A stroll through the Halloween decor section at the store demonstrates that spiders are something that conjure up dread amongst most people. They are sitting on shelves next to zombies and vampires, amongst other spooky season all-stars. There are two species in Kentucky that seem to inspire the most fear though: brown recluses and black widows.
The Department of Entomology receives a few black widows a year from people who discover them on their property. Far more common though, are requests to figure out if a brown recluse has been caught in a home. Right now, as temperatures drop and some bugs attempt to move into homes, several species of spider may also try to get inside. Several of these are confused with the brown recluse. Let's dive into some info on the recluse and dispel some myths while providing some casual identification tips.
Brown Recluse Basics
As the name implies, this spider species is not known for its gregarious behavior. In a natural setting, they would usually be found in hollow logs, beneath stones, or loose bark on trees. Luckily for the recluses, humans often construct buildings that afford them a lot of potential hiding spots as well. The species that resides in Kentucky (Loxosceles reclusa) can be found in attics, cellars, wall voids, closets, and garages. Mainly, they want to live in spots that have been undisturbed for an extended period. They feed on other household arthropods and even each other in these secluded spots. Brown recluses can produce spider silk, but they don't construct webs like we see with other species. They may make a web enclosure between objects, which can have a slight tunnel-like appearance.
Bites & the Recluse
Brown recluse spiders are armed with venom that helps them to capture their prey. In some instances, while you are pulling down the Christmas decorations, putting on clothes you haven't worn in a while, or while performing home repairs, for example, you may come into contact with them. Typically, they will turn tail and run; they don't want to mess with you. Unfortunately, in some situations you may grab or press up against the recluse, which can lead to a bite.
Bites may initially be painless, but over the next 3 to 8 hours, the bite site may become red, swollen, and tender to the touch. Usually, this is as far as symptoms progress with resolution happening within the next 3 weeks. Unfortunately, there are other cases where a necrotic "spot" can develop. There will be a central blister, surrounded by sinking, bluish skin. The lesion may remain small but can expand as well; these cases tend to result in a scar.
Brown recluse bites are not as common as many people tend to believe and many other issues have been misdiagnosed as a brown recluse spider bite. Medical research has shown that up to 80% of problems diagnosed as "spider bites" are in actuality caused other issues. Most notably, skin infections, such as from staph or MRSA; these result in misdiagnosis that is still ultimately treated correctly.
Cases of Mistaken Identity
Due to its fearsome reputation, many people expect the brown recluse to be somewhere near the size of a tarantula. In truth, they are kind of puny and boring looking. The main body is only about 1/2 inch in length; with the legs included, they are slightly bigger than a quarter. They are light brown with a dark brown "fiddle" pattern on the top of their head area. This lends them their other common name, the fiddle-back spider. Brown recluses are also notable for having six eyes, arranged in three pairs that form a horseshoe of eyes. This eye pattern sets them apart from a lot of the species confused with them.
Some of the spiders most frequently confused with brown recluse are funnel weaver spiders, yellow sac spiders, tiger wolf spiders, and cellar spiders. None of these have the same eye pattern as a recluse but if you aren't willing to perform some spider optometry for identification, there are some other tips available.
First, check the size. Most species coming in from outside, such as grass spiders and wolf spiders, will be considerably larger and stouter than a brown recluse.
Other times, it comes down to color: yellow sac spiders look remarkably like a brown recluse except they are too light in color.
Finally, how is the spider living? Cellar spiders, in particular, live in the same areas as recluses but construct messy webs that they hang from. This behavior is not seen with the recluse.
Management
If you feel you are dealing with a brown recluse problem, it is important to consult with a pest control professional. Because some recluses are found in a home, it does not necessarily mean the home is completely infested; it is not abnormal to find them. Reducing clutter helps to limit their population and they can be captured with glue board traps set up in storage areas. If a high number are being found outside of storage areas, a professional can help to perform pesticide applications where they will be most effective.
Categories: Kentucky, Rural Lifestyle