Brown Recluses Found At Ann Arbor Business
Community Pest Solutions Founder Joe Gavorek with 7 Cylinders Studio Founder Donald Harrison
It finally happened!
A confirmed Brown Recluse infestation at a commercial space in Ann Arbor.
This is a first for us. We’ve received hundreds of calls over the years from home owners who've spotted a recluse in their garage, shed, basement or crawl space. Until now, a full 100% of these sightings turned out to be grass spiders, wolf spiders, and dark fishing spiders upon inspection.
So… when Donald Harrison of 7 Cylinders Studio in Ann Arbor called us, he seemed prepared for some healthy skepticism.
But, he had a BITE mark with signs of necrosis (see below) and photos to prove it, and a visual ID from the MSU Plant & Pest Diagnostics department soon followed.
QUICK PSA:
“When something like this happens in the Upper Midwest, it should be viewed as an isolated incident that is NOT cause for general alarm. Brown recluses simply aren’t viable here year-round.”
… unfortunately, that doesn't mean they can't take a little road trip north and *summer* in Michigan. And – in the worst case scenario – they might even reproduce indoors while they're here. In those cases... the fear these venomous arachnids tend to inspire is appropriate.
That's basically what happened at 7 Cylinders. The brown recluses arrived via a) the space's previous tenant who worked in fabrication/construction and frequently ordered lumber from southern states OR b) when Donald built out a set for a medium-sized video sound stage.
After Donald found and killed three recluses himself in August, we came in and placed dozens of sticky traps and treated throughout the space. We didn't catch any after two weeks, so we added even more traps during a second follow-up, including in the drop ceiling. And that's where we caught one (along with prospective prey… see below) in early October. After this, we also treated the drop ceiling to knock them out.
Donald said it best: "Yeah, I didn't love the idea of one dropping down on my head..."
This week, we declared the property pest-free after our final sweep of the space.
Much credit to Donald for being proactive and vigilant in protecting his space and for entrusting us with eliminating a rare and serious problem.
IF you think you have a recluse in your home... upload a photo on our website and we'll have a look! You can also contact us for a free inspection!
And if you're looking for a local videographer to help tell your story, contact Donald at 7 Cylinders!
