How to Get Rid of Brown Recluse Spiders Without Harm to Humans

Brown recluse spiders are one of the few spiders that can cause harm to humans in North America. They live in much of the southern United States, but you can find them in many different states since they often hitchhike in personal belongings of people moving to new areas. Because they can cause harm, getting rid of brown recluse spiders involves a combination of preventative measures and chemicals to do the job safely.

Things You'll Need

  • Gloves
  • Vacuum
  • Chemical dust
  • Insecticide
  • Caulk
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Inspect an area to find places where brown recluse spiders are living or could be living. Make sure to dress in the proper clothing which includes long sleeves, pants and long gloves to help protect from any possible bites. Remember that this species of spiders often builds webs in boxes, around clutter, under insulation, in old shoes, in heating and cooling vents and in wall voids. Outdoors, it is common to find them in garages, under rocks and around dead lumber. Basically you need to check any dark and isolated corner. Brown recluse spiders only make webs for nesting and hatching eggs, and the webs are gray in color. Brown recluse webs have no set design and often look like they were carelessly put together in a corner.

    • 2

      Vacuum any nests, eggs and brown recluse spiders found during an inspection. Wear gloves to make sure your hands are protected. Immediately remove the vacuum bag or dump the canister into a plastic bag once you have completed the vacuuming. Tie the plastic bag, place it into a trash bag, seal the bag and dispose of it away from your home.

    • 3

      Create an environment that brown recluse spiders cannot thrive in. Remove piles of firewood, debris, stones and boards as far away from a home as possible to limit their hiding places. Cut away any heavy vegetation that is on the foundation of the home. Cut any tall grasses and weeds near the house. Improve storage units in the garage and basement by keeping boxes off the ground and way from the walls to eliminate nesting areas. Reduce unnecessary clutter and boxes. Routinely check stored boxes and items to make sure no brown recluse spiders are currently living in those boxes. If you find a brown recluse in a box, check all other boxes to make sure an infestation does not worsen.

    • 4

      Use chemical dust treatments to kill brown recluse spiders that have been missed and to keep them from coming back. Place dust treatments in any crack or crevice in the foundation, as well as under insulation, wall voids, behind outlet covers and in any common area where brown recluse spiders can be found. Delta Dust Insecticide and Droine Dust are two long-lasting dust treatments that kill brown recluse spiders. You can find both online. Seal up any cracks found with caulk after treating the area with a dust treatment to prevent spiders from being able to enter a home.

    • 5

      Keep a bottle of contact insecticide on hand to kill any brown recluse spiders that you see from a safe distance. 565 XLO Plus and CB-80 Extra are two insecticides that have been proven to kill brown recluse spiders effectively. Both are available online.