There is a brown recluse on the ceiling in my living room

[bdj23]

About 15 feet up in the air.

Give me ideas on how to kill the ****er.

I hate brown recluses so much.

[Eureka]

Originally Posted by penguinz

The fact that you see it on the ceiling in a lit up room says it probably isn;t a recluse.

What it really means is theres a lot more around in his house that he can’t see.

It’s not fun getting bit by those spiders. OP especially if you’re asleep because you won’t even notice. I’m betting the previous owners of the house knew they had a problem and probably knocked them back just enough before selling the house. I’m guessing this will become a problem.

[saphojunkie]

Sign it up for a CP account. Couldn't be worse than Deberg

[jdubya]

Originally Posted by srvy

Nevada has an abundance of those SOBs. Worked on a project there first evening in the room after long day work I fill out my timesheet on the desk with my laptop. All sudden this big ass black shiny spider drops from its web behind picture frame. Hangs there stretching its legs its diameter of a nickel and has the red hourglass on its back. I look for something to smash it with before it slips away and nothing handy. I quickly remove my work boot and line up and smack him it drops to the carpet. I look everywhere for its remains to no avail which really gives me the eby jeebies. My boots are cleated with Vibram soles so figure it got lucky. Go to bet after shaking out sheets. next morning carrying equipment out to truck I find dead black widow in doorsill. It was my first of many encounters with these pests in Northern Nevada.

I kill them all the time in the spring and summer. Best weapon of choice are those 10' straight stream hornet/wasp spray cans. My last close encounter was around sunset while washing my travel trailer. I was spraying a jet of water in the fender wells and couldnt spray out a clump of oak leaves for some reason. I wasnt thinking clearly because I was enjoying a couple of beers at the time but I reached in with my hand and grabbed the clump of leaves and began to pull it out when it felt like i was getting shocked with low voltage electricity. At that precise moment I realized with sudden clarity I had just grabbed a black widow web which is so strong they can probably hold a tennis shoe. I yelped like a bitch and yanked my hand out of there and didnt see any widow. I waited for the sun to go down because they dont come out until dark to work their webs. With flashlight in hand I spotted her.....largest BW i had ever seen and it made my skin crawl. I nearly emptied a can of wasp spray.....

[bdj23]

I've killed 5 in my garage today and found remains of numerous dead ones.

[srvy]

Originally Posted by BDj23

I've killed 5 in my garage today and found remains of numerous dead ones.

If you have a shop vac suck up all webs and cob weds egg sacs and visible spiders. Check garage and door seals for gaps. Windows and storm windows recaulking then spray foundation walls and yard. Or option 2 and the best in my opinion, is still the flamethrower.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by SupDock

Unfortunately, if they are truly recluses they can be challenging to kill. Because of their long legs, their body doesn't drag across the poison, and it often just kills their prey. Don't be assured though, as they can go without food for a very long time

I dealt with them in the past, and had multiple exterminators tell me that fumigation is the solution

Realistically, they are present in most Midwest homes, and they are rarely encountered. If you saw 10 on each of 6 traps, you have a serious infestation.

Take away their food supply by killing other household pests and you'll see them knocked back a bit.

But you're right, spraying does very little to actually kill them and sticky traps are your only good bet. In my old place I killed one in my storage area, saw 3 or 4 dead in my garage and one night had one of the little ****ers climb across my leg.

Put sticky traps along every baseboard under every bed/dresser in my house (they like to hid behind trim and stick close to walls as they travel). Only caught one more.

Had a pro come out and take a look, said I may have a few, but it's Missouri so you oughta just live with it.

My new place has water in the backyard so no shortage of grass spiders and shit. We just have a pest control company come out every 3 months or so to do general stuff (and it turns up a bunch of large fuzzy dead spiders in my shop every time) but in 4 years I've never come across another recluse.

I think having all the grass spiders around the perimeter keeps them down a bit and killing stuff inside the house keeps them from having much to thrive on so it's kept 'em out.

Agree with the OP though - I don't mind spiders at all. But man, brown recluses just freak me the **** out. I know a girl that had a big silver-dollar sized scar on top of her wrist from one of those things and just fuuuuuuck thaaaaaat.

[bdj23]

Originally Posted by srvy

If you have a shop vac suck up all webs and cob weds egg sacs and visible spiders. Check garage and door seals for gaps. Windows and storm windows recaulking then spray foundation walls and yard. Or option 2 and the best in my opinion, is still the flamethrower.

That's what I was doing, well i knocked em down with a broom and smashed them. Then sprayed the shit out of every area with them with more poison.

I'm just shocked that two weeks worth of decent weather and I'm living in pestilence now.

(I promise I don't like in a meth shack in the woods)

[Lzen]

Bifien IT