How Do I Get Rid of Brown Recluse Spiders Quickly? (5 Minute DIY)

Our fully inclusive guide on the brown recluse spider, and how to get rid of it quickly, in fact, in as little as just five minutes!

Many of us don’t like spiders, do we? In fact, there is a phobia dedicated entirely to the fear of these eight legged creatures, called arachnophobia, and throughout the US, many people suffer from it.

The vast majority of house spiders, despite looking a little creepy, are harmless. However, there are one or two different kinds of species out there which can actually cause great detriment to the well – being of us as human beings.

One of the more well – known of these, is without doubt, the brown recluse spider. They’re fairly easy to spot, and unfortunately are fairly commonly found throughout homes all around the USA.

With this in mind, it’s no bad thing to know how to get rid of these critters, and fast! So how can you get rid of the brown recluse spider?

Well, home owners, read on for our fully inclusive guide on the brown recluse spider, and how to get rid of it quickly – in some cases in as small a time frame as five minutes!

Get to Know More About the Brown Recluse Spider

Now, we’re not saying go ahead and befriend them – that would be ridiculous – but you should get to know more about the brown recluse spider in order to get rid of them more efficiently.

Here are a few fun little facts about the brown recluse:

• They are one of the top five most venomous spiders in the world, and sit at a fairly uncomfortable number two within the US alone.
• They are surprisingly shy, and will only really bite if they feel threatened or cornered.
• There are twelve different species of the recluse spider worldwide, and the brown recluse comes in second in terms of venom power. First on the list is the Chilean recluse.
• Sometimes the brown recluse is referred to as the “fiddleback spider” or the “violin spider”. These names derive from the markings on the spider themselves, which resemble a violin.
• They are one of the nine most common species of spider to be found around the common US house hold.
• In some parts of the world, brown recluse spiders are actually kept as pets – yep, we know, it’s crazy. In Australia particularly, these spiders are popular among arachnid enthusiasts, but should only be handled by owners with experience, and no children.
• Their nature is surprisingly docile.

So, now we know a few more fun facts about the brown recluse spider, let’s take a look at some of the important tell – tale signs that will indicate this is exactly what you are in fact dealing with.

What Does a Brown Recluse Spider Actually Look Like?

Identification is one of the key techniques used by pest professionals in ridding you of your pest problems. Therefore, you should always make sure you can identify the pest at hand yourself too.

One thing about brown recluse spiders which makes them harder to spot, is that there are some copycat spiders out there – think about copycat serial killers – as they try and mimic the appearance of their far more dangerous familiar.

However, there are some distinguishable features which will only be seen on the real brown recluse, and we’re going to list them just below:

• Their bodies are small in size, and measure at just one third / one half of an inch long.
• Their abdomen is an oval shape.
• Because of their legs, their overall span is just over an inch.
• Their colouring is solid, but can range in colour anywhere from a yellow / tan colour, all the way down to a dark brown. They also have a dark brown violin shape on their prosoma – which is also known as the cephalothorax or the head / thorax. The neck of the violin tends to point towards the abdomen of the brown recluse.
• In terms of their legs, they are finely haired, rather than having spines.
• They have just three pairs of eyes – which is minimal for spiders – which are arranged in a single row.

You might not want to get too close, but being able to spot these feature will enable you to set the real brown recluse spiders apart from the wannabes.

The Life Cycle of the Brown Recluse Spider

Next up, we’re taking a look at the life cycle of the brown recluse spider.

The spiderlings – or babies – of the brown recluse spiders tend to take around ten – twelve months in order to fully mature, and at this point they are commonly mistaken for being black widow spiders.

Once matured, the life span of a brown recluse spider tends to be around one / two years, but they can live up to three under the right conditions.

They tend to mate in the late Summer when food is at its’ most plentiful for them. Each clutch that is laid by the female can contain as many as fifty eggs at once.

Where Will I Find a Brown Recluse Spider?

As we mentioned earlier on, the brown recluse spider is very shy, and they do actually tend to prefer being in a warmer climate.

There is a chance you may never encounter a brown recluse spider in your life time – and good for you if this is the case! However, they can be found in almost every state of the US, and tend to come into the home via accidental hitchhiking in cars, vans, lorries, and so on.

They can handle temperatures from forty up to one hundred and ten degrees, unlike many other kinds of spider, and they tend to hunt nocturnally.

They are likely to build their webs in cracks and crevices in the home – and are usually hiding here due to cold winter weather. They tend to stay here until the evening, when they will emerge and hunt for their prey, which is insects.

Because of their shy nature, they’ll often stay within their den, and if approached by a person, they will flee in the opposite direction.

How Can I Get Rid of the Brown Recluse Spider – and Fast!

As we all well know, the bite of a brown recluse can be fatal to the human victim. Therefore, despite their shy nature, it’s no wonder we want them out of the home quickly.

Below we’re going to be listing our favourite methods of getting rid of the brown recluse spider as quickly as possible.

Check Nesting Sites Thoroughly

You’ll need to find the source of the brown recluse spiders before doing anything else, so you should start by checking nesting sites. Some of their common favourite spots include:

• Compost heaps.
• Wood piles.
• Attics.
• Basements.
• Cabinets.
• Dressers.
• Grills.
• Fireplaces.
• Gaps in baseboards and other kinds of trim.
• Mailboxes.
• Dirty laundry.
• Linen piles.
• Ground cover / vines.
• Mailboxes.
• Paving stones.
• Shoes and pockets.
• Clutter in the home, yard, or garage.
• Storage areas.
• Tool boxes.
• Underneath furniture.
• In vehicles.
• Wall voids.

And that’s a pretty extensive list.

Killing the Brown Recluse

Many of us feel no remorse for these creatures, and want a quick kill fix rather than a safe removal.

Below, we are going to be listing some of the best ways of killing the brown recluse.

Contact Aerosols

Using a contact aerosol is an effective method of killing the brown recluse. These sprays leave no residue, and therefore can be used safely around pets and children. You do have to spray the spider directly in order to kill it, however.

Liquid Insecticides

The vast majority of exterminators will opt to use a liquid insecticide, because of their efficiency. It’s easy to spray, and seeps easily into cracks and crevices where brown recluse spiders hide.

Spider Traps

Spider traps are another favourite method of getting rid of the brown recluse among households. Some traps can handle larger spiders, and therefore the brown recluse is easy pickings – plus you don’t have to come into any close contact with them. Result!

The Vacuum

Okay, last of all, but by no means least, a quick and easy – and likely no need to purchase – fix for removing brown recluse spiders from your home, is simply by vacuuming them up.

Yep, that’s right – it’s not only crumbs that your vacuum cleaner is good for! So long as you’re using an edge attachment, you should be able to reach cracks and crevices. In doing this, you should be able to effectively suck up the little critters from a safe distance which eliminates the chances of you being bitten. Plus, you probably don’t have to go out and buy them. Easy peasy!

Thank you for reading today!