Brown Recluse Spiders
(Loxosceles Reclusa)
The Brown Recluse spider belongs to a family of recluse spiders. The name
comes from its brown color and its reclusive personality. It lives in
areas that do not get disturbed often like under stones, logs and loose
tree bark. They can also make their way indoors taking shelter in closets,
attics and sometimes clothing and shoes. Brown
Recluse spiders are generally found in the Midwest and Southern parts of
the United States. This includes Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas,
Mississippi, Missouri, Kansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia and a
few others. You can occasionally find them in other parts of the country
if they have been transported in boxes or shipping containers that
originated in the South or Midwest.
Brown
Recluse spiders have a body that is just under a half an inch in length.
They have a dark mark on the body that resembles a violin. In fact they
are also known as Violin Spiders. Another characteristic is that they have
6 eyes instead of eight like most spiders. They have one pair of eyes on
the front of their head and one on either side of their head.
The Brown Recluse is a poisonous spider. Its venom will cause the skin
around the bite to slough off. This will generally leave you with a wound
that heals poorly and almost always leaves a scar. They are however
generally not a lethal spider. Biting for the
Brown Recluse spider is a defensive measure. It usually occurs when they
are being crushed. For example, putting your foot into a shoe where a
Recluse has taken up residence or rolling over onto a spider in a bed they
reside in. The only defense they have is to bite.
If you believe you have a Brown Recluse Spider Infestation, call a local
exterminator. They will help you identify the problem and can exterminate
the spiders and prevent future infestations better than any commercially
available insecticide. |