Help with spiders

[Montana_2342]

We took out our trailer to a campground close to home that only charges $1.50 a day to leave hooked up. So we left it on the site went to work for week and came back out to camp again. The first night after my wife climbed into bed she saw and spider on the ceiling and asked (yelled - maybe screamed) for me to take care of it. Upon closer inspection I recognized it as a Brown Recluse fairly large and right over the bed. I disposed of it however, it gave me the hebeegeebees all night wondering when one was going to come out from under my pillow. Two days later when we we closing up to leave again my wife was putting a plastic bag in the trash she saw another spider - you guessed it another Brown Recluse that came from by the shower.

As you can imagine it has my attention now the only two spiders I have found in the rig and both were very dangerous. So does any one have a good idea how to get rid of them? My wife is pregnate so my last choice is to go in and bug bomb them. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

Hope everyone had a happy new year.

Barney

[HamRad]

Someone said that the "Bounce" type strips for laundry works great to keep critters away from the rig so maybe they will work for dreaded spiders too! Worth a try.

HamRad

[CountryGuy]

Welcome to the forum,

Try a search (at top of the page) and see if you can find some posts on things like mice and other pests.

I know, mice are a lot larger, but it might give you some starting points on what to "plug" up. Lots of holes in the units, need to plug them up.

Spiders and I don't get along either, I can imagine how upsetting this must have been. As they say:

EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!

Good luck, keep us up to date on your steps to rid yourself of these nasties!

Carol

[tbhd]

I've always heard moth balls. When we had problems with spider webs in our outdoor gas grill the dealer told us to put some moth balls in a plastic sandwich bag and hang it underneath the grill. That seemed to do the trick and had no more problems. BUT we've also heard that works better for rodents. My husband had a better idea that if the rig is plugged in to buy some of those ultra sonic pest control devices. Also take a look in you basement at night when you have the lights turned on in the Montana and if you see any light shinning through---plug those holes. Good luck!!!

[Montana_2230]

Bounce works...I been using it for quite awhile. Never see any bugs, mice or spiders..Just put a bunch of the bounce sheets in all the dark places and crannies in your trailer. I put out a lot at floor level and then upper shelves and storage areas. I take dog flea collars and cut them up and place them in all my outside spaces such as storage, hot water heater and refrigerator door on the outside. They keep wasps out too.

The bounce sheets last a couple months and then I put out more. They make your trailer smell nice too. The flea collar strips last about 4 to 6 months.

If you use a home pest control service, you might consider getting them to treat your RV and then start using the bounce sheets.

Hope you get rid of the spiders..especially the brown recluse.

[VanMan]

Those sticky mouse traps can also catch a lot of bugs - especially if stategicly placed where they may be getting in. After plugging holes and putting out bounce, moth balls, mouse glue traps, etc. you may still need to open everything up and "bug bomb" one time to get the hiding critters one last time! Keep your spouse away and then air it out real good !!

[azstar]

MB3,

I like you would be concerned. Especially with the Brown Recluse and being pregnant.

Looks like your getting some good advice about how to prevent more spiders from entering. I am still concerned about some remaining.

I'm thinking a bug bomb might be in order. You can buy these at most Hardware places. If you do this, you should definitely shut off the propane at the tanks and un-plug the Elect. from the Rig before you use this. You set these bombs off and leave it for a couple of days, then air the Rig. out.

Even if there aren't any in your Rig any more at least you'll get it out of the back of your mind.

I would also wash the dishes and silver after airing out and would keep Refer. door closed during the process.

My 2 cents,

Happy Camping

[jh1802]

I came across a brown recluse when I got my xmas tree out of storage last year. Imediately I called my exterminator friend and he suggested puting moth balls in any cardboard boxes that we have stored in dark areas such as in the attic shed etc... They like dark, dry, warm places and cardboard boxes. Brown Recluses don't get real big only about the size of a quarter.

[CountryGuy]

Size of a quarter, and that ain't big??? Be still my heart!

OK, you can tell I spent most of my life living in the cold north. I am not even sure what this brown thingy looks like, and I can tell you, I don't ever want to see one!

Ain't big?? HOLY COW!

GULP

Carol

[Sue]

If this were me I would bomb the Montana once a day for a week with all of the cupboards opened and emptied out...... yeeks



P.S. Glen, you can say what you want about Florida, this is one reason I am glad I live where I do.....Something to be said about Michigan and freezing temperatures.....

[Montana_2342]

Thanks to all, I am going to Bounce the inside after I go through it inch by inch, seal the water pipe holes up through the bottom then put a couple crushed up moth balls around the outside, plus a couple of them sticky things, I want to bug bomb it but as my wife is with child and we camp out 1-2 times a month I dont want to have any residual pesticides in there at all. I appreciate everyones responses and I will let y'all know next week how it turns out. I am heading into there with a Ku Fu attitude to get them suckers once and for all.

[jh1802]

Carol
Check this site out for some info.
http://www.brown-recluse.com/spiderinfo.html

[CountryGuy]

jh1802

Gawlllly, can you hear my groans?? UGHHA!

I'll read more, cause we are going to Texas soon, (WE HOPE), but this is very painful for me!

I repeat

EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

Carol

[Montana_265]

I would be trading that puppy in.... but then I am a wooooseee. I do not do spiders, especially a brown recluse. They are dangerous.

[stiles watson]

I know that the Brown Recluse is to be avoided, but some of you are scaring yourself. As a professional counselor, I treat folks with phobias and anxiety issues. One of the common patterns of the phobic personality is to "awefulize" by a lot of negative self-talk creating a monster larger than life.

I have lived in Texas and particularly on the Gulf Coast for nearly all my 64 years. I have been in garages, storage facilities, and cleaned up places that these critters are reported to habitate. In all those years, I can count on one hand the number of them I have seen. I have identified and slain more of the feared Black Widow clan than these spiders.

That is not to say that I don't take precautions. When I see a particular type of web known to be the type made by this spider, I get real alert and move things around gingerly. I don't play with rattlers either, but I don't allow myself to be so overcome by fear that I can't enjoy the outdoors.

In my opinion, knowledge, respect and reasonable precautions are the order of the day. If you have a known infestation, reasonable precaution certainly includes a search and destroy mission.

[Montana_657]

Mr. Watson, for those of us from cooler climes could you shed some light on "what is a brown recluse and why should we avoid him/her???"

Around here a "brown recluse" wears an old brown suit and lives on the next farm.

[Montana_1985]

hahahahaha.....now THAT"S the way it should be !!!

[stiles watson]

Ok, Gruffy, but I think you are yankin' on my leg. A Brown Recluse is a species of spider. The female of the species has a toxic venom it uses to inject into its prey. This venom is an enzyme type venom that pre-digests the prey's tissue so it can just suck up the juices.

The spider is not aggressive. When it bites humans, it is because it is trapped. The toxin has the same effect on human tissues. The wound can be insidious and in some cases fatal although that is rare. Often the wound caused by the bite is not immediately apparent, but delayed action of the toxin begins to take effect and "rots" the tissue. There have been cases where large portions of tissue have needed to be surgurically removed as the wound expands. While treatable, there doesn't seem to be a quick fix after symptoms become more prominent. Early detection and treatment of the bite has the best prognosis.

Many spiders weave a geometrically patterned web. However the Brown Recluse uses a randomly formed web that can often be seen around old boxes and under the legs of a work bench or in the darker storage areas (particularly near the floor) that go undisturbed for prolonged periods of time. When I see this patternless web structure, I become much more vigilant.

A much clearer understanding of this critter is available on the web at the url supplied in jh1802's posting above. That thread will give the best way to rid your environment of them based on a couple of AG schools that have researched the little meany.

[RVWheels]

Stiles,
Thank you for a very enlightening post. Excellent suggestions. Hopefully it will help calm some of us who do not like dealing with spiders.

RVWheels/MOC Admin

[Montana_657]

Thanks, I found the previous post. Not a species we are familiar with up north. We have to deal with a black widow once and a while but that's it.

She lives on the farm across the road from our "recluse". (LOL)