Brown Recluse Spider
What You Should Know About Brown Recluse Spiders in Oregon
Brown recluse spiders are extremely rare in Oregon. This spider’s range is confined to the south-central U.S. It is not found in the Pacific NW. The only known cases of this spider have been linked to people moving into the PNW from areas of known infestation.
According to research done by many different organizations, including Washington State University and a number of pest management professionals, almost all bites attributed to brown recluses actually came from hobo spiders.
Hobo spiders and brown recluse spiders are sometimes confused with each other. A brown recluse is generally smaller than a hobo spider, is much less hairy, lacks the chevron markings on the abdomen, and most often has a distinctive violin-shape mark in the center of the thorax that give them the name “Fiddle Back.” They also have just 3 eyes where a typical spider has eight eyes. Its venom is necrotic, causing wounds that may be slow to heal.
Here are some key ways to tell the difference between the two arachnids:
- A hobo spider has a brown body and yellow markings on its abdomen and are often smaller than other spiders.
- Brown recluse spiders are mostly brown, with a darker brown violin-shaped mark on the back.
- Unlike brown recluse spiders, hobo spiders do not have dark bands on their legs or a violin shaped pattern on their heads.
- Brown recluse spiders also do not have any markings on their abdomen, while hobo spiders do.
- Hobo spiders are not vertical climbers, so they will usually build their webs at ground level or below ground level in basements.
- The hobo spider is a member of the funnel-web spider family. They use their long legs and running abilities to create webs that are funnel or tube shaped.
- Unlike hobo spiders, brown recluse spiders do not build webs.
Altus Pest Control company can accurately determine what type of spiders you have and how to get rid of them.