Brown Recluse Spiders!! - Carthage,MO

Other than bombing the house hedgeapples work great! put them on a plastic plate and put them in a dark corner and let them rot. They don't give off a smell that we can smell but the bugs and spiders do. Also a brown recluse isn't going to come out if the room has a lot of light. They love dark corners.

You can get Ortho Home Defense bug spray. Spray inside & outside according to the directions. Can also be used to spray directly on the spiders (& other bugs!!) My parents and I both use that stuff.

You have to treat the exterior/foundations/house perimeters.
With an insecticide... liquid or granule type that you wet down.
Or get an exterminator.

These bites, are very bad... and can get infected.... look it up online.

Sticky pads are too inconsistent. The spider has to actually step on it, for it to work. The chances of that are minimal.

I lived with these spiders for possibly years without ever knowing, until I found one feeding on an oriental roach in my silverware drawer! I called a professional immediately.
Please do not try to mess with these spiders. Call a professional that stands behind their product & ask if the spray is dangerous to pets or kids after it is dry. If they have a good product they shouldn't have to come out more than once a month (if that) & the price shouldn't be outragious if they need to spray monthly.
Good luck & make sure anyone who is bit or who has a strabge bite gets checked by a doctor.

God bless!

A few years ago I found a nest of brown recluse spiders under the scale in my bathroom and have been on a seek and destroy mission ever since. What I learned about these spiders is that they are hard shelled which means they can walk right over the strongest bug spray and not be affected. The only time bug sprays are effective is when they are sprayed directly on the spider or if the spider feeds on a bug that died from bug spray. They usually aren't found up high but close to the floor or in drawers and cabinets. One source for them to enter your home is off of trees that touch your roof. They come out at night seeking moisture and food. The best place to put the traps is around your furnace, in the bathrooms, under kitchen sinks, attics and closets.

The best website I found with tons of information was the University of Texas.....and they recommend sticky traps as the most effective form of control.

I found the traps on the website Cleaner Today, http://www.cleanertoday.com/Spider-traps-s/86.htm they have the best price out there and online coupons are available too. They sound like the type Julie H wrote about, they fold into little boxes. I don't like spraying pesticides, especially if you have young kids and pets which makes the traps a safer alternative too. Plus, at least for me, I like being able to see (or not see!) how many spiders I find stuck to the traps and watch that number dwindle! I hardly ever see them anymore (seems like when the weather gets cold or hot I will find a couple on the traps).

Good luck!

Brown recluse love undisturbed places, like the backs (undisturbed corners) of dark closets, shoes that have not been used in awhile, unused clothing, etc. If you must store clothing, shoes, material, etc for long periods, invest in plastic totes with tight fitting lids, or those big ziplock plastic bags. Clean out your closets and spray them with a good perimeter spray at least once every 6 months.

Brown recluse especially love old paper and boxes, as well as cloth. Get rid of old magazines or newspapers that are laying around or in storage. If you must keep them, put them in good totes.

They also love dark, damp places. Do what you can to banish dark corners from your home. Open window shades, get good lighting, and get a dehumidifier (for the summer months). If you can afford it, use your air conditioner regularly. This will pull a lot of the humidity out of the air.

Don't forget your basement or crawl space. Clean it up, spray it, and dehumidify it if at all possible.

Best wishes !

Unfortunately, spiders can be incredibly hard to control--very few products have enough residual activity to have any effect and you have to use direct contact poisions. The best defense is to avoid having habitats they like. I know, I know...easier said than done. Spiders are such an important part of ecology in the garden that I have a live and let live philosophy.

However, if you must spray, try to find something called DEMON WP. One of the best spider controls I've seen. My parents can't seem to find it where they live, so I ship it up from Texas for them to use on their wood pile.

Sorry Sandy, Ortho Home Defense isn't labelled to guard against either Black Widow or Brown Recluse. It doesn't mean it won't, but probably won't give you the level of control you are looking for.

HIRE A PROFESSIONAL!!!! They are extremely hard to get rid of, one of the reasons they are called a "recluse" spider is because you usually won't know they are there until until it's too late, you've been bit! And their bites can be very dangerous! It will be worth the cost to ensure that your mom is rid of them!

Yikes! Brown recluse spiders are so dangerous--I would call a professional exterminator for help. Explain you need insecticide used in a child-friendly environment.

Get a professional! It will be worth the cost. I had a brown recluse bite when I was a teenager and it was bad. I had no idea I was bit because it was on my back and I couldn't see it. I only found out I had it because my back started itching really bad there and my friend's mom lifted my shirt and saw it. It was a big red/purple/black patch about the size of a plate. I also felt so tired that I thought I was drugged and could barely do anything. I had to go on steroids for a while also. The bite was in a bad place - right above my heart - so all the poison went there first as my blood circulated. This was not a good experience and I had to be watched for some time by the doctors. You do not want to mess with these nasty things, so get rid of them as quick as you can!