Clark Exterminating Blog

Our last blog, Arkansas’ Tiny Terror I: The Brown Recluse, discussed the identification and habits/habitat of the brown recluse. This time, we give you information on how to identify and handle a brown recluse bite as well as tips on how to handle an infestation.

Bite Symptoms & Effects

It is important to start off here by mentioning that most fiddleback bites usually go unnoticed at the time because their bites are normally painless. However, within an hour you may feel a burning sensation around the site of the bite. Within two to eight hours of the bite, the site will begin to blister and enlarge resembling a bad pimple with a red ring around it until it becomes a larger, hardened lump.

It is possible that if you have been bitten by a brown recluse, you will experience symptoms such as itching around the site, chills, nausea, sweating, and an overall feeling of being sick. The severity of the wound depends on the amount of venom encased in the bite. Since the males of the species are most likely to roam, they are the ones most likely to bite. The male fiddleback only has about half as much venom as a female so their bites are not as severe. As a matter of fact, only approximately ten percent of spider bites are confirmed brown recluse bites and only ten percent of those become necrotic.

If you believe you have been bitten by a brown recluse spider, it is advised that you wash the bite with antibacterial soap and wrap the site with ice for ten minutes, leave it off for ten minutes, and then repeat with the ice for another ten minutes. It is advised that if you know for sure that you have been bitten by a brown recluse, the safest plan of action is to visit your doctor, a quick care clinic, or the emergency room for immediate treatment and antibiotics. And be sure to arrive with the dead spider in a sandwich bag if possible.

Infestations/Prevention

Here’s an interesting fact for you: A female brown recluse only needs to mate once to continue producing eggs her entire lifetime, so a single female can be responsible for an entire infestation. Each egg sac can hold up to 50 eggs and a female can produce up to three egg sacs per year. Once an infestation is established, it is really hard to control mainly due to the fact that these recluses are hard to observe due to their preferred hiding places.

To prevent an infestation, the best advice is to deny these spiders a place to nest. Seal cracks and crevices with caulk or expandable foam, seal around fireplaces, vents, doors, window frames, and crawl space and attic doors. Try to seal the areas where cabinets and counters don’t quite reach the walls and eliminate as much clutter as possible like boxes and other storage.

IF an infestation is present in your home, it may take an integrated management plan that utilizes several control methods. Simply trying to fog your home with pesticide typically won’t work because of the hidey-holes that these spiders like to crawl into. You could lay stick traps down throughout your home to highlight problem areas.  

It could take many months to completely clear a large infestation depending on the size of the home and the amount of effort put into finding the offending pests. However, Clark has you covered! If you need any assistance with a brown recluse infestation removal or prevention, contact us online or by phone at any of our locations.

Little Rock: 501-228-0322

North Little Rock: 501-758-0322

Conway: 501-329-0396

Benton: 501-776-1388

Bryant: 501-847-1388

Jacksonville/Cabot: 501-843-1322

Hot Springs: 501-623-2335

A few weeks ago, we identified the different widow spiders that are considered venomous in Arkansas. This week we focus on the one spider still on everyone’s mind: The Brown Recluse. These small, almost undetectable critters have received a bad reputation for terrorizing many, but that reputation may just be undeserving.

In the first of this two-part blog series, we show you how to identify a brown recluse, and we give you insight into these tiny terrors’ habits and habitats. In the next part of the series, we will talk about how to handle brown recluse bites and infestations.

The Truth about the Fiddleback (A.K.A Brown Recluse)

Identification:

Let’s begin with the identification of this venomous spider. First of all, these spiders only grow to be approximately .6-2 centimeters long and have long thin legs covered in fine hairs. The brown recluse can come in varying shades of brown, but the abdomen is uniform in color with a fiddle or violin marking that can be spotted on their backs.  One other specific feature of the fiddleback is the fact that this is the only species of spider that has only six eyes, arranged in three groups as opposed to all other species that have eight eyes arranged in four groups.

Habitat & Habits

There is a reason this spider was named the brown recluse: Brown - for obvious reasons - and recluse - because they are a reclusive species. They prefer dark, dry places like the wood framing of crawl spaces, attics, basements, garages, under porches, wooden surfaces, deep in closets, and inside furniture. They are the most active at night, the females building a flat sheet-like web to catch their prey and the males (who are hunters) roam around in search of prey.

Why is this important information for you, you ask? Because contrary to popular belief, the brown recluse is not an aggressive spider. Recluse bites are actually less common than most people think. According to several experts, you could live in a house with thousands of brown recluses (aaacckkk!) and never even see one, let alone get bitten by one. The most common time that bites occur are when the spider gets stuck between skin and something else like sheets, the bottom of a shoe, or if you happen to stick a hand in the void between a kitchen counter and a wall or a toe in a void between the bottom of a desk and the floor.

Make sure to keep an eye out for the second part of Arkansas’ Tiny Terror: The Brown Recluse. In the meantime, if you happen to need any assistance with a brown recluse infestation removal, contact us online or by phone at any of our locations.

Little Rock: 501-228-0322

North Little Rock: 501-758-0322

Conway: 501-329-0396

Benton: 501-776-1388

Bryant: 501-847-1388

Jacksonville/Cabot: 501-843-1322

Hot Springs: 501-623-2335

Many times, the first time people think to call an exterminator is only after they notice a pest infestation in their home or office. And even then, sometimes it is usually after they’ve attempted taking care of the problem themselves and been unsuccessful at removing the infestation. The truth of the matter is that pest infestations can damage your property, create an uncomfortable atmosphere for your family, and contaminate your home. The best way to eliminate an unwanted infestation in your home is to hire a professional that can find the source, determine the cause and eliminate the infestation once and for all. And of course, for safe, lasting extermination, a contract can help ensure the infestation never comes back.

Pest Management Contracts

A time of travel and a time of relaxation in the form of a vacation is about to come your way. Right now you could be planning what to pack and picking out your hotel accommodations, and dreaming of sticking your toes in some sand. But before you wrap up that checklist, let’s talk about a common pest issue that could affect your entire home after the vacation is over.