Brown Recluse Spiders in Memphis
Memphis is inside the brown recluse's native range, so finding one in a closet or garage is not unusual. They are shy and bites are rare, but a house can hold many of them, and an infestation is worth dealing with properly.
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Catch one in a jar, or take a sharp photo from above. A clear identification saves you from treating for the wrong spider.
How to identify one
The University of Kentucky's fact sheet describes adults, with legs extended, as about the size of a U.S. quarter. They are tan to dark brown, and often have a darker violin-shaped mark on the back of the front body section, which is why people call them fiddlebacks. The mark varies and can be faint, so it is not proof by itself. Many harmless brown spiders get mistaken for recluses.
Where they hide
During the day, brown recluses retreat to dark, secluded places, which they line with irregular webbing (University of Kentucky). In a Memphis house, that usually means:
- cardboard boxes in closets and garages
- under beds and furniture that rarely moves
- behind baseboards, in wall voids and around the water heater
- shoes and clothing left on the floor of a garage or closet
Adult females seldom go far from their retreat. Males and older juveniles wander more, which is why they end up in shoes or bedding at night.
Bites
They are not aggressive. The University of Kentucky notes it is common to live in a heavily infested building and never be bitten. Most bites happen when a spider is pressed against bare skin, rolling over one in bed or putting on a shirt or shoe it crawled into. Bites are rare, but the venom can sometimes cause a serious wound.
If you think you were bitten, call your doctor and bring the spider if you can, even crushed. Many wounds blamed on recluses turn out to be something else, including bacterial infections. For a severe reaction, call 911. Poison Help is 1-800-222-1222.
What you can do
- Swap cardboard storage for sealed plastic bins.
- Shake out shoes and gloves left in the garage before you put them on.
- Move beds a few inches from the wall and keep bedding off the floor.
- Vacuum closets and under furniture, and empty the vacuum outside.
- Seal gaps around pipes and vents.
Sticky traps along walls are cheap and tell you whether you have a few or a lot.
What a company does
An inspection of storage areas plus the attic and crawlspace; sticky traps to measure activity; treatment of cracks, voids and the perimeter; and follow-up visits. Infestations can range from one or a few spiders to several hundred, and the University of Kentucky says recluses mature in about a year and live two to four years, so expect more than one visit. Clutter reduction does a lot of the work. See spider control.
Why Memphis has them
The brown recluse is found throughout the south central and Midwestern United States, and west Tennessee is inside that range. Mild winters, with only about 6 nights a year at 20°F or colder at the airport (NOAA, 1996 to 2025), and a long season of insects to eat suit them. Older houses with crawlspaces and big storage areas give them places to hide.
Questions homeowners ask
How common are brown recluses in Memphis?
Memphis is within the brown recluse's native range. They hide well, so they are present more often than they are seen.
Are brown recluse bites dangerous?
Bites are rare and the spiders are shy. The venom can sometimes cause a serious wound. Call your doctor and bring the spider if you can.
How do I get rid of brown recluses?
Reduce clutter, use sealed bins, seal gaps, set sticky traps, and have a company treat cracks and voids over several visits.
What does a brown recluse look like?
Tan to brown, about the size of a quarter with legs extended, often with a violin-shaped mark behind the head. The mark varies, so get it identified.