What Every Dallas Resident Ought To Know About Brown Recluse Spiders

If you believe the rumors and myths, you may be tempted to think that the brown recluse spider is the most dangerous spider in the world. But they're not nearly as dangerous as you may have been led to believe. Let's get right to the truth about these little brown spiders so that you can calmly deal with them if you ever find them inside your Dallas home.

Brown Recluse Spiders Bite

There is no doubt that you can be bitten by a brown recluse spider. But brown recluse spiders are reclusive. They prefer to hang out in undisturbed areas of your home, not in your common areas. This reduces the potential for contact. If you exercise caution when you go into your attic or storage rooms, and also when you open boxes, you can prevent bites.

Brown Recluse Spiders Have Dangerous Venom

The venom of a brown recluse spider can cause a necrotic wound. If the necrosis spreads, it can be a serious threat. But most bites caused by a brown recluse spider do not result in anything more than an ulcerous spot surrounded by a little, itchy rash. While it is certainly wise to have your doctor look at any bites you think may have been caused by brown recluse spiders, it is important that you know the threat of a serious wound is low.

Brown Recluse Spiders Infest Homes By The Thousands

Some have recorded thousands of brown recluse spiders living inside homes in the United States. That's the bad news. The good news is some have homes with thousands of these spiders and they don't have any bites. The reason they're able to do this is that brown recluse spiders don't prefer to bite people and because these people take preventative steps to avoid contact, such as:

• Moving beds away from the walls
• Removing skirts from all the beds
• Making sure bedding doesn't touch the floor
• Wearing slippers when walking around at night
• Shaking out clothing and shoes before wearing them
• Turning down bedding before sliding into bed at night
• Shaking towels before using them
• Being cautious when opening boxes from storage
• Removing webs when they are noticed

The majority of bites caused by brown recluse spiders happen when these spiders are brought into close contact with the skin by accident. They don't hunt people down and bite them.

Brown Recluse Spiders Are Hard To Exterminate

Are brown recluse spiders hard to exterminate? Yes. But so is every other spider that gets into your home. Spiders hide in the voids of your home. Removing them requires training and experience. Most homeowners aren't equipped to perform spider extermination and some resort to using products that are far more dangerous than these spiders. It is best to hire a licensed pest professional to get control of brown recluse spiders.

Brown Recluse Are Brown Spiders

When you see a brown spider inside your home you may think you have a brown recluse. Fortunately, it is pretty easy to differentiate between a brown recluse and other spiders. Here are a few visual characteristics:

• A brown recluse spider will be tan with a dark brown violin marking that runs down its back.
• A brown recluse spider isn't going to be much bigger than a quarter.
• A brown recluse spider has a pill-shaped abdomen.

The Bottom Line

If you think you have brown recluse spiders inside your Dallas home, you don't need to fear. Your chances of being bitten are low, and your chances of having a disfiguring wound are low. But that doesn't mean you should live with brown recluse spiders in your home.

At All-Safe Pest & Termite, our pest control service team knows how to monitor for spider activity in and around your Dallas home. We can make sure that none of these spiders remain inside your home, and give you ongoing protection around your home to prevent future infestations from taking root. We would love the opportunity to talk with you about this important protection for your family. Reach out to us today and request a free in-home estimate. We'll schedule a time to come take a look at your spider problem and let you know what the best course of action will be to correct the problem. We're here to help!