Update: Brown Recluse Spiders On The Move In Arkansas
By: KARK 4 News
Updated: June 27, 2012
It appears folks in Clinton aren't the only Arkansans dealing with a spider problem...
They are creepy, crawly and potentially dangerous. And now that it is warmer, experts say you are likely to see more Brown Recluse Spiders (photo below).
By the nature of their name, these spiders are reclusive and love to stay in small, dark holes. They are not aggressive but if you run into one you could be in a world of hurt.
"The spider bite can actually cause the skin and flesh to die all the way down to the bone," said Dr. Jeff Barnes who is an Entomology Professor at the University of Arkansas.
Barnes has been studying Brown Recluse Spiders for years. "They are small brown spiders about the size of a quarter or more if you spread their legs out," said Barnes. And he says the Natural State is crawling with them.
"Here in Arkansas we are dead center in the distribution of brown recluse spiders," said Barnes. According to Barnes we see more Brown Recluses in the Summer because they are more active, but they are always here.
"It is my estimation that probably every home and every building in the state of Arkansas has Brown Recluse. It is nearly impossible to avoid them," said Barnes. To tell if you have one on your hands you need look no further than the spider's back. "They have a very distinctive violin or cello shaped mark there," said Barnes.
And according to Dr. Barnes, if you see one there are probably more nearby. That is where Dallas Hopper with Hopper Environmental Services comes in.
"We try to eliminate their food source which is other insects we find inside the house but the best thing for spiders are glue boards," said Hopper. These sticky traps not only catch spiders but also let Hopper and his team know where more Brown Recluses might be.
That way you can have a fairly spider free home. "100 percent elimination with a Brown Recluse Spider is typically not going to happen. You try to manage the problem and keep them at bay."
There are over 500 species of spiders in Arkansas but only 2 are poisonous. The Brown Recluse and the Black Widow.
They are creepy, crawly and potentially dangerous. And now that it is warmer, experts say you are likely to see more Brown Recluse Spiders (photo below).
By the nature of their name, these spiders are reclusive and love to stay in small, dark holes. They are not aggressive but if you run into one you could be in a world of hurt.
"The spider bite can actually cause the skin and flesh to die all the way down to the bone," said Dr. Jeff Barnes who is an Entomology Professor at the University of Arkansas.
Barnes has been studying Brown Recluse Spiders for years. "They are small brown spiders about the size of a quarter or more if you spread their legs out," said Barnes. And he says the Natural State is crawling with them.
"Here in Arkansas we are dead center in the distribution of brown recluse spiders," said Barnes. According to Barnes we see more Brown Recluses in the Summer because they are more active, but they are always here.
"It is my estimation that probably every home and every building in the state of Arkansas has Brown Recluse. It is nearly impossible to avoid them," said Barnes. To tell if you have one on your hands you need look no further than the spider's back. "They have a very distinctive violin or cello shaped mark there," said Barnes.
And according to Dr. Barnes, if you see one there are probably more nearby. That is where Dallas Hopper with Hopper Environmental Services comes in.
"We try to eliminate their food source which is other insects we find inside the house but the best thing for spiders are glue boards," said Hopper. These sticky traps not only catch spiders but also let Hopper and his team know where more Brown Recluses might be.
That way you can have a fairly spider free home. "100 percent elimination with a Brown Recluse Spider is typically not going to happen. You try to manage the problem and keep them at bay."
There are over 500 species of spiders in Arkansas but only 2 are poisonous. The Brown Recluse and the Black Widow.
