Brown Recluse Spider

Characteristics

• Spins disorganized webs in sheltered locations such as basements, barns, and homes
• Brown recluses are active hunters and the web is meant as shelter and intended for catching prey
• These spiders only have three pairs of eyes instead of the normal four pairs

The brown recluse is a spider that is attracted to the environments created by a house. They are found in dark sheltered areas such as basements, barns, and other areas of your home. They spin webs that appear disorganized but do not use these webs to catch prey. Instead they build these low lying webs as a shelter and actively hunt down their prey.

Brown Recluse Bite

As a species, brown recluses are not aggressive and bites are rare. These spiders usually only bite when pressed against the skin, usually by putting on articles of clothing that the spider was hiding in. The bite from a brown recluse can go unnoticed for several hours but can be quite serious. The venom is capable of causing necrosis of the skin although the majority of bites do not. The site of the bite will usually form a red swollen blister and the victim may exhibit symptoms such as itching, fever, convulsions, and muscle pain. Please seek medical attention if a brown recluse bite is suspected. However it is estimated that brown recluse are over diagnosed.

Similar Spiders

Many spiders, such as the common house spider and the cellar spider, are often confused for the brown recluse. The two visual characteristics of the brown recluse are the violin shaped mark on its cephalothorax and three pairs of eyes. Many similar looking spiders will share one of those characteristics but only the brown recluse will have both features. Close examination of unknown spiders is not recommended, if you suspect a brown recluse in your home please consult with a pest control expert.