What Areas Do Brown Recluse Spiders Live In?

The brown recluse spider also goes by the name of the fiddleback spider due to the violin-shaped marking that exists on its head and back. These spiders, which are venomous, occur in certain section of the United States and show up in different places in and out of a home.

Northern Range

• The far northern range of the brown recluse spider includes southeastern Nebraska, southern Iowa, the middle of Illinois and Indiana and the southwestern tip of Ohio.

East-West Range

• The spider's geographical distribution extends as far east as eastern Tennessee and Kentucky and as far west as the panhandles of Texas and Oklahoma.

Southern Range

• The southern borders of the brown recluse spider's range in this country are southern Texas and along the Gulf Coast as far east as the Florida panhandle.

Desert Recluse

• A similar species, the desert recluse, lives in the southwestern states such as Arizona and New Mexico.

Inside Habitat

• In the home, a brown recluse can hide in the unlit spots in a bathroom, in the garage, cellar or attic and in closets. The shy and retiring spider will often nest in clothes that are hardly ever used and left hanging in a closet as well as in boxes, old furniture, shoes and rolled up carpets.

Outside Habitat

• A brown recluse will stay in a hollowed out tree trunk, under a bunch of leaves or under a pile of rocks when outside the home.