Brown Recluse vs Peppermint Oil

Brown Recluse spiders should remain reclusive.
    Nothing like kicking back in the recliner and having a cat nap.  When I woke up, I felt a tickle on my cheek. I thought it was a stray hair so as I started walking toward the kitchen, I brushed my hand across my cheek toward my hair to get that stray hair back in place. But it felt like something besides hair. Hmmm. By that time I had come to the kitchen counter, so I bent over a little and swatted my hair toward the counter two or three times. Imagine my surprise when I saw a big ol' spider.

    I grabbed a canning jar off the counter and turned it upside down over the spider. Then I slid a lid under it and put a ring on the jar after I dropped some alcohol in there. I thought it was a Brown Recluse, but in my mind, those spiders were outside in the shed, not in my house. I knew they could hide in dark, not frequently used places like storage closets, but I NEVER expected one to be on my recliner.

I turned the recliner over and sure  enough some funky looking webs were under there, so I vacuumed them off, got an empty spray bottle, and filled it with water and Young Living Peppermint Oil. I doused that chair good and felt like using amount in the photo above.  We moved the couch and everything, spraying as we went. I also sprinkled some Diatomaceous Earth on the carpet just in case that would help. I knew it was good to get rid of fleas (We have a small indoor dog. That's another story.), and safe for animals, so  I decided it might work for spiders too. Why not use it

  I carried the spider to the County Extension Office, and the agent told me it was the largest Brown Recluse he had seen. (Not the largest one ever found, just the largest he had seen.) He also said I did the right thing vacuuming the webs up. He recommended we spray in the carport and around the house with an insecticide. We did, but we'll probably use the Peppermint oil in the future.
I thought, "Yipes! No wonder I could see the fiddle so well."

(Just so you know, this is Not My finger.)

   Listen up all you moms, teachers, and camp leaders.  He also told me that if you want to keep a spider to show students, family, etc., put it in hand sanitizer instead of rubbing alcohol. Since children of all ages have a tendency to want to pick up the bottle and look at the spider, and some want to shake the bottle, the sanitizer is thicker and the spider will hold up better.

Young Living oils to the rescue. We have Peppermint! So, be prepared and have some Peppermint Oil on hand. It makes your house smell good and is good for your sinuses, too in addition to getting rid of Brown Recluse spiders. For more information on how to get some Peppermint Oil, message me or click on the ID link below. 

Pat Brown ID 15574

Disclaimer: Information on this site is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. A decision to use/not use this information is the sole responsibility of the reader.  I am not a doctor and the statements on this blog have not been evaluated by the FDA. Please see your doctor or healthcare professional for medical evaluation before using any natural or commercial remedies.