The Cellar Spider vs. Brown Recluse Spider: Differences and How to Get Rid of Them
Spiders have many symbolic meanings across cultures throughout history, representing patience, creativity, and resilience. However, when a spider crawls into your home, it means nothing more than the fact you want it out.
Many people fear spiders because some types, such as the brown recluse, have potent, dangerous venom. Other spiders, like the cellar spider, are not harmful to people and pets. Better yet, they can help keep other pests like gnats at bay. The trouble is that the cellar and brown recluse spiders look very similar.
In today’s blog, we’re analyzing the cellar spider vs. brown recluse spiders and sharing our tips and advice for getting rid of brown recluses. Keep reading to learn more!
Cellar Spider vs. Brown Recluse Spiders: Differences
Appearance
These two kinds of spiders have slight similarities, but mistaking the brown recluse for the cellar spider can have horrible consequences. Let’s review, compare, and contrast their appearance so you can know the difference—it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
- Body Size: Cellar spiders have eight long, slender legs and a slim body. Brown recluses have thicker, more sturdy bodies that can grow to the size of a plastic soda bottle cap.
- Body Coloring: Cellar spiders range from pale shades of yellow to tan, but these shades almost look diluted with a touch of translucence. Brown recluses have very similar coloring—this is the primary feature that makes people confuse the two spiders.
- Both Are (Mostly) Bald: Neither type of spider is known for looking hairy or fuzzy, except for a few wispy, nearly invisible leg hairs.
- Markings: Cellar spiders do not have markings or banding, which is, in part, what best distinguishes their appearance from brown recluses, which have violin-shaped markings on their head.
Behavior
Let’s say you see a pale, taupe or light brown spider on a web, and you have a hard time telling whether the spider on it is a brown recluse or a cellar spider. In this case, you’ll be glad to know that brown recluses usually do not make webs. They prefer to hide in dark holes to await their prey, catch it, and eat it alive. Seeing a web means it’s most likely a cellar spider because they use it to catch their prey.
Threat Level
Brown recluse and cellar spiders: one’s presence on your property is positive, and you should keep them around. The other, once on your property, is nothing but trouble. Only one of these spiders is a danger to pets and people, and that’s the brown recluse. Its venom is so intense that it eats through the skin, often leaving a large hole and necrotic tissue damage. If you have the misfortune of being bit by a brown recluse spider, please refer to this guide for advice on what to do.
When cellar spiders move into your home, they foster a mutually beneficial relationship; they get nutrients by feeding on the little insects that fly into their webs while simultaneously preventing their prey from bugging you and infesting your home.
Brown recluses can help control populations of pests that they prey on, but this is only positive in the wild, where they have a purpose—keeping the food chain in balance. On your property, however, they are more likely to bite and seriously hurt someone with their dangerous, venomous fangs. We don’t advise handling them to transport them elsewhere and save their lives, as it’s not worth the risk of being bitten.
Plus, brown recluses are not at risk of extinction. In fact, in some areas, they are so invasive or excessive in number that they throw off the natural ratio of predators to prey in the food chain. It is most ethical to let a pest control specialist expertly, quickly, and precisely exterminate brown recluses before they sense any threat.
Getting Rid of Brown Recluses
You don’t want to get rid of cellar spiders. Despite what some urban legends say, cellar spiders are not venomous. And even if they had venom, they couldn’t inject it into a person’s skin because their fangs are too small. The brown recluses, however, must go when you see them on your property.
As we mentioned, brown recluses don’t make webs, so the first thing you need to do to get rid of them and prevent them is to make your home’s dark nooks and crannies no longer welcoming to them. This includes behind toilets, around trashcans, in basements, garages, and anywhere there’s a nice, dark hiding spot. You’ll need to dust/clean those areas regularly, spray for small pests that they feed on, and add some light to the area.
Next, you’ll want to minimize sources of sustenance for the spider by making your home less hospitable to their prey. Bleach trashcans regularly, keep fruit and vegetables in the fridge instead of in a bowl on the counter, and wipe down counters at least once daily to remove any sticky residue.
These tips are only suggestions if you can’t afford professional pest control. If pest control is within your budget, we recommend calling an agent to come and spray your home immediately upon seeing brown recluses on your property. If you call us for the job, we’ll eradicate the presence of brown recluses on your property, prevent them from coming back, and do it all at a price that is fair and affordable for your family.
Your Guide to A Safe, Pest-Free Home
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For 40+ years, our team of integrative pest management professionals from Vulcan Termite & Pest Control has proudly aided hundreds of families in Birmingham and nearby communities by investigating and solving problems with pests on their property.
We’ll gladly perform a FREE evaluation and create and implement an effective strategy using our tried-and-true methods, so you and your family can enjoy a pest-free home.
Are you curious to keep learning about common critters found in Alabama or how to safely and humanely deal with them when they show up on your property uninvited? Check out more of our weekly pest blogs for helpful tips, tricks, and educational content!