Mary.Lane@ofa123.fidonet.org (Mary Lane) (09/08/90)
Does anyone know something that would kill the Brown Recluse? I don't have roaches; I have those mean, fast, big spiders, and I don't know where they're coming from. -- Mary Lane Internet: Mary.Lane@ofa123.fidonet.org
rpeter@nmsu.edu (Peter Herman x5495) (09/10/90)
Mary.Lane@ofa123.fidonet.org writes >Does anyone know something that would kill the Brown Recluse? I don't have >roaches; I have those mean, fast, big spiders, and I don't know where they're ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^ 1 2 3 >coming from. Are you sure (no flame intended) that what you have are Brown Recluse spiders? In my experience (7 years living outside of Columbia, Missouri, AKA Brown Recluse Nirvana) none of the underscored descriptors really fits the Brown Recluse well. 1)The consequences of a bite are pretty mean, however, the spiders themselves are fairly ... well reclusive. They often have to be stepped on or otherwise pressured into biting. Most people get bitten by not shaking out stored clothing or shoes. You put them on, squish the spider and it bites. 2) Most spiders can really move if disturbed, however the Brown Recluse spends much more time sitting than running. 3)As spiders go the BR is pretty normal size, rarely larger around than a quarter (diameter, including legs). The best diagnosis of BRs is the body markings, which are rather violin like in shape. It sounds like what you have are some sort of wolf spiders. They are a bit larger than BRs, VERY fast (they are "hunting" spiders which don't spin webs), and are aggressive in their movements. They are brown/grey in color as a rule. They often eat roaches, ants, and other household pests. If you can catch one (dead or alive) your county agricultural agent can get it identified so that you know what you are dealing with. Even urban counties have a county agent. We pay for them with our taxes, however few of us know that they exist never mind use their services. If you have wolf spiders, I'd just leave them be (integrated pest management, and all that). If you want to be rid of them, good strong bug spray around the baseboards should do it. If they really are BRs, you need to concentrate on spraying the closets, garage, basement and other dark, usually undisturbed places. Good luck! ***************************************************************** rpeter@nmsu.edu Peter Herman, Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM USA, 88005. Phone 505-646-4532. *****************************************************************
trish@trantor.harris-atd.com (Trish Stuckey) (09/12/90)
In article <RPETER.90Sep10073916@jornada.nmsu.edu>, rpeter@nmsu.edu (Peter Herman x5495) writes: |> Mary.Lane@ofa123.fidonet.org writes |> |> >Does anyone know something that would kill the Brown Recluse? I don't have |> >roaches; I have those mean, fast, big spiders, and I don't know where they're |> ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^ |> 1 2 3 |> If you have wolf spiders, I'd just leave them be (integrated pest |> management, and all that). If you want to be rid of them, good strong |> bug spray around the baseboards should do it. If they really are BRs, |> you need to concentrate on spraying the closets, garage, basement and |> other dark, usually undisturbed places. Good luck! |> I think I know the ones you talking about. I don't think they're mean though. They're certainly mean-looking. We call them (here in Florida) the brown mosquito spider. They are HUGE, they're a good 6" to 7" across (toe to toe, so to speak), and when they run across your wall you can here the pitter-patter of those toes. I was told that they are harmless, however, I had one run up my arm and I almost broke my leg when I knocked over the coffee table trying to get my shirt off (not to mention the heart attack I had). I sprayed 1/2 can of Raid on one of them, he passed out and about 5 mins. later he got up and walked away. Trish Stuckey
ward@tsnews.Convergent.COM (Ward Griffiths) (09/12/90)
> Does anyone know something that would kill the Brown Recluse? I don't have > roaches; I have those mean, fast, big spiders, and I don't know where they're > coming from. > -- > Mary Lane > Internet: Mary.Lane@ofa123.fidonet.org As someone else posted, what you have are probably not Brown Recluse, and non-venomous spiders can be real handy to have around to help out with cockroach control and such. I actually used to keep a couple of tarantulas around for that job. They worked great and I was never bitten. But if you really want to get rid of them, spiders are sensitive to many of the same things that kill insects: bug bombs, massive over- doses of Raid, combat boots, ball peen hammers, etc. -- Ward Griffiths [Judas] went and hanged himself. Matt. 27:5 Jesus said ... Go, and do though likewise. Luke 10:37 ======================================================================= This is your brain as part of this complete breakfast.
al@gtx.com (Alan Filipski) (09/14/90)
In article <734@tsnews.Convergent.COM> ward@tsnews.Convergent.COM (Ward Griffiths) writes: > >But if you really want to get rid of them, spiders are sensitive to >many of the same things that kill insects: bug bombs, massive over- >doses of Raid, combat boots, ball peen hammers, etc. Raid, yes, but many other insecticides are not effective against spiders because of their book lungs. I can't tell you, off the top of my head, which compounds are effective against which groups and why, but Larry Lippman's cat could, I'm sure. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ( Alan Filipski, GTX Corp, 8836 N. 23rd Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85021, USA ) ( {decvax,hplabs,uunet!amdahl,nsc}!sun!sunburn!gtx!al (602)870-1696 ) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
larry@kitty.UUCP (Larry Lippman) (09/14/90)
In article <1345@gtx.com>, al@gtx.com (Alan Filipski) writes: > >But if you really want to get rid of them, spiders are sensitive to > >many of the same things that kill insects: bug bombs, massive over- > >doses of Raid, combat boots, ball peen hammers, etc. > > Raid, yes, but many other insecticides are not effective against spiders > because of their book lungs. I can't tell you, off the top of > my head, which compounds are effective against which groups > and why, but Larry Lippman's cat could, I'm sure. My cats can most assuredly tell you three things about spiders: (1) spiders are fun to watch; (2) spiders are fun to catch; and (3) spiders are just *yummy* to eat. :-) I personally can't tell you much about spiders. I can tell you about the effects of various insecticides on *people*, but, alas, not on spiders. This obviously won't answer your questions. I can, however, tell you that in an indoor environment cats are a good "natural" insecticide effective against spiders. :-) Larry Lippman @ Recognition Research Corp. "Have you hugged your cat today?" VOICE: 716/688-1231 {boulder, rutgers, watmath}!ub!kitty!larry FAX: 716/741-9635 {utzoo, uunet}!/ \aerion!larry
sarima@tdatirv.UUCP (Stanley Friesen) (09/15/90)
In article <4300@trantor.harris-atd.com> trish@trantor.harris-atd.com (Trish Stuckey) writes: > I think I know the ones you talking about. I don't think >they're mean though. They're certainly mean-looking. We call >them (here in Florida) the brown mosquito spider. They are >HUGE, they're a good 6" to 7" across ... > I sprayed 1/2 can of Raid on one of them, he passed out and >about 5 mins. later he got up and walked away. Hmm, sure does sound like wolf spiders to me (or else thier close relatives - the tarantulas). And the original poster is not the only one who has gotten wolf spiders and brown recluses miced up. When I was much younger I used to think the enormously common, somewhat smaller, wolf spider of eastern Kansas was the brown recluse. After all, I had been told how nasty the brown recluse was, and these were the *only* brown spiders I had ever seen. I may not have been fully corrected on this until I took a field natural history class at university. There I got to know spiders quite well. I have also, since then, seen brown recluses. They were rather smallish, non-descript brown spiders huddling under some old boards. (I didn't bother trying to get a closer look the see the 'violin', I didn't relish the idea of getting bitten.) As near as I can tell they are rather similar to black widows in body shape and markings - except for being a very dull color, and *much* smaller. [A black widow is a very stunning black with a distinct red marking]
jws@thumper.mlb.semi.harris.com (James W. Swonger) (09/28/90)
I spray Dursban (1oz/gal) (active ingrediant in the Rid-A-Bug spray but I mix it from the brown bottle) inside every couple of months. Dead spiders, millipedes, palmetto bugs, scorpions and earwigs appear along the baseboards. So if you want to kill bug daid, try that.