Question
Mystery Spider
June 11, 2011 (Saturday)
Dear Jack,
I've recently killed two of what seem to be the same kind of spider in my 2nd floor apartment in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The leg span was about that of a quarter and in both cases, I've seen them at night along the same wall. I have an unsettling hunch that this is the dreaded brown recluse, but I'm no spider expert, so I took some pictures before I squashed it with a shoe. Curiously enough, both times the spider was on an inner wall next to my computer desk where there are no vents or areas I could imagine a spider living in. There's no clutter in the area that would be condusive to a spider habitat and I've laid sticky glue traps around the apartment previously, succeeding only in catching small roaches - no spiders just yet on my lovely traps.
I was wondering if you could help me identify this specimen so I know what I'm dealing with. Fortunately, sightings have been few and far between, so far about a month or two in between sightings.
If, indeed, we're dealing with a brown recluse problem, do you have any suggestions on how to successfully ward them off?
Thanks in advance!
Very Respectfully,
Brace Potthoff
AnswerBrace,
I can't tell for sure from this image if this is a brown recluse because it is a bit too dark. Brown recluse spiders usually have a fairly distinct violin shaped mark just behind the "head" (spiders don't really have heads). See http://www.livingwithbugs.com/brown_recluse_spiders.html for a drawing of what this mark looks like, the neck of the violin points backwards.
Sticky traps are the best way to control brown recluse spiders and other wandering-type spiders. See http://www.livingwithbugs.com/spider_tp.html for a home-made sticky trap. Be sure to place the traps against, and parallel to, the wall.
Since you live within the known range of brown recluse, and they can be fairly common spiders indoors, it is entirely possible that your traps will catch some brown recluse. Keep using the traps as this is the best approach to keeping spider numbers low.
Jack DeAngelis
