A Brown Recluse is a relatively rare, poisonous spider that lives in the Midwest US. The following collection of links deal specifically with the habits and behaviours of the Brown Recluse. This site collects information on brown recluse spider bites and tracks information about them. There is a searchable database containing information on treatments, bite location, bite severity and regional distribution.

To the left is a picture of a Hobo Spider bite. Brown Recluse bites are the same. About 50% of bites are 'dry,' meaning that no venom is injected, and nothing happens to the victim. Often times the victim does not even realize that he has been bit.

If you live in San Diego it is highly unlikely that you've been bitten by a Brown Recluse Spider because they do not occur here. Refer to this map (prepared by UC Riverside specialists) that shows where they might occur. For more information on these spiders visit the spider information pages by UC Riverside researchers.

First, it is unlikely that you will find a brown recluse spider in your home since they are not known to occur in Oregon. Brown recluse spiders live in the south central Midwest from Nebraska to Ohio and south through Texas to Georgia. However, you may find a hobo spider, giant house spider, or European house spider in your home. These three spiders are related and they look very similar.

To the left is a picture of a Hobo Spider bite. About 50% of Hobo Spider bites are 'dry,' meaning that no venom is injected, and nothing happens to the victim. Often times the victim does not even realize that he has been bit.

Darwin Vest, the foremost expert on Hobo Spiders, stated that ". . . traps are far and away the most safe and effective measure that can be used for controlling hobo spiders indoors." And, in fact, traps have shown to be the most effective means available to control Hobo Spider populations. In order to kill Hobo spiders with pesticides you usually have to hit the spider directly with large doses.

There are 3 major predator spider types that if found in homes seem to reduce the amount of Hobo spiders: the Steatoda spiders, Large jumping spiders, and the other harmless European House spiders. Pets such as cats will feed on Hobo and Brown Recluse spiders after playing with them. The preying mantis will also eat Hobo spiders but due to its day time activity and the Hobo spiders night time activity optimum results are not achieved.

No. The common Brown House spider (Steatoda sp.) is not a young Red-back waiting to grow a stripe. It is a relative of the Red-back and looks similar, but does not have the red stripe or the red hourglass marking under the abdomen.

Despite Hollywood's deadly and aggressive image of the tarantula, the truth is that San Diego County's three resident taratula species are actually quite docile. Although both males and females are capable of inflicting a bite when threatened, they rarely do so and their venom is considered non-toxic to humans. Like most other spiders, tarantulas are beneficial predators who feed on many invertebrates including sowbugs, pillbugs, insects, and even other spiders.

Spider veins are the small purple veins that do not bulge out the skin - they are usually hereditary in nature. Sclerotherapy is performed with extremely small needles. The solution is a local anesthetic and has no pain on injection. The laser treatment requires temporary ice cooling before each treatment.

In the US, this is just refined sugar with some molasses added back in. The US food law says that only refined sugar (no raw components) can be sold with this name. This law may actually have more to do with enforcing a similar taste for both sugar beets and sugar cane, since the beets, when unrefined, have a poorer taste than cane sugar. Another type of brown sugar is called "Piloncillo," a Mexican brown sugar which is semi-refined granulated sugar.

A "spider" is an electronic robot that travels the web examining websites in order to add them to a search engine database and rank them according to the specific ranking criteria for that search engine. Most search engines use spiders to quickly and efficiently canvass the web for information.

They can be found anywhere in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado,and Southern British Columbia. We feel that it is likely that there are Hobos in Northern California. We have also received spider samples from the many parts of Mid-West and North Eastern USA which appear to be Hobo spiders. The Red areas of the maps show regions with Hobo Spiders.

Directions are available at Brown’s homepage at www.brown.edu., or refer to the Registration package.