With spring and summer around the corner, it’s important to understand the type of insects we have in Alaska. Spiders are always a concern with our customers not only because they are just relatively gross, but certain species of spiders are venomous and harmful. The most common venomous spider we hear about in Alaska is the brown recluse. We often hear from customers that they have these spiders at their home, or have run into them before. But is it really a brown recluse or something less harmless?
Pictured below is the brown recluse. Notice his smooth body, light brown coloring, and long legs. These are features that you need to look at when trying to identify whether the spider in your home could hurt you or just hurt you emotionally.
Pictured below is the brown recluse’s far less harmful doppelganger, the hobo spider. While both the brown recluse and the hobo spider are brown, the hobo spider is hairier and you can notice he has stripes on his bum.
Southeast Alaska has a variety of pests that are native to the area, the brown recluse is not one of those pests. Now just because they don’t call Alaska home, doesn’t mean it’s impossible for them to show up in your home. Like the black widow, the brown recluse would only be able to cross onto Alaskan soil via barge shipments, like grocery store shipments. Tip: be sure to inspect your produce and other groceries for pests.
Questions?
If you have more questions that were not directly answered above, we would love to hear from you! Our team can help you get a comprehensive solution for your pest issues.
