First Aid
If bitten, remain calm, and immediately seek medical attention (contact your physician, hospital and/or poison control center). Apply an ice pack directly to the bite area to relieve swelling and pain. Collect the spider (even a mangled specimen has diagnostic value), if possible, for positive identification by a spider expert. A plastic bag, small jar, or pill vial is useful and no preservative is necessary, but rubbing alcohol helps to preserve the spider.
An effective commercial antivenin is not available. The surgical removal of tissue was once standard procedure, but now this is thought to slow down wound healing. Some physicians administer high doses of cortisone-type hormones to combat hemolysis and other systemic complications. Treatment with oral dapsone (an antibiotic used mainly for leprosy) has been suggested to reduce the degree of tissue damage. However, an effective therapy has not yet been found in controlled studies.
Control
Control of indoor infestations of the brown recluse spider can take a long time (6 months or more) and can be difficult because humans have a very low tolerance for this pest, it tends to be widely dispersed within infested buildings, and it seeks secluded sites. Control of spiders, including the brown recluse, is best achieved by following an integrated pest management (IPM) approach. IPM involves using multiple approaches such as preventive measures, exclusion, sanitation, trapping, and chemical treatment when necessary.
Preventing spider bites
* Shake out clothing and shoes before getting dressed.
* Inspect bedding and towels before use.
* Wear gloves when handling firewood, lumber, and rocks (be sure to inspect the gloves for spiders before putting them on).
* Remove bedskirts and storage boxes from underneath beds. Move the bed away from the wall.
* Exercise care when handling cardboard boxes (recluse spiders often are found in the space under folded cardboard flaps).
Exclusion
* Install tight-fitting screens on windows and doors; also install door sweeps.
* Seal or caulk cracks and crevices where spiders can enter the house.
* Install yellow or sodium vapor light bulbs outdoors since these attract fewer insects for spiders to feed upon.
* Tape the edges of cardboard boxes to prevent spider entry.
* Use plastic bags (sealed) to store loose items in the garage, basement, and attic.
Sanitation
* Remove trash, old boxes, old clothing, wood piles, rock piles, and other unwanted items.
* Eliminate clutter in closets, basements, attics, garages, and outbuildings.
* Do not stack wood against the house.
* Clean up dead insects that the brown recluse spider can feed on.
Non-chemical control
* Use sticky traps or glueboards to capture spiders.
* Dust and vacuum thoroughly to remove spiders, webs, and egg sacs (dispose of the vacuum bag in a container outdoors).
* Use a rolled up newspaper or fly swatter to kill individual spiders.
Insecticides
There are many labeled pesticides for spider control. Some are labeled for homeowner use, while others are labeled only for the licensed, certified pesticide applicator. It would be prudent to enlist the services of a professional pest management company when dealing with an indoor infestation of the brown recluse spider.
Research indicates that recently developed pyrethroids (e.g., cyfluthrin, cypermethrin, etc.) are particularly effective against brown recluse spiders. Wettable powders and microencapsuled "slow-release" formulations of these chemicals provide residual activity and are preferable to using emulsion-type sprays. Insecticide treatments should be applied so that the chemical contacts as many spiders and webs as possible. Residual liquid sprays should be applied to the outside perimeter of the home (including under eaves, patios, and decks; behind window shutters), baseboards, undisturbed corners, and other suspected spider harborages. Residual dusts should be applied to voids and inaccessible areas where spiders may hide. Aerosol flushing agents such as pyrethrins, though ineffective by themselves in providing control, can cause spiders to move about so that they contact treated surfaces.
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