(253): My Hidden Household Menace: Brown Recluse Spiders

An enterprising brown recluse spider can live a lifetime hidden from all eyes and hands in the house of a hoarder that has boxes that haven’t moved in a couple of years, or even a decade. I’ve got boxes in the bedroom that haven’t moved since around 2010 or even before. Recently we began finding large brown recluse spiders in our bed. We had to smash ’em, much as I hate to smash a spider. When possible, we capture them in jars and took them waaay far away from the house and let ’em go. I know, tell me how idiotic that is!
Yesterday I spent about 5 hours picking up little dust-monsters (too big to be dust-bunnies) and vacuuming up their offspring and even some dried dead Asian lady beetles from last year (and let’s face it, probably the year before too), rearranged a whole lot of hoarded surplus and threw out some stuff, and it utterly ruined my back. I keep waiting for the recluses to come out of their hiding areas that I’ve laid open. They didn’t show up last night or today, so I fully expect to see one tonight (hopefully I won’t feel it first — OK, that’s it, I’m not sleeping tonight!)
Anyway, I spent that much time (and will spend so much more) cleaning up in there precisely because the spiders were beginning to show up in greater numbers and way too close for comfort. My theory is that they might be migrating from a close-packed area on the right side of the bed (stage right — his side, not mine). My husband puts things by the bed (mainly books), then they work their way up under the bedside table, then back, then he drags backpacks over there, and little projects, and bits of jewelry, radios and so on. It never ends and only improves when I undertake a project like this one.
Even before this house was as crapped up with junk as it is now, we had problems with brown recluse spiders. Since we live in a log cabin, there are many cracks, chinks and even gaping holes in out-of-the-way spots, places I’ve only discovered because I was caulking by chance. We’ve had not only spiders but frogs, many rodents, a snake, a couple of birds (one of which was a duck) and lest I forget, a centipede. I probably have forgotten some critters from way back in the nebulous past.
I have discovered brown recluse spiders in my shirts (while I was putting them on) and they have run across me as I lay in the bed. I’ve had them run across my face before (just typing that makes me shiver a bit, but it has happened TWICE). I shake out my clothes if they’ve been in a drawer for awhile or if they’ve been sitting out a long time. On really paranoid days, I’ll individually shake out pants legs and shirt arms and look under the pillows and bedspreads. As for tonight, well, maybe just a visual scan. I’m dead tired. And there is still the huge wall of boxes (+ etc.) opposite the bed that needs to be pared down and reorganized. Later!
‘Night y’all!

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