Signs That It's Time To Call In A Professional For Brown Recluse Spiders

Finding a large, brown spider in your home can be unnerving, especially if you're close enough to spot a violin shape on its back, near its eyes. If you see this type of spider, you have a brown recluse. But does one spider constitute an infestation? No, but one spider has the potential to lead to many. Although there are ways to keep brown recluse spiders out of your home, an infestation warrants a call to a pest control company so you can stop these dangerous pests from threatening you and your family. 

If a brown recluse bites you, there is a very real chance that you'll experience skin damage. Although these bites are extreme, they can cause necrosis of the skin, killing tissue in the area of the bite. This can lead to infection, making brown recluse bites something to avoid. In rare instances, these bites can lead to death. These spiders are especially dangerous to children, anyone with medical conditions, the immunocompromised, and the elderly, so always seek immediate medical help following a potential bite. Contacting a professional if you find a brown recluse in your home is extremely important because this may mean you have multiple spiders lurking in the dark. 

If you see one brown recluse, you should consider calling in the pros. These spiders mate in the warmer months — usually June or July — and one female can lay upward of 50 eggs in a single sac. During this female spider's lifetime, it can produce as many as five egg sacs or 250 eggs. These eggs take about a month to hatch, so an infestation can occur quickly without the help of a pest control technician. You should also keep an eye out for off-white egg sacs measuring 2 to 3 inches. You may notice webs in the corners of your home and, although there are various types of spiders they can belong to, a professional can inspect your house and determine exactly what kind of arachnid you have. 

Brown recluse spiders eat insects including flies, moths, cockroaches, and crickets. A sudden decrease in these bugs could signal a spider infestation, so take these signs seriously. Understanding that brown recluse spiders don't hibernate the way other pests do is important. They have a built-in antifreeze that helps them survive the cold winter months and come out to hunt, which means you could encounter one at any time of the year. Additionally, they tend to bite when disturbed, so cleaning your house and accidentally disrupting their nest could lead to a bite, unless you work with a professional to prevent these spiders in the first place. 

Understanding that brown recluse spiders look to nest in dark places is important because you may otherwise not even realize you have an infestation until they've multiplied. This means that your best course of action is to enlist professional help as soon as you spot one brown arachnid. Spiders and other pests can enter your house through holes in your foundation, window screens, doors, and more, which means your home is susceptible to ongoing spider issues. However, when you work with a professional, they can seal off any gaps and provide recurring treatment plans to keep spiders and other pests out of the house.

Although there are DIY methods of deterring brown recluse spiders from coming into your home, these methods aren't guaranteed to work, especially if you already have an infestation. Because brown recluse spiders multiply rapidly, your chances of getting bitten increase with each spider nesting in your house. When you call in professional pest removal services, they'll commonly inspect your space for spiders. 

This includes windows and doors, adding weather stripping as needed to prevent these creatures from entering. Pest control companies also use sticky traps, catching any spiders that come into contact with them. If you have a large infestation, you'll need to monitor these traps, and a professional will remove and replace them as necessary. Although it may be tempting to use DIY methods for a brown recluse infestation, letting professionals handle these spiders is best.