You could be seeing one of the two venomous spiders native to Kansas more often in your living space as the weather warms this summer, and it could be the most prevalent spider in your home.
"After 40 years of doing pest control and household pests, I think the brown recluse spider is probably our most common household spider," said Jeff Whitworth, entomologist and extension specialist in entomology.
From now until October the brown recluse spider will be in its most active phase. In the summer, brown recluses move into people's living spaces to escape the heat from outside and from attics, according to the president of a pest control company.
As the weather warms up, we might get a lot of calls for brown recluses.
Here is a guide on how to avoid being bitten by a spider this summer and beyond.
According to Kansas State University Research and Extension, brown recluse spiders are shy and can be found in attics, closets and basement.
The spiders find other insects to prey on in warm and dark places. In order to find food at night, brown recluse spiders hide in shoes and under clothes that are left on the floor.
One way to avoid brown recluse spiders is to make sure you don't leave your clothes on the floor or pick up your shoes in the morning, because that's where they're hiding.
According to K-State Research and Extension, there are a number of different characteristics of the brown recluse spider.
Brown color.
The legs have a structure and pattern.
There is a mark on the back.
Most spiders have eight eyes, not six.
The brown recluse has a violin-like shape on the front part of its body, and a darker back part. The largest spider that they can get is about the size of a quarter.
The brown recluse spider doesn't look for people to bite. It bites when it is threatened. The spider bit him when he tried to hit it off his chin.
When they feel threatened, their natural reaction is to bite, or if you crush them, push the fang into their skin. One of the fangs or both of the fangs can be pushed into your skin if you hit it.
The best thing to do if you see a brown recluse spider is not to look at it. If you see a lot of brown recluse spiders, he recommends setting traps around your area.
A brown recluse spider is likely to be more scared of you than you are. If you leave them alone, they will leave you alone.
Shake out your clothes and shoes before you put them on to make sure you don't get bitten by a brown recluse.
Craig Betts said that brown recluse spiders like cardboard boxes and other storage areas. Betts suggests keeping storage items in sealed containers and plastic totes. Brown recluses are more likely to be found in clothes that are not open.
Betts said that you pull out a blanket and put a coat in the basement. There is a chance of having a brown recluse in those items. If the place isn't treated on a regular basis it's pretty high. Thousands and thousands of people are putting themselves at risk by moving winter clothes down in the basement because they don't know about this.
A shoe rack that doesn't touch the floor and not wearing bed skirts are some of the ways to avoid being bitten by a brown recluse.
It's important to take care of the exterior of your home to avoid brown recluse. To make sure you have good drainage away from the home, and to not have bushes or shrubs against the home's foundation, are two ways to do this.
Spiders can be attracted to the home by attracting other insects. It is a food chain that you are attempting to break.
Emily Davis is the director of educational programs at the Great Plains Nature Center. She said that sprinkling Diatomaceous Earth on the ground can be bought at home improvement stores.
Davis said that it is a chemical-free way to treat for spider.
There are other ways to get rid of brown recluse spiders.
It's possible to see one brown recluse a day or several times a week, which is an indication of a brown recluse problem.
They are not open to the public. They don't want to be out in the middle of the day. That's a little strange.
According to Betts, brown recluse spiders have non-absorbent legs that go through a lot of different chemicals without getting poisoned, so he recommends using a contact capsule in a water carrier.
The brown recluse spiders have hairs on their legs that are stuck to the micro cap when it dries. Spiders kill themselves when they ingest particles. Betts said that the micro cap is more effective than cheaper chemicals that can be purchased at the store.
He said his company reapplies the chemical once every 60 days.
Paying a professional to spray your house once every two months is more expensive than the number of doctor visits and time off of work. Betts said that it would be cheap to keep spiders out of your house.
According to an Occupational Safety and Health Administration fact sheet, the severity of a bite can vary.
Within a few hours, the bite usually reddens and people often experience nausea, weakness, and joint pain. The area around the bite is eventually going to die.
To slow absorption of venom, the OSHA says to clean the bite area with soap and water. In addition, the OSHA says that if the spider is caught, it should be taken to the hospital for medical attention.
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