Where Do Brown Recluse Spiders Live?

Brown recluse spiders live in southern states of the US, such as Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Arizona, Louisiana, Arkansas, Ohio, Indiana, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska.

In terms of physical habitats, brown recluses like hidden, dark corners and areas where they can live in peace.

They’re often found indoors in boxes, clothes, shoes, and areas that are made of cardboard because they resemble the outdoors. Outdoors, brown recluse spiders live in tree logs, tree bark, holes in the ground, and other hidden areas.

In Which States Do Brown Recluse Spiders Live?

Brown recluse spiders live in most southern states of the United States of America. 

They are endemic to these areas as they are not found anywhere else in the world. They prefer warmer areas where they get enough humidity from the air but also where they can find enough food to sustain themselves.

These spiders prefer to eat other smaller spiders and insects, as they have quite a potent venom. This also enables them to consume and eat larger animals that are of a bigger size than them, which means they might need to take their prey with them in their hiding and finish it there.

The states where the brown recluse are found include:

• Texas
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• Kansas
• Ohio
• Florida
• Louisiana
• Mississippi
• Kentucky
• Tennessee
• Nebraska
• Iowa

Furthermore, this spider is not found anywhere else in the world. It’s a true North American native.

Brown recluses like areas where it is warm, but not too hot, and where they can get some spaces where they can hide. Ideally, they prefer slightly woody areas with a lot of hiding spots, such as trees and bushes, but they are also found in other types of habitats – especially the drier habitats.

They’ll spend most of their time hiding in a shade, where they will wait for opportunities to find their prey. In the wild, this means hiding under rocks, leaves, parts of trees, debris, and other areas where they might have enough space and darkness to live.

Where Are Brown Recluses Found?

In nature, brown recluses like hidden areas that provide them with enough darkness. They like to hide under natural objects such as rocks, trees, tree bark, branches, holes, woodpiles, debris, and other areas where they are undisturbed.

Where the brown recluse lives, it will usually create webs that enable them to survive comfortably. The main role of the web they create is to protect them, which makes sure that they are well protected against other predators. The web will warn them about potential dangers that they might face in nature.

But one of the main fears that residents of these southern states of America have is that the brown recluse will enter their homes, which does happen sometimes.

When the brown recluse enters a home, it will seek shelter in almost every area possible. This includes all areas where there is darkness and where they can hide, such as under objects and inside holes.

A brown recluse will thus be found inside:

• sheds,
• shoes,
• closets,
• closed areas,
• celars,
• and other areas where they have peace to live.

They’re also found in quiet areas of homes where people don’t usually visit. Normally, brown recluses prefer dry areas.

If you live in one of the states where brown recluses live, then it’s important that you always safely check these hidden areas where brown recluses might find themselves. One of the most common reasons why people get bitten by the brown recluse is that they don’t check their clothes and shoes, where the brown recluse tends to hide often.

What Attracts the Brown Recluse Spider?

The brown recluse spider will be attracted by their prey, which is smaller bugs and insects. Also, they’re attracted by cold and undisturbed areas where they can hide and create webs in peace.

As is typical with the majority of spiders, they will be attracted by areas with a lot of insects and bugs that they can prey on. In this regard, they will usually not be too choosy where they live, even though this usually means that they might need to enter an area that is populated by humans.

Also, one of the primary reasons why brown recluse spiders prefer hidden spaces of your home like cellars is because of the fact that there might be a lot of bugs and insects in those areas.

Among the animals that they like to prey on include insects, as well as cockroaches, beetles, silverfish, crickets, and other smaller and even larger animals. Because they have potent venom, they are able to catch animals that are larger than themselves, which enables them to go after larger insects as well.

This also enables them to have a wide spectrum of animals that they can prey on. Because of this fact, they are not choosy eaters and will consume almost any food source they can come across.

Are there Brown Recluse Spiders in California?

No, despite popular misconceptions, there are no populations of brown recluse spiders in California. Most people who claim to have found a brown recluse have likely found a brown-colored wolf spider or another common Californian spider.

In the rare case you have found a brown recluse in California, it may have made its way into the state on a car or interstate transit.

Are there Brown Recluses in Canada?

No, the brown recluse does not go far enough north to make it to Canada. Most sightings of brown recluses are misidentifications of common house spiders or wolf spiders.

There have been some very rare cases of bites from brown recluses in Canada. The below case, for example, is of a Nova Scotia man who was bitten by a brown recluse that is thought to have made its way into Canada from Texas inside a box of fruit!

Where are Brown Recluses Most Commonly Found?

Brown recluses are most commonly found in hidden areas outdoors and indoors, such as woodpiles, wood trunks, under or between rocks, in holes in the ground, and other areas where they might be able to hide.

Indoors, brown recluses are found in darker areas of the home and hidden parts, such as closets, cellars, behind furniture, and inside darker objects such as clothes, shoes, and other parts of your home.

In nature, brown recluse spiders are found in larger groups, most commonly. This includes larger groups of hundreds and potentially even thousands, so you might want to be careful if you live in a state where brown recluses are found.

You need to be particularly careful about larger woodpiles that have not been touched in a while, as well as other hidden parts of nature.

In homes, brown recluses are most commonly found in shoes and pieces of clothing. This means that there is a high risk that a brown recluse would hide inside your shoe and stay there for some time, for instance, which might cause some problems. One of the most common ways that people get bitten by a brown recluse is if they hide inside a shoe.

With that said, it’s always best to check your clothing and your shoes if you suspect there’s a brown recluse spider in your home. This will help you make sure that you avoid being bitten by a brown recluse. And if you do get bitten by one, it’s crucial that you seek immediate help to alleviate the symptoms of the bite.

Final Thoughts

Brown recluse spiders prefer hidden areas where they can hide in peace. Often, this means they’ll be found inside homes and in the darker spots of your home, so you might need to be careful about entering these areas.

Brown recluse spiders are a common occurrence in the southern states of the United States, where they prefer to live.