How to get rid of brown recluses at home.

How to Get Rid of Brown Recluse Spiders (Naturally!)

So, you need to get rid of brown recluse spiders. Fast!

In this complete pest control guide, you learn:

  • How to identify brown recluses
  • Ways to naturally exterminate them
  • How to organically repel brown recluses spiders and keep them out
  • How to control recluse spiders in your attic, basement, yard, and home
  • And more!

Feel free to bookmark this page so you can easily refer to it during your journey to get rid of these pests!

By the end of this tutorial, you’ll have everything you need in one place to control and manage brown recluse spiders. This is to be practiced with the help of a licensed exterminator- NOT on your own.

These spiders are extremely dangerous. Do NOT attempt anything without professional evaluation.

Brown recluses are extremely difficult to completely get rid of. They’re very good at deception. You’ll need industrial-strength poisons or repellents to get rid of them.

DIY remedies only work to help keep them out of your property, but are no replacement for the help of a professional extermatnior. They have poisons that you can’t buy yourself.

Sound good? Let’s get spider free!

Last updated: 3/30/22.

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Brown recluses are extremely poisonous!

You may already know, but brown recluse spiders (pretty much any recluse species) is very poisonous.

Their bite is serious, especially for sensitive individuals. This is NOT to be taken lightly. You must understand the risks of these spiders. Don’t judge them by their size.

These spiders are considered one of the most dangerous house spiders in the United States!

Recluse bites will cause serious reactions from the human body, which can be extremely dangerous.

They are NOT to be approached without the approval of a licensed, professional exterminator. Do NOT attempt to handle them on your own.

ALWAYS wear protective equipment and gear when getting into situations that may involve recluse spiders

The information in this guide is strictly for educational purposes and is NOT to be performed on your own!

You MUST consult with an exterminator! Be SAFE!

What’s a brown recluse spider?

How to get rid of brown recluse spiders DIY home remedies.
The second most venomous spider in the United States!

The brown recluse spider is the second most venomous spider in the United States. There are over 12 recluse spider types worldwide, and a few of them are found in the US.

They can tolerate up to half a year without food and are very resilient. These things are super spiders.

They’re often found within human households and are habitual. This is because your home offers exactly what they’re looking for- a source of food (other bugs) and a dark place to hide.

Recluse spiders are a shy spider and will avoid danger when possible. They eat on smaller prey and will pick up scraps, but also will actively hunt when necessary.

They run from danger

Brown recluse spiders will avoid human contact and run form the threat rather than become aggressive.

When people say they get bitten, this is because they threatened the spider, cornered it, or disturbed it somehow. The most common reports come from picking up clothing that a spider nestled up in or putting on shoes where a recluse spider is hiding in.

Some workers have also reported bites when doing basic maintenance in dark, less-frequented places like attics, basements, or crawl spaces.

Believe it or not, most people don’t even realize they have brown recluse spiders. They’re shy and very good at hiding and being solitary. So they never really disturbing homeowners until they need to migrate.

Or the owner goes digging through old storage areas (basement and attic) where the spiders are nesting.

Fun fact: They can “jump.

What do brown recluses look like?

Brown recluse spider within the home.
They have a distinct appearance that makes them easy to spot.

The most common shared trait that brown recluses have is the violin-shaped marking on their abdomen. You can easily spot this as they crawl around and it’s a common denominator among the recluse species.

Recluse spiders have varying lengths. Brown recluse spiders are about ½” in length and measure the size of a quarter.

These spiders don’t have any coloration patterns other than the violin pattern. They have fine hairs on their legs, but not thickened spines. They’re also known as the fiddleback spider because of the violin mark on their cephalothorax

This marking is common in adults, but nymphs don’t have this marking yet so it’s not visible.

No markings on legs

Their legs have no visible markings (no stripes or spines). There are many similar spiders that are often mistaken for recluse spiders. You won’t see recluses running about as they prefer to hide in dark areas. They also may make small webs, but not for prey.

Six eyes

Recluse spiders also have six eyes rather than 8. This is unlike any other spider and the eyes are arranged in pairs known as dyads. One pair of eyes are on the front and the other two are on the sides.

The recluse spiders are one of the few spices that have this feature.

Spiders that looks similar to brown recluse spiders

Other spiders that look similar to brown recluse spiders are:

  • Wolf spiders
  • Grass spiders
  • Hobo spiders
  • Cellar spiders (daddy longlegs)
  • Common house spider
  • Brown legged spider
  • Tegenaria domestica

If you’re not a professional, it’s easy to confuse the various spider species out there. This is, again, why it pays to hire a licensed exterminator to do the work.

Brown recluse spider vs. other spiders – How to tell the difference

Brown recluse spider appearance and size.
They’re pretty small, which just makes them harder to find.

The easiest way to differentiate a brown recluse spider vs. other spiders is to find the violin marking on its back.

Adult recluses will have this marking. If you look closely, you’ll also see only six eyes rather than eight. They also have hairy legs with no markings.

Life cycle

They have a simple and straightforward life cycle. Each adult female produces multiple egg sacs over 3 months from May to July during the beginning of the warmer months.

Each egg sac has several dozen eggs which take about 30 days to hatch.

Spider eggs

The spiders come out and will feed and grow. They’ll mature in about a year. That’s about it.

They’re often laid in dark, damp areas where they’re left undisturbed for extended periods of time. If you can spot them and remove them safely, you can stop the production of up to 50 spiderlings coming out.

How to get rid of brown recluse spiders for good

 

The best way to control them and manage them for good is to find the spiders and then either kill them or repel them.

After that, maintain the situation by constantly using spider repellent. Clean up your yard and home and keep both tidy. Set up sticky traps to monitor for more spiders.

Place them where you think the spiders are present.

If you catch more spiders, you’ll notice the areas where the spiders are present and could use more work.

Commercial approaches

There are also a few commercial approaches you can use, but I advise against them because they often contain dangerous residues.

And they simply don’t work.

The two most popular commercial solutions are spider sprays and foggers.

Spider sprays

These are effective against spiders and will kill them upon contact.

The problem is that they leave nasty residues behind. The thing is that you can use a bunch of other natural solutions rather than these sprays. You can make your own and have control.

Not to mention that your own spray is a lot safer.

Foggers or “bug bombs”

These are terrible.

They spray a chemical all over the place and are ineffective for open areas. You have to use these in smaller areas and spiders can often escape or leave the area. Not to mention that the spray is terrible for humans and pets. Avoid.

Professional help

Professional exterminator with rats.
Seeking help from a professional pest control company is often necessary.

As mentioned earlier in this guide, you should only be attempting these remedies with the a professional.

If the natural remedies don’t work, licensed professionals will bring out the powerful, industrial pesticides to really kill the recluse problems.

Try asking for the “green” or natural remedies first. If not, then they need to use their synthetic bug killers.

The most common questions people ask are the following:

How much does it cost to get rid of brown recluse spiders?

There’s no exact price. It depends on where you live and how many spiders you have.

Typically, you can expect to pay anywhere from $100-$300 to get rid of smaller recluse infestations. More complex situations can cost over a few thousand dollars. Contact your pest control company for a quote.

How do exterminators get rid of brown recluse spiders?

Exterminators will use special sprays and traps dedicated to killing spiders.

These are typically not available for the public. They may also use heat-based approaches, powerful repellents and sprays, and various spider traps for monitoring.

Always DIY when possible. Seek out help if you have no more options.

Did you get rid of the brown recluse spiders?

How to get rid of recluse spiders.
You’ll need patience and persistence to rid them! Don’t overexert yourself.

That’s all I’ve got for you.

This guide is a monster and probably the most comprehensive pest control guide for brown recluse spiders online.

If you have any specific questions about getting rid of brown recluses, you can leave a comment below and I’ll help you out.

Or if you’ve found this helpful, let me know!

Tell a friend who may be having recluse problems! You just may make their day.

Thanks for reading!

Are brown recluses aggressive?

Horror movies aside, brown recluses are not aggressive spiders. The spider will bite when cornered and threatened, but even then, they rarely bite humans.

These are solitary creatures who just want to spend their time in the dark alone from disturbances.

However, if they’re disturbed or feel threatened, they will bite. Brown recluse spider bites release a venom that can be dangerous to some people.

Do brown recluse spiders burrow?

Brown recluse spiders don’t burrow, nor do they create burrows. This is a common misconception.

They will often be found under decaying cacti or empty burrows used by snakes, desert voles, desert mice, or other burrowing pests. But that doesn’t mean they actually dug out the burrow.

The brown recluse spider just happened to find the abandoned burrow and repurposed it into its home. This is the typical case where a homeowner may come across an empty burrow in the yard and discover a spider there. They may mistake that the spider dug out the burrow, but this is not the case.

Are brown recluse spiders fast?

Yes, brown recluse spiders are very fast spiders compared to others. They can vanish in the blink of an eye.

As their name implies- they “recluse” which means they run in the opposite direction from predators. They’ll run away from danger rather than tackle it face on.

Since they’re a reclusive spider, they’ll avoid conflict when possible and uses zippy horizontal rotating flight patterns to escape. They move very fast and will avoid human (and other threats) contact when possible.

Will a brown recluse crawl on you?

Brown recluse spider sofa.
They’ll hide anywhere they can to avoid humans.

They’ll crawl around in your bed at night searching for food, so crawling on you poses no issue. Of course, they will. There’s really nothing stopping them from doing so in the first place.

What attracts brown recluse spiders

Brown recluse spiders are attracted to two things, just like most spiders:

  • A source of food
  • A habitable shelter

The common household provides enough food for them to eat and plenty of perfectly habitable environments for them to nest. So there’s no reason why they wouldn’t infest your home.

Most homes in the US have enough pests that the brown recluse will prey upon, so that satisfies their need for a food source.

Additionally, most homes are cluttered with plenty of dark areas filled with junk storage.

Plenty of spider hiding places

So there’s a lot of areas they can establish a place to sustain themselves. Lastly, the majority of homes are poorly sealed off from outdoor predators (foundation cracks, damaged window or door screens, broken attic or basement vents, etc.).

This allows brown recluse spiders to find their way into a home.

There’s no real “thing” that recluse spiders are attracted to. As long as there’s a constant source of bugs and pests for them to eat and a way into your home, they’re satisfied.

They don’t “cherry pick” one home over another. If you live in a state where brown recluse spiders are native to, all you need to do is provide a way into your home and they’ll be happy to infest.

The more susceptible and poorly protected your home is, the higher chance you have of attracting recluse spiders (and many other pests).

Food

The brown recluse will actively hunt for prey.

Any home that has plenty of other pests proves to be an ideal shelter for them. They mainly eat small bugs that are commonly found in household dwellings. So basically, having pests will only attract more pests.

Brown recluse spiders often appear during the wintertime because pests are overwintering in your home. In other words, during the cold seasons, pests often invaded homes to protect themselves from the cold weather.

Because your home is full of bugs during the winter, recluse spiders find their way into your home to eat these pests. That’s why you see more brown recluse spiders during the winter season.

Shelter

The other thing is shelter. If the outside of your home (your yard) has a ton of overgrown plants, this makes it ideal for recluse spiders.

They’re first attracted to the pests in your yard, because if you have poor yard maintenance, you probably have a ton of bugs.

So this attracts the spider to feast on the bountiful supply of bugs already present in your yard. When winter comes around, those bugs will migrate into your home.

And thus, the spider follows. You also have plenty of hiding spaces, dark areas, and stable temperature for the spider. So it’s much happier to nest within your home than outdoors.

Things like woodpiles, rocks, crevices, patio furniture, pebbles, trash bins, leaf litter, grass clippings, backed up drainage systems, and other poorly maintained things will often attract plenty of bugs. And this will attract the recluse spiders.

Where do they hide?

Brown recluse spider penny.
Small and nimble.

These recluse spiders will take shelter in dark areas of your home where temperatures are stable and they’ll be left undisturbed. They’ll stay there and actively hunt bugs they happen to come across.

Some of the most common areas where you’ll find brown recluse spiders are:

  • Attics
  • Basements
  • Closets
  • Crawl spaces
  • Dark voids
  • Storage units
  • Sheds
  • Outhouses
  • Garages
  • Drawers and cabinets
  • Wall voids

Note that these aren’t all the areas where brown recluse spiders are commonly found.

Sometimes they’re also found in everyday equipment, such as shoes, boots, clothing, blankets, towels, couch, and even your bed! If you live in an area where these spiders are present, always be sure to shake off your accessories before wearing them.

This is especially true if they’ve been on the floor where a spider can easily crawl into it.

This just may save you a spider scare!

How to check for recluse spiders

Here are some other tips:

  • You should always store your clothing in drawers when possible.
  • Always hang your towels
  • Bag your unused clothing
  • Never leave clothing on the floor
  • Check your shoes, sandals, or boots before wearing them
  • Don’t pick up articles of clothing, blanket, or sheets that have been on the floor
  • Always be careful about picking up fabrics or objects that have been lying on the floor during the night
  • Check your bed before you sleep
  • Shake clothing items before you wear them
  • Check your couch before you sit down
  • Use protective equipment before opening storage boxes
  • Seal up your unused shoes

What do they eat?

Recluse spiders eat other bugs as they’re a predatory hunter spider. They’ll eat anything that they can kill by injecting venom.

Common pests they eat are:

They’re not picky. As long as the bug is small enough for them to grasp and bite, they’ll eat it.

Signs of a brown recluse spider infestation

The easiest way to tell if you have a brown recluse infestation is to simply see one or more. Use the identification method in the previous sections to identify them.

Other than actually seeing one, you may also notice the following signs of an infestation:

  • Small webs without prey in dark areas
  • Dead bugs nestled in crevices or cracks
  • Shed spider legs without markings or spines
  • Spiders that are only found in the dark in undisturbed areas
  • Dead spiders in storage containers, closets, basements, or attics
  • Spiders that you notice during the night on your floors or walls
  • You live in the southern US in the listed states below

You can set up sticky traps to catch these spiders as they’re only out during the night. Thus, they can be hard to see.

Buy or make your own cardboard sticky traps and place where you think the spiders are present. If a recluse spider spots on the trap, they’ll get caught and die. You can then check out the spider and identify it using the methods outlined in this tutorial.

Where do brown recluse spiders live?

They’re commonly found in the midwest and south-central areas of the US. They’ve been spotted from lower Arizona all the way across to Nebraska.

States that have higher brown recluse spider sightings and reports are:

  • Kansas
  • Oklahoma
  • Texas
  • Louisiana
  • Arkansas
  • Missouri
  • Mississippi
  • Alabama
  • Georgia
  • Tennessee
  • Kentucky
  • Ohio
  • Indiana
  • Illinois
  • Iowa
  • Nebraska

They range from Georgia to colorado from east to west. They prefer warmer climates and desert regions. Some reports say that global warming has now made the recluse spider appear all over the southern US. They’ve been extending previous boundaries due to warmer weather.

Does one brown recluse spider mean more?

Recluse spider groups.
Recluse spiders usually hang out in small groups.

Brown recluses are known to be solitary and “shy” spiders.

However, if you see one brown recluse, chances are that there are a few more of them. They tend to live in small clusters with each other. If you find one, there are probably a few more nearby in the same area. While they’re solitary, they tend to be solitary together in a group- if that makes sense.

They tend to stay out of the open and hide for most of their lives unless they need to migrate for resources or have been disturbed. Homeowners often find them in dark areas with minimal disturbance.

But this isn’t always the case. You may very well have a single spider that’s all by itself. Or you may spot one, which means there are more nearby.

Most of the time, if you see one spider, there are probably more within its cluster.

You’ll need to inspect the area and check for others. Be careful when doing this and always take precautions to be safe (and exercise common sense).

Can you ever get rid of brown recluse spiders?

Depends where you live. Areas, where they’re native, will have a difficult time to get rid of them. You can take measures such as cleaning up your home and yard. And you can set up repellents.

This probably won’t get rid of them for good, but you can reduce their population significantly.

How to get rid of brown recluse spider bites

Brown recluse spiders will rarely bite, but they will do so when threatened or disturbed. Their venom is powerful and is the second most venomous spider bite in the US.

The bite isn’t noticeable or hardly hurts after the injection, but will flare up over time. Many bites are often unnoticed, but sometimes they cause bacterial infections that can be dangerous and leave a scar.

How to get rid of brown recluse spiders – Natural home remedies

How to get rid of brown recluses home remedies.
There are plenty of ways to control and manage them at home.

Here are some DIY methods to kill and repel recluse spiders. Try a few of them out and see which one works best for you.

Most of them are natural and some are organic. The key is to play around to see which one gets rid of the recluse problem.

Does vinegar kill recluse spiders?

Vinegar has been reported to kill brown recluse spiders upon contact.

This is handy because all you need to make your own natural spider killer spray at home is to add some pure vinegar to a spray bottle. Then you can spray it directly on the spider when you encounter one.

You may have to spray multiple times and consistently until the spider dies. I found that mashing the spray bottle’s lever over and over so that you soak the spider in vinegar works best.

A single spray only makes the spider run off. If you can trap it and then spray it repeatedly until it suffocates, that seems to work best.

You can also spray vinegar when the spider hides in small cracks or holes. The vinegar may reach the spider directly.

Use a spray bottle with an adjustable nozzle you can use the “stream” or “jet” mode to reach spiders in hard-to-reach places. You can spray them on the ceiling, corners, or crevices with a handy bottle.

Do dryer sheets keep spiders away?

Dryer sheets have been reported to get rid of spiders, but personally, this never worked. The idea is to place sheets all over your home to keep spiders out. You can try this if you want. At least your home will smell good. Yes?

Bleach

Bleach can also help deter and kill recluse spiders.

You never want to use 100% pure bleach, as this may be dangerous for your own health and your family, pets, and kids. You can add bleach to a spray bottle and then add water to dilute it. You’ll want to use 1 part bleach to 8 parts water.

Less is more. The point isn’t to spray the spider with the bleach. This acts as a repellent to brown recluses because they dislike the smell of bleach. You just want a mixture where the scent is barely strong enough for you to smell.

Bugs are more sensitive to smell than humans for the most part. So you want to create a repellent that’s overbearing for the spider but not for you.

How to use bleach for spiders

After you create the mixture, spray it where you think the spiders are nesting. Apply it directly to objects and materials that you think they’re climbing or nesting on. Spray it into cracks and crevices.

Spray it under appliances. Use it wherever you think the spiders are nesting. Remember to take precautions and don’t use it where you think your family or pets may come into contact with it.

Bleach can damage materials and surfaces, so don’t use it on something that can become discolored or stained. You don’t want to go spraying carelessly.

Mothballs

Mothballs have mixed reviews online and some people claim that they work against recluse spiders whereas others say they’re completely useless.

Personally, I’d advise against using mothballs for brown recluse spiders because you’ll end up tossing the balls into somewhere you’ll forget about.

Over time, the mothballs break down and release toxic fumes that are harmful to humans and pets. Should you forget about them, you’ll be breathing the chemicals all day, which can be detrimental.

Avoid using mothballs even if they work, unless you know you’ll be a safe distance away from them at all times. They’re effective in enclosed areas. But you want to make sure it’s not somewhere that your family or kids hang out at.

Attract ladybugs

Ladybugs can help control spiders.
Ladybugs eat up pests, so spiders won’t be attracted to your yard.

Ladybugs are a miracle when it comes to pest control. They’re very useful for eliminating a host of other pests like aphids, red spider mites, and kudzu bugs.

They’re one of the best things you can do to get rid of spiders.

For recluse spiders, you can attract ladybugs to your yard and they’ll slowly eat up the many pests that are found outdoors. This will eliminate a portion of the food source that the recluses will eat.

Without lower food availability, the population will drop. Ladybugs are easy to attract, and you can even order them online and breed them in your garden.

Apple cider vinegar

You can make an effective spider killer at home with natural ingredients. The main active proponent you’ll be using is apple cider vinegar, which is very acidic and brown recluse spiders stand no chance.

This will not only kill them upon contact, but it can also help repel and deter them naturally.

Here’s how to make it.

What you’ll need:

  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • 1 cup cayenne pepper
  • 1 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon dish detergent
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced

How to make it:

  1. Add apple cider vinegar, pepper, vegetable oil, and liquid dish soap together into a spray bottle.
  2. Add the minced garlic to the bottle.
  3. Mix the solution well so that the peppers and garlic leech.
  4. Let it sit for 24 hours.

How to use it:

  • Spray it directly onto brown recluses when you spot them.
  • Use multiple sprays until the spider is killed.
  • Be sure to not get this solution in your eyes or skin.
  • The solution is acid and strong. Avoid spraying it on household furniture or surfaces as it can damage them.
  • Clean up any excess spray after you kill the spider.
  • You can also spray it directly into areas where you think spiders are nesting. This will help repel them. Be sure to exercise caution.

Add cedar outdoors

Cedar spider repellent.
Spiders don’t like cedar, so you can use it as a natural repellent.

Spiders aren’t fans of cedar mulch, so you can utilize this by adding some outdoors. You can build a perimeter of cedar mulch in your garden to keep them out.

As long as you form a complete barrier around your home, they’ll have a tough time getting across the cedar. Of course, for areas where you can’t block off, you can use other repellents on this guide.

But for all areas that you can apply a layer of mulch, opt for natural cedar or cedarwood.

Or use cedar oil

Cedar is expensive.

You can use cedar essential oil and add a few drops to a cup of water and spray it outdoors as an alternative. If you can’t afford cedar mulch or wood, then use this method instead.

You just need a bottle of pure cedar oil and a single bottle should be able to cover your entire yard.

Use citrus fruits

Plant acidic fruits outdoors to naturally repel brown recluse spiders. They hate anything that’s critters and acidic.

This means you can plant fruits like:

  • Oranges
  • Grapefruit
  • Lies
  • Lemons

With these plants around your yard, they act as a natural deterrent station for spiders. You can also just buy these fruits in bulk (or harvest them if you planted them) and save the peels.

Scatter the citrus peels outdoors around your yard and indoors throughout your home. This will keep your home smelling fresh while at the same time driving spiders out.

Some peels can be rubbed on various surfaces to keep recluses out of your home. Just be sure you don’t rub the citrus peels on sensitive surfaces that can be damaged.

Where to add repellent

Some areas to consider using this repellent for brown recluse spiders:

  • Bookshelves
  • Within drawers or closets
  • Storage boxes
  • Under doorways
  • On windowsills
  • Around your attic or basement
  • Kitchen cabinets
  • Dressers
  • Garage
  • Outdoor patio furniture

Basically, just rub or place a peel here and there. The scent is enough to keep spiders away until they need to be replaced. They last about 48 hours depending on temperatures.

So they’re good for a short-term solution until you drive all the spiders out. Once you drive them out, you’ll need to keep them out for good.

Hedge apples

Hedge apples are an old but useful trick to repel spiders.

These apples are toxic and you should never let any family member or pet go near them. If you’re able to get ahold of hedge apples, use them with gloves and always wash your hands afterward.

Avoid contact with them possible. Never touch them directly. Always do your research on proper handling.

Hedge apples are effective from many reports online. Personally never tried them, but people seem to swear by them.

Chestnuts

Chestnut spider repellent.
Chestnuts may work against spiders- worth a try!

Chestnuts are another awesome way to keep spiders out of your home.

For some reason, they don’t like chestnuts. I’m unsure why exactly- but they’ve been reported to work well against pests.

The best part is that chestnuts don’t really expire quickly, so you can literally place them around your home and just leave them there. It’s a safe and natural way to get rid of spiders that sometimes works.

Worth a try. Just make sure no pets or kids are around to touch them because they’re a choking hazard.

What smells do brown recluse spiders hate?

DIY essential oil repellent for brown recluses.
Brown recluses hate acidic scents, such as citrus and essential oils.

Here are a few scents you can easily use at home as a DIY home remedy to naturally repel recluse spiders.

There are some aromas that deter them and may help keep them out of your home. This is one of the most common ways to get rid of a brown recluse infestation.

Use a combination of these scents and see which one works best for you. Depending on the area you live, the spider type, and the spider itself, one scent may not work and another will.

How to get rid of brown recluse spiders with essential oils

Essential oils work against brown recluse spiders. There are scientific studies and anecdotal reports online that confirm this.

Personally, I’ve used peppermint oil and had decent success with it. It doesn’t work 100% of the time, but ever since I started hosing down the area with peppermint oil, the number of brown recluses seems to have dropped off. But correlation doesn’t mean causation!

Essential oils don’t have any particular recipe to make. The typical setup is to buy a bottle of organic oil, then add a few drops to a spray bottle and fill it up with water. You can use about 8 drops per cup of water for a powerful recluse-repellent spray.

You’ll need to play around with the measurements. Use more drops or use less water if it doesn’t seem to be working. Or if it’s too strong, user fewer reps or more water.

Here’s a recipe for peppermint oil spray.

What you’ll need:

  • Peppermint oil (pure)
  • Water
  • Spray bottle

How to make it:

  1. Add 8 drops of peppermint oil per 1 cup of water.
  2. Mix together in a spray bottle

How to use it:

  • Spray where you suspect the brown recluses are. The best part about this is that since they hide in dark areas where you probably don’t spend your time, you never have to smell the peppermint oil all day.
  • Spray the oil around your basement, closet, attic, yard, kitchen, bathroom, garage, or bedroom.
  • Wherever you think the recluses are, give it a spray.
  • Areas where you won’t be spending time in can be sprayed more times to give it that extra kick.

Where to spray essential oils for spiders

You can also spray the essential oil around places you want to keep recluses out of, such as:

  • Closets
  • Shoes
  • Windowsills
  • Baseboard
  • Dressers
  • Kitchen cabinets
  • Under-sink cabinets
  • Drawers
  • Storage containers
  • Vents
  • Laundry hampers
  • And even your bed!

Note that depending on the essential oil, some may damage your household possessions, furniture, walls, or floors.

Always test on a small area first before spraying haphazardly. You’ll have to do some research on the specific oil you’re planning to use. See the hazards and read over the bottle description. Always follow the label.

Here are some of the most effective essential oils for brown recluse spiders:

  • Citrus
  • Lavender
  • Peppermint
  • Basil
  • Neem
  • Tea tree
  • Thyme
  • Eucalyptus
  • Rosemary

Try a few of them out and see which one works best for you.

Tobacco

Tobacco leaves and water can be combined to make tobacco balls.

Don’t use this inside the home, but rather outdoors. You just let the water soak up and saturate the leaves. Then place them outdoors around the home.

Make sure no pets or kids are around though, as you don’t want them to accidentally ingest this stuff.

You can place them in strategic locations around the home and see how they work out for you.

Natural predators

Recluse spider predators.
Brown recluses have plenty of predators that’ll eat them.

Fight pests with other pests. Here are some animals and other common predators of spiders that you can attract to your yard. Read on for some tips.

What eats brown recluses?

There are many natural predators that eat brown recluse spiders (and the other way around). If you have any of these native to your area, consider attracting more of them to help reduce the spider population.

The trick is to lure them into your yard so they can control the population outdoors. After these predators eat up the recluse spiders outside, there won’t be many coming inside your home.

Of course, this takes time. But once you start attracting a bunch of reptiles and animals that eat brown recluse spiders, it’s really a smart method and passive method to get rid of them.

Here’s a list of predators that eat brown recluse spiders:

Lizards

Many larger lizards will readily eat recluse spiders. Lizards such as geckos and chameleons are both present in the south and will feed on spiders. They can actually be used as a direct predator to control spider populations.

A research study performed by researchers demonstrated that lizards can actually completely eliminate spiders in a controlled environment.

If you’re already living in the south, you probably already have a few native lizards that you can research how to attract. They may help you control your recluse problem.

Birds

Avian predators are another common source of spider foragers.

Birds will eat most types of spiders other than giant tarantulas. Birds such as wrens and robins have been observed to eat spiders quite frequently.

Smaller birds will also eat spiders, but not as often as the larger species. Homeowners have even let their birds fly around the home to clean up pests.

Centipedes

Although you probably don’t want centipedes in your home, they’re another bug that’ll readily fight a spider for a meal.

But many people would rather have spiders than centipedes, so this isn’t really something you’d want to do.

Or else you’ll end up with a centipede problem and you’ll be looking up ways to get rid of them.

Cats

Cats have also been reported to actively eat spiders. It may be something to consider if there are a ton of stray cats in your area. You can easily attract cats to your yard by offering food and water.

Once they make it a habit, they’ll return and help you control the spider population outdoors. Be warned that the brown recluse spider is venomous and can harm cats, even if they’re stray.

Spider wasps

Spider wasps are larger species of wasps that have stingers that can paralyze spiders.

They sting the spider and then carry it to their nest to feed their nymphs. These wasps can be dangerous, so you’ll want to be careful if you plan to attract these or purchase their eggs.

Fish

Believe it or not, there are fish that’ll feed on spiders. The problem is that the spider needs to be around the water to actually be eaten. Fish such as archerfish, mosquito fish, and trout will readily eat spiders. This isn’t practical for most people.

But for those who own a farm or fishery, using fish to catch spiders falling into bodies of water would be a possibility.

Other spiders

This is definitely ironic, but there are other spiders which will eat recluse spiders.

This can be a benefit to you because they don’t harm humans and only eat other spiders.

An example would be the daddy long legs, which eat other spiders like black widows and hobo spiders but don’t pose as much of a threat towards humans. You’re basically exchanging recluse spiders for another type of spider that’s less of a pest.

What is the best spider repellent?

The best repellent would be the one that works best for you.

Depending on your situation, some remedies will work and others won’t. You’ll have to try a few out and see what works for you.

How to keep brown recluse spiders out of your house

Keep spiders out of home.
Basic maintenance and keeping your home clutter free are the key to be spider-free.

To get rid of them from your home, madness is key. That’s the best way you can get rid of recluse spiders, other than using natural repellents. The repellents will help keep brown recluse spiders out of the house.

The process should be as follows:

  • Kill the spiders in your home.
  • Clean up your home to prevent future infestations
  • Set up natural repellents to keep recluse spiders out of your house.

This guide already covers all of these steps in detail.

Here are some additional tips.

Reduce clutter

This is super effective at keeping spiders out.

Reducing the amount of clutter you have in your home will help prevent hiding places, nests, and other pests to populate your house.

Simply by doing regular maintenance will help prevent future brown recluse problems:

  • Store your junk in boxes
  • Keep your closets organized
  • Dispose of any excess clothing, furniture, books, or other junk
  • Keep clutter to a minimum
  • Don’t hoard
  • Don’t leave food accessible
  • Clean up after your pets
  • This will help get you started.
  • Fix your home

The next thing you can do is to keep your home maintenance.

This means fixing foundation cracks, sealing up crevices and crevices, cleaning up gutters, putting traps and repellents in crawl spaces, and all the other stuff you should already be doing. If the spider has no way to enter your home, how will it be able to bother you?

Get rid of other pests

As you know, the recluse spiders feed on other bugs.

If you’re able to get rid of these other pests or reduce the amount of them, then the spiders will have nothing to feast on. Without a stable food source, the brown recluse spiders will look elsewhere for food. Simple enough, right?

How to get rid of brown recluse spiders in the yard

Keep spiders out of yard.
There are plenty of ways to keep recluse spiders away from your backyard.

The easiest way to do this is to keep your yard tidy. We covered a bunch of tips here that you can use for natural repellents to keep spiders out, so utilize a few of them.

Other than that, keeping your garden very clean and well-maintened is the key to keeping spiders out.

Here are some basic tips:

  • Prune all overgrown trees, shrubs, and plants
  • Always dispose of leaf litter
  • Secure your trash and compost bins
  • Never over-fertilize your plants
  • Clean up plant clippings and foliage
  • Keep birdbaths, water foundations, and other water features clean
  • Use cedar mulch around the yard
  • Plant plants that repel spiders
  • Use cotton ball traps
  • Use essential oil sprays
  • Attract predators that eat spiders

These basic tips plus all the other ones outlined earlier will help you get rid of brown recluse spiders outside. The key is to actually do them. Something that works for me may not work for you. You’ll have to see what you can do in your specific situation.

Don’t just try one or two and then give up.

How to get rid of brown recluse spiders in attic

How to keep recluses spiders out of attic.
The attic is a common area that brown recluse spiders infest.

Recluse spiders in the attic can be difficult to get rid of because there are many places for them to hide.

The attic is usually a cluttered, messy, storage area where most people never maintain and leave all their junk. This makes it very easy for a recluse spider to establish base and hide. They can eat and hunt in the dark with no disturbances.

Use repellents

To get rid of brown recluse spiders in the attic, you’ll want to set up repellents.

For most people, finding the spider and killing it will be difficult. Using repellents will make it easier to drive them out and will be less work for you overall.

The good part is that the attic is typically an enclosed area, so scent-based repellents will work better against spiders. This means you can use sprays or aerosols to their best effect.

Other tips to keep them out of your attic

Here are some methods you can use to get rid of them from your attic:

  • Use essential oil (peppermint, lavender, etc.) and spray down the attic
  • Set up citrus peels and toss them around
  • Use garlic cloves and scatter them
  • Set up sticky spider traps
  • Use chestnuts
  • Use bleach spray
  • Add cedar or cedar spray
  • Clean up the attic and remove any clutter
  • Dispose of any junk
  • Pack up any valuables in storage containers
  • Garage and basement

Spiders in the garage and basement are just as bad as the ones in the attic.

Brown recluse spiders can be ridden in the same manner as the attic- the main point is to clean up the garage and set up natural repellents. Garages are difficulties because again, they have a ton of clutter. The same goes for the basement.

You’ll want to clean up and organize as much as you can. And then you’ll want to add spider repellent.

Check out the “natural repellents” section above for more tips. Or just read the above section for the attic as most of it relates to the garage and basement.

How to get rid of brown recluse spiders for good

 

The best way to control them and manage them for good is to find the spiders and then either kill them or repel them.

After that, maintain the situation by constantly using spider repellent. Clean up your yard and home and keep both tidy. Set up sticky traps to monitor for more spiders.

Place them where you think the spiders are present.

If you catch more spiders, you’ll notice the areas where the spiders are present and could use more work.

Commercial approaches

There are also a few commercial approaches you can use, but I advise against them because they often contain dangerous residues.

And they simply don’t work.

The two most popular commercial solutions are spider sprays and foggers.

Spider sprays

These are effective against spiders and will kill them upon contact.

The problem is that they leave nasty residues behind. The thing is that you can use a bunch of other natural solutions rather than these sprays. You can make your own and have control.

Not to mention that your own spray is a lot safer.

Foggers or “bug bombs”

These are terrible.

They spray a chemical all over the place and are ineffective for open areas. You have to use these in smaller areas and spiders can often escape or leave the area. Not to mention that the spray is terrible for humans and pets. Avoid.

Professional help

Professional exterminator with rats.
Seeking help from a professional pest control company is often necessary.

As mentioned earlier in this guide, you should only be attempting these remedies with the a professional.

If the natural remedies don’t work, licensed professionals will bring out the powerful, industrial pesticides to really kill the recluse problems.

Try asking for the “green” or natural remedies first. If not, then they need to use their synthetic bug killers.

The most common questions people ask are the following:

How much does it cost to get rid of brown recluse spiders?

There’s no exact price. It depends on where you live and how many spiders you have.

Typically, you can expect to pay anywhere from $100-$300 to get rid of smaller recluse infestations. More complex situations can cost over a few thousand dollars. Contact your pest control company for a quote.

How do exterminators get rid of brown recluse spiders?

Exterminators will use special sprays and traps dedicated to killing spiders.

These are typically not available for the public. They may also use heat-based approaches, powerful repellents and sprays, and various spider traps for monitoring.

Always DIY when possible. Seek out help if you have no more options.

Did you get rid of the brown recluse spiders?

How to get rid of recluse spiders.
You’ll need patience and persistence to rid them! Don’t overexert yourself.

That’s all I’ve got for you.

This guide is a monster and probably the most comprehensive pest control guide for brown recluse spiders online.

If you have any specific questions about getting rid of brown recluses, you can leave a comment below and I’ll help you out.

Or if you’ve found this helpful, let me know!

Tell a friend who may be having recluse problems! You just may make their day.

Thanks for reading!

8 thoughts on “How to Get Rid of Brown Recluse Spiders (Naturally!)”

  1. Write more, thats all I have to say. Literally, it seems as though you relied on the video to make your point. You obviously know what youre talking about, why throw away your intelligence on just posting videos to your blog when you could be giving us something informative to read?

    1. Brooke Mastronardi

      PLEASE HELP(INTENTIONALLY INFESTED?)I THINK THERE BROWN RECLUSE. IS THERE ANY WAY TO SEND YOU A PIC OF ALL THE SPIDERS IVE FOUND IN MY HOUSE IN THE LAST TWO DAYS. PLEASE HELP ME IDENTITY THESE SPIDERS.

  2. Thanks for ones marvelous posting! I really enjoyed reading it, you will be a great author.
    I will always bookmark your blog and definitely will come back in the foreseeable future.
    I want to encourage yourself to continue your great job, have a nice morning!

  3. What is the best solution to spray on firewood to kill and repel brown recluse spiders. I will be burning the wood in a wood burner indoors.

  4. Your information is vague and your recommendations for DIY treatments can be dangerous for the public. I would highly recommend that the public use a pest control company that will take the time to explain treatment methods and products to be used. Brown recluse control treatments are not cheap because they’re considered a heavy infestation species due to the danger they pose. If I see one I always recommend professional service. FYI, this spider will require a year long pest control program for the reasons stated above. Unless you have a state certified category 7 license seek professional help.

    1. I found these suggestions very helpful. I had my house evaluated by a licensed pest control company that also does green treatments, and the things I was told totally coincided with what I read here. I have been very successful with natural pest control for other issues, and I think I will save myself the $1,600 plus dollars and do it myself.

  5. I appreciate you for letting us know that there are spider sprays available that can instantly kill brown recluses upon contact, but we should ensure we opt for ones that won’t leave nasty residues behind. I need to get the brown recluses in our basement removed first before we can proceed to renovate my grandma’s house next month. I’ll keep this in mind while I look for a pest control company to hire for brown recluse extermination soon.

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