4 Tips to Prevent a Brown Recluse Spider Home Infestation

Whether you just moved to Florida or are a long-term resident of the Sunshine State, you need to learn about the brown recluse spider and how to keep it out of your home. The brown recluse is a close relative of the black widow spider and has a venomous bite that can cause substantial physical harm. 

Read on to learn four ways to prevent a brown recluse spider infestation in your home to help protect your family from the spiders' dangerous bites.

Outdoors, brown recluse spiders like to hide out in piles of leaves and other debris where they feel properly hidden due to their reclusive nature. Indoors, brown recluse spider often find comfort in piles of clothing, inside of messy closets and cupboards, and in other areas of the home where they can hide out in the midst of clutter. 

To help keep a spider that may enter your home from finding a place to hide and nest, keep your home as clutter-free as possible. If a brown recluse spider cannot find an area of your home to nest in, it may leave your home through the same location it entered. 

Brown recluse spiders also tend to find ways to enter boxes and hide out inside of them. While a brown recluse spider can enter a box inconspicuously while it is being packed, being just a bit larger in diameter than a U.S. penny, these spiders can also slip through even tiny holes in sealed boxes during the shipping process or when a package is lying on your doorstep. 

To avoid allowing a brown recluse spider to enter your home inside of a box, make a habit of opening all packages shipped to your home outdoors to allow any spiders inside to escape before you bring the boxes indoors. 

While brown recluse spiders can hitchhike into your home inside of boxes, they can also enter your home directly through cracks, crevices, and holes in the exterior of your home. Common spider home entry points include gaps surrounding plumbing pipes, cables, and phone lines. Use caulk to fill these gaps or have a home repair expert fill them for you. 

Also, ensure your garage door weather stripping is in good shape and provides a good seal when your garage door is shut, and cover all home vents that lead outdoors with fine mesh screens.

Spiders also frequently enter homes through windows that have torn screens and/or gaps surrounding them that are improperly sealed. Replace torn window screens promptly and have your window frames resealed on a regular basis.

4. Consider Homemade Spider Repellents

Pesticide sprays rarely work to repel spiders when they are sprayed around the home, because spiders do not absorb chemicals through their legs and feet. A chemical pesticide must be sprayed directly on a spider to kill it. Consider applying homemade spider repellents strategically around your home instead.

Spiders taste and smell through their legs, so applying solutions that have tastes or smells these spiders dislike strategically around your home can help repel them. Two natural spider repellents are white vinegar and peppermint oil. Mix together a solution of water, white vinegar, and several drops of peppermint oil. Then spray it around potential spider home entry points with a spray bottle.

Follow these tips to prevent a brown recluse spider infestation in your home. Contact Bobby Grissom's Pest Management today for a thorough pest inspection and pest extermination plan if you suspect you have brown recluse spiders hiding out inside of you home.