. . . are almost no one’s favorite wildlife, even though they are an important part of ecology and eliminate other less desirable insects. I try to photograph many of them that I see at home and when traveling which can be seen in my Spider Gallery of photos. Here’s two of the lastest seen at my house, one inside and one outside . . .
¡Pura Vida!
Charlie, tell me the good purpose of brown recluse spiders. Their bite is bad new for humans and I’ve caught them in spider traps here at McKendree for the 2+ years we’ve lived here.
You are braver than I am for sure.
My ❓ is what do they do good? Is there something worse than they are, that can do us harm?
Bonnie M in Tennessee.
All spiders eat other insects, some of which may be as harmful to humans as the bite of a brown recluse. That is basically what the OK Wildlife Dept. says at: https://www.wildlifedepartment.com/wildlife/field-guide/invertebrates/brown-recluse#:~:text=Brown%20recluse%20spiders%20help%20control,important%20part%20of%20the%20environment.
I keep my distance from all spiders, though close enough for a photo. 🙂 Like most nature lovers, I try to “live and let live” though I do use insect spray in some areas of my house and always use insect repellent on me when I go outside, keeping a spray bottle of “Off” at each door. And I do know the danger of some spider bites like that brown recluse or the black widow, but they are a minority of total spiders, most of which are harmless. If you request it, McKendree will probably spray your apartment for spiders and other insects. Good luck! And I hope you are never bitten by one!