Beside Myself with Worry over Spiders Again..

I live where there are TONS of recluses. One thing I was told by an exterminator was that they love going into tight spaces... so if you store blankets, seasonal clothes, etc. for longer periods of time, it's always best to seal whatever you store them in. Personally, I use totes... So I put the clothes in the tote, then put a large garbage bag over that... and duct tape the opening of the duct tape so there is no way those suckers can get in there! lol. I hate spiders. *shudder*

Just read this on the web:
If more than the occasional spider appears, it may be that your house has become an appealing habitat. Spiders like dusty, undisturbed quarters that seldom see a broom, dust mop or vacuum. The corners of ceilings and floors, underneath beds, behind furniture, the backs of closets, and rarely used cupboards are all prime areas for a spider to take up residence. Simply spraying these areas with insecticide will not provide a long-term solution and can create other potential problems.

The best way to keep spiders in the garden rather than the house is to make the house unappealing to spiders. Use a dust mop on ceiling corners and behind inner doors that are kept open, such as hallway and bedroom doors. Refrain from storing items under the bed or use plastic underbed storage containers that can easily slide out for an occasional vacuuming. Cardboard boxes attract spiders, so opt for plastic storage tubs from discount marts, excellent for storing virtually everything including clothes.

We don't have a lot of brown recluse spiders, but I do come across a lot of black widows. They usually hide under things, so when I unroll the water hose, I will come across one from time to time. I find them here and there especially this time of year. I have also seen some huge wolf spiders and fisher spiders. Mostly, I see them outside and not inside. I have been bitten about 6 times over my life time. I work in IT, and crawling under desks and running line can put you in contact with spiders quite a bit. Most of the time, it's just a little itchy bite, no worse than an ant sting. I have been bitten once where the bite turned into a bruise, mild fever, and an ache. Nothing that ibuprofen didn't fix.
Take a look around your home, esp in the gutters. If there is debris in the gutters, wet woodpiles, etc., insects will flock there, and the spiders will follow. Usually they are going where the food source is located. Pesticides will do little good over time- spiders can creep into small places where the pesticides don't reach. It's really a waste of money and time. Just try and find what's attracting them and eliminate it.

Being a born and bred Texas girl I have lived with brown recluses being around for as long as I can remember...I know of five people who have been bitten and they were all digging around in dark, dusty, unused places...storage closet in the garage...storage closet in an outdoor shed...under a bed in an unused uncleaned guest bedroom...and the fourth walked into a web that was in a corner of a barn. Do you see a theme here?

Only one had a bad enough reaction to end up in the emergency room...the rest all recovered and only one has a scar to show for it.

So all in all I do not really worry about the brown recluse unless I am cleaning out the garage or tool shed...then I wear long pants, boots, gloves, etc...

We have tons of "house" spiders and actually I love them as they eat the mosquitoes...now if they are larger than a quarter and crawl out in sight I squash them...but otherwise I let them live.

There are many other things to worry about...try not to let a little spider get you worked up. Hugs!!

Sounds like Grandma T is giving you terrific advice. Time to clean (with big heavy gloves!)

My college roommate had a hunk out of the front of her lower leg - on the bone. I asked her what happened, and you guessed it - she was bitten by a brown recluse and had to have that skin removed.

Get rid of "stuff", and let him spray.

So sorry!
Dawn

Okay first know the wolf spiders eat the other ones, not us, so be nice to them. :)

I am bitten at least ten times a year, annoying, looks like I have a huge zit in some odd places, never sent me to the hospital.

I have had a few friends bitten by the brown recluse. Yes you have to be hospitalized for those. Thing is though where they were bit were places you could expect to be bitten. They are reclusive spiders. Two were bitten in their basement moving boxes, the third was bitten moving a wood pile that was under a tree in his backyard.

Anyway my advice is do what you are doing, spray, but try to relax. Most spiders that bite you aren't poisonous just annoying. Don't go throwing boxes, items, wood around that may have one hiding under it.

Did I mention relax a bit? :)

And listen to Grandma!

i may not be helpful because spiders don't freak me out. i don't want to handle them, but i appreciate that they eat bugs that DO freak me out.
my deal with the house spiders is that if they a) land on me or b) if my husband sees them, they're toast. but if they stay off me and are doing their own thing, i won't bother 'em. and for the most part, the bargain works.
i do get bitten from time to time, but i live on a farm. it's buggy. and worth it.
that being said, i don't know that we have a recluse or widow infestation. i would be more wary about that, although i still wouldn't spray (the only thing i spray for any more is fleas, which i've fortunately only had to do once in over 10 years.) spiders won't hang out where there isn't a food supply. try attacking the problem from that end, getting rid of whatever your spiders are eating, and watch them voluntarily move out.
:) khairete
S.

I was bit by a brown recluse when I was a teen. I didn't know it at first because it was on my upper back where I couldn't see it. I remember getting very tired, like I was drugged. Then my back started itching and someone looked at it, then freaked out. There was a huge bruise-like circle covering the whole upper side of my back. I went to the doctor and apparently was a spectacle because none of the doctors had ever seen a recluse bite. I was camping further south from where I live, and they really aren't around here, so it was new to them. I had to take steroids for a while but made a full recovery with no problems. It's kind of creepy because I didn't know what happened at first since I couldn't see the bite area.

I have never be bitten! I know it is scary to think about, because I would rather see a snake than a spider. Make sure your husband sprays the yard, trees, and flowerbeds too, my husband does that and I have only seen a few in my house. Basements too.

Grrr! I HATE spiders!!! We had a wolfie in the house 1/4 size of a brick the other day! We hang out alot in our garage and we had baby spiders webbing from the garage door to the other side of the garage the other day, all the way across where our chairs are and I freaked out! Had the hubby bomb the garage and they, along with all the june bugs and moths, died. Well, just last night the baby spiders are back so this weeked I am going to have him pull EVERYTHING out, bomb again, sweep, wipe down, etc.

Good Mom's do worry, :-).... but this is not a justified one. BR spiders have killed less than 10 people in all of recorded history. Versus the thousand of chemical related illnesses and hundreds of deaths caused by pesticide related cancers (Leukemia, Aplastic Anemia) every year.

Updated

Good Mom's do worry, :-).... but this is not a justified one. BR spiders have killed less than 10 people in all of recorded history. Versus the thousand of chemical related illnesses and hundreds of deaths caused by pesticide related cancers (Leukemia, Aplastic Anemia) every year.