It is a known fact that Brown recluse Spiders are rampant in Tennessee. One of their favorite places to hide is in boxes and undisturbed places such as Christmas decorations in boxes in the attic or garage.
Here are a few steps you can take to keep your family safe while unpacking your decorations.
1. Take your boxes outside to open them and inspect them. Opening your boxes outside will ensure if something has nested in them, you won’t introduce an infestation to your living space.
2. While unpacking your decorations, carefully look for signs of brown recluse activity. Their webs are not used to trap prey, but rather to retreat to and hide in. If you see a white cotton looking web that is more opaque than transparent in the corner of your boxes or in an ornament, then that might be a Brown Recluse web.
3. Artificial trees are easy and traditional, but before you put it up must shake it out (or shake it off as Taylor says) and wipe it down before you display it for the season. Again, please do this outside of your living space.
4. Lots of people in Tennessee love real trees at Christmas. Getting a real tree means you need to do a thorough inspection of the wood area, to ensure there are no signs of any insect activity as well. It would be uncommon to find a Brown Recluse on a live Christmas tree in Tennessee. However, stranger things have happened.
5. If you feel that you might have an issue and need someone to take a look, feel free to call us we will be right over. Just fill out this quick FORM and we will be there.