My first introduction to brown recluse spiders occurred in the basement of a hospital building, at which time these spiders were spinning their webs under sinks and inside rarely used storage cabinets. At first I only saw them in dark and secluded places.
When I shined my flashlight on them, they fled the glare and returned to the darkness.
I recognized them because I spent time studying images and had the image of their legs fixed in my mind. Getting close enough to identify the distinctive violin mark on her back just didn’t interest me. At least not while they lived.
Observing their behavior gave me an understanding (at least I thought so) of why people call these spiders tapeworms. Later I decided I’d better change my understanding since the spiders themselves gave me some scares that contradicted my preparations.
Most of my encounters with Brown Recluse were in those dark basements, true, but as my identification skills improved, so did my sightings, until I got the idea that maybe these guys weren’t so lonely after all. .
One warehouse seemed particularly infested with Brown Recluse. The hospital kept patient files there; medical professionals reviewed those files frequently. In an alcove in the wall was a workbench where people sat and sorted files, put files in boxes, and pulled requested files for review.
At each end of the workbench one day came nests of brown recluses. I guess my senses were primed for spiders because just inside the loading dock door I had a box of rodent bait. The boxes are rectangular, about 3 inches by 6 inches, and at each visit I replenished the bait blocks, then dated and initialed the inside lid of the box. The hospital liked the records that proved our visits. When I opened the box this day, two brown recluses ran to hide behind the blocks. He wasn’t immediately sure of the ID, but he suspected it. I captured them on an adhesive plate and once they adhered to the glue I identified the mark of the violin. I put the box in the back of my truck and continued my inspection of the warehouse. Two bait boxes later, I found another recluse. I began to look very closely at the networks in that warehouse.
What surprised me the most is that the warehouse was illuminated due to the many fluorescent lamps hanging from the ceiling. Those lights shine during business hours.
I feel like you’re asking, “Well, you saw a lot of brown recluses, but mostly in commercial buildings and low-traffic spaces. Why should I find that interesting?”
I’m glad you asked that question. And here’s why.
A few months ago I saw a spider crawling in my bathtub. It had legs that looked alarmingly familiar, so my curiosity peaked. Closer observation identified it as a brown recluse. I took out my trusty spray can and sprayed it down with bug spray. As I waited for him to die, I looked around. In a corner of the shower, where the wall and ceiling meet, I found a nest with another brown recluse. I guess they decided my shower was perfect for their home. I sprayed there and then for good measure sprayed the rest of the bathroom.
A short time later, I noticed another brown recluse sneaking into my office. This one also had a spider web at the junction of the ceiling and wall.
Two days ago I found another inmate in the bathtub. Perhaps a baby from the couple I eliminated during that first sighting. I don’t know how she escaped the bug spray though. Luck I guess.
I must tell you that my bathroom and my office are not low-traffic rooms. Sure, I’m the only one who comes to my office, but I’m here every day. My point is that you can call this spider a loner all you want, but my experience tells me that it no longer lives up to that reputation.
Brown recluse spiders have long, spindly legs. I make the first identifications by recognizing the appearance of those legs. If you see a spider with very long legs I do not recommend that you get too close. It is best to spray it with insecticide or call a professional.
I think most spiders benefit my home by eating pesky bugs. As long as those spiders stay out of sight, I have no problem with them.
That’s not the way I feel about the brown recluse spider.