C. W. from Missouri asked:
I found a spider in my house that I suspect may be a brown recluse, I got rid of the one I found, however what are the chances there are more in my house and how do I get rid of them?
and we said:
The Brown Recluse spider (Loxosceles
reclusa) is pretty serious business. You should understand though that it
comes by its name honestly. It is a very reclusive beast. However, the
consequences of not taking it seriously can be pretty severe. If you do a Yahoo
search (http://www.yahoo.com) on "brown
recluse" (include the quotes) you will get some pages with graphic (and
disgusting) photos of the result of a Brown Recluse bite. YECH!
If you find another, similar spider try not to "get rid of it" or
otherwise squish it beyond recognition! The best way to kill it (though maybe
not the safest) is to get it into a container (a large one -- and wear gloves!)
and put it in the freezer. This will preserve it well for identification and it
probably doesn't hurt the doomed animal much (maybe).
I saw a live Brown Recluse for the first time last month! (You'd think a guy who
has been a BUGMAN as long as I have would have seen many!) It was at a pet store
where a man had leased a space to rear BUGS for sale. I don't think he was
selling the Brown Recluse, but most of his clientele are zoos and museums -
hopefully responsible parties. I DON'T WANT IT!
It was significantly larger and more sinister looking than I had expected. It
has what looks like a very powerful face. Spiders are Arthropods.
Arthropods are animals with a usually hard, outer support, the exoskeleton,
(made out of a protein called chitin, pronounced like kitten but with a
"long i"). On Arthropods large, hard structures usually have a lot of
muscles. A Praying Mantid's front legs or a Lobster's fat claw are examples of
fat, strong BUG parts. The Brown Recluse's head was much larger than I had
thought. A Black Widow's head is not like this - though its bite is usually just
as dangerous.
But, read up on it and see what you
think. If indeed you have found one, I would try to find the local Extension
Agent of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources or a large University
nearby. Try this:
http://outreach.missouri.edu/
-- Someone will surely want to know about it... they keep records on those
things.
Other places to find info about these spiders include:
http://spiders.ucr.edu/recluseid.html
http://www2.ag.ohio-state.edu/~ohioline/hyg-fact/2000/2061.html
and
you will find ALL THE INFORMATION YOU EVER NEEDED about the Brown Recluse spider
here!:
http://www.ufsia.ac.be/Arachnology/Pages/Reclusa.html
As with any subject you research on the Internet, be very careful about what you
believe. Large, recognizable institutions such as universities are usually
reliable. You should always check numerous Internet sources against each other
and be critical about it. If one page agrees with things you have found on other
sites, and then adds new info, it is probably reliable - but you should still
try to cross-check it!
It is generally not helpful to be unnecessarily afraid of BUGS. Nothing replaces
learning as much as you can about all these things that live with us - whether
we like it or not! Most spiders are there eating other bugs that, while not as
dangerous, are much less respectful (breeding in kitchen cupboards is just plain
rude!). It is most often an action on OUR part - usually unintentional - that
causes the problem. By the time a spider bites somebody, it is really scared.
Hope that helps! I think it's great you want to know more. The key to respect is
understanding. If you would like to share the things you learn and your Brown
Recluse experiences, we are constructing the Ask BUGMAN pages this summer and
this will be a nice addition!