Brown Recluse Spider Facts

Brown Recluse Spider Basics

While there are more than 35,000 species of spiders worldwide, including 3,000 in North America, there are only two types that are dangerous to humans – the black widow and brown recluse spiders. Brown recluse spiders are commonly found in Phoenix, as they prefer warm climates with dark, dry spaces. They’re often found in undisturbed areas including closets, woodpiles, and under sinks.

These spiders are called recluse because they are generally shy and prefer quiet, dark spaces. This means that if you have a spider infestation in your Phoenix home, you’re probably not going to see it right away. Add in the fact that the eggs often take 10 to 12 months to hatch and it’s a recipe for a long-term problem that you may not detect until someone accidentally gets bitten.

Symptoms of a Brown Recluse Spider Bite

Best identified by the violin-shaped marking on their back, brown recluse spider bites cause mild stinging followed by redness and intense pain within about eight hours. You may have a fluid-filled blister or a reddish or purple color around the bite. Reactions vary from mild fever and rash to nausea and listlessness.

Other symptoms include:

• Chills
• Itching
• Fever and/or sweating
• Ulcer in the bite area

In rare cases you may also experience:

• Coma
• Jaundice
• Kidney failure
• Blood in urine
• Seizures

If you suspect you’ve been bitten by a brown recluse spider:

1. Clean the wound and surrounding skin with soap and water.
2. Apply a cool cloth or ice to the infected area.
3. Slow the venom of a bite on an arm or leg by tying a bandage above the bite and elevate the limb. Don’t make it so tight that all circulation is cut off.
4. If you think you’ve been bitten by a spider, seek medical attention. The bite could eventually cause skin in the affected area to die.
5. If possible, kill the spider and take it with you to the medical facility so the doctors can see the type of spider that bit you.

The people most at-risk for illness following a brown recluse or other spider bite are infants, children, elderly, and those with severe allergies. Their immune systems are already compromised putting them at greater risk for side effects of spider bites.

How to Prevent a Brown Recluse Problem

It’s probably a pain to do this, but make sure you regularly clean those portions of your house that don’t frequently get used. Even though your invited guest might not see them, the nasty little pests that invade your home may see it as an open invitation.

Cleaning and dusting will go a long way to diminish the appeal of your home as a nesting place for these spiders.

It’s also important to have regular pest service from Budget Brothers Termite & Pest Elimination. Even if you don’t see any unwelcome pests in your home, the truth is that they are there. When you have regular pest control service in your Phoenix home, you make sure that any spiders (and other pests) are eliminated and their eggs. The last thing you want to do is remove some spiders only to find them all over again when the eggs hatch.

Take heart. Most bites that people think are from spiders, are from other types of insects.