I saw a map, and part of Virginia has the brown recluse. Has anyone seen one in your neck of the woods? They like to hide in things like piles of clothes or closets. They usually are not aggressive but can be. They bite when you hit them. Some people can have serious reactions to their bite

I thought I saw what looked like one in the basement. Should I be worried?

Only if radioactive, William.

To the best of my knowledge, the only Brown Recluse spiders found in VA were found in the moving boxes of a family that moved up from farther south.

Gruntled Wrote:
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> To the best of my knowledge, the only Brown
> Recluse spiders found in VA were found in the
> moving boxes of a family that moved up from
> farther south.

Correct. Va Tech has confirmed that they cannot survive here under normal circumstances. Lots of folks mistake them for a few other brown spiders because of similar markings.

The Brown Recluse's range does extend to Virginia, but only the most south westerly points in the state (think Cumberland Gap, Abingdon, Bristol). Outside of that it's rare to find them. They most likely habitat attics, basements and closets.

And they travel in large groups...like 50. They breed like niggers.

So...if you think you may have them, the best defense is a FLAMETHROWER. Just burn the whole thing down.

spider hunter Wrote:
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> Gruntled Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > To the best of my knowledge, the only Brown
> > Recluse spiders found in VA were found in the
> > moving boxes of a family that moved up from
> > farther south.
>
> Correct. Va Tech has confirmed that they cannot
> survive here under normal circumstances. Lots of
> folks mistake them for a few other brown spiders
> because of similar markings.

They live in Kansas and the Midest. Their climate is colder than ours. Is it not? Most recluses are in the heartland of America. Not the Deep South.

Spidey sensez Wrote:
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> The Brown Recluse's range does extend to Virginia,
> but only the most south westerly points in the
> state (think Cumberland Gap, Abingdon, Bristol).
> Outside of that it's rare to find them. They most
> likely habitat attics, basements and closets.


This is correct. Brown recluses are commonly found only in the Southwest portions of Virginia. They are most common in the "heartland" of America- the Central States including Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Oklahoma etc. They are not as common in the Deep South or East Coast areas.

Very unlikely in Northern Virginia, but I know quite a few people in Central Virginia that have found them crawling around in their garages and attics.

I once found a scorpion in a box of grapes that came from the Southwest while unloading a Produce truck at the Supermarket. That's how they get a round, they "hitch hike" on produce trucks and carriers, especially watermelon trucks that have straw bedding.

jasper Wrote:
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> I once found a scorpion in a box of grapes that
> came from the Southwest while unloading a Produce
> truck at the Supermarket. That's how they get a
> round, they "hitch hike" on produce trucks and
> carriers, especially watermelon trucks that have
> straw bedding.


We actually have scorpions in Virginia, but they are not as poisonous:

http://bugguide.net/node/view/34639

http://www.fairfaxunderground.com/forum/read/2/670752/1877980.html
http://www.fairfaxunderground.com/forum/read/40/615384/615388.html

http://bugguide.net/node/view/564563/bgimage

Haven't ever seen a Brown Recluse in NoVa. Yellow Sac Spiders are commonly found in NoVa homes in the later Fall. They're the ones that build a little web tube in the corner where the wall meets the ceiling. They can inflict a mean bit but nothing too harmful. Like a mosquito bite that crusts up and is more painful than itchy... one more thing to worry about!