spider control and treatments in Connecticut, Yale Pest Control is your best choice with our quality service and comprehensive pest management.
At Yale Pest Control, we offer efficient and trusted pest control solutions that guarantee elimination of your pest issues. We’ll have our reliable team of pest control technicians visit your home for an extensive inspection to locate the source of your pest problems. Call us today and schedule a date for your first pest inspection!
