[Ben A. Round]

It would be a great place to be in the pest control business.

[Bass&Catfish2008]

Originally Posted by Ben A. Round

It would be a great place to be in the pest control business.

Pretty much anywhere in the South Central United States is ground zero for Fiddlebacks; and, Oklahoma is smack dab in the middle of it.

There is no way to totally get rid of them, just contain and maintain.

I've found that the sticky traps for mice actually catch a lot more spiders. Put the traps along the baseboards, behind dressers, and around the wall by your bed. You'll be amazed how many Fiddlebacks you catch that are just a few feet away from you!

Great thought and sleep tight.

[Ben A. Round]

Are there areas of Oklahoma that are better or worse for brown recluse? The Ponca City area is quite lush as opposed to higher and somewhat drier areas of the state. Do they prefer the river valleys to the prairies? I would like to see a map or statistics of which parts of Oklahoma are most severely affected, if this information is available.

[Mattie Jo]

I had an exterminator come once and that was all I needed. Since then I heard of people getting rid of them in their house with those bug bombs. Cheaper. Haven't seen any in years now.

[eddie gein]

Originally Posted by Ben A. Round

Are there areas of Oklahoma that are better or worse for brown recluse? The Ponca City area is quite lush as opposed to higher and somewhat drier areas of the state. Do they prefer the river valleys to the prairies? I would like to see a map or statistics of which parts of Oklahoma are most severely affected, if this information is available.

Brown recluse are pretty much everywhere in Oklahoma except the western part of the panhandle. Looks like Guymon and Boise City are your only choices if you don't want them around.

[Ben A. Round]

I've seen the range maps. My question was about severity. So far, I've been able to ascertain that the "Green Country" in eastern Oklahoma is mentioned as an area where brown recluse are severe. I was wondering about how prevalent they are in other regions of the state. I wonder if the state medical office has information on bite frequency, that type of thing. I would also appreciate any anecdotes from anyone who has lived in various parts of the state for comparison.

[eddie gein]

Originally Posted by Ben A. Round

I've seen the range maps. My question was about severity. So far, I've been able to ascertain that the "Green Country" in eastern Oklahoma is mentioned as an area where brown recluse are severe. I was wondering about how prevalent they are in other regions of the state. I wonder if the state medical office has information on bite frequency, that type of thing. I would also appreciate any anecdotes from anyone who has lived in various parts of the state for comparison.

I grew up in Ponca City, and have lived in extreme eastern Oklahoma, western Oklahoma and all around the OKC area. Really haven't seen much difference anywhere. I've always sprayed for them.

It seems that no matter where you live, a house that is cluttered seems to have a bigger problem with them than one that is not.

[Ben A. Round]

As I drive around and see people living in obvious poverty, I wonder how they can afford to truly protect themselves. It concerns me that this is a health hazard that is not being addressed especially for our poorest and most vulnerable citizens. I don't know the perfect solution, but I think people in areas severely affected by the brown recluse which can cause serious harm should have better methods of eradication at their disposal. I have read that in some areas even monthly professional treatment is not enough. This is 21st century America: surely there is an effective scientific solution to this scourge so people don't have to go bankrupt or have their flesh eaten away or worse.

[StillwaterTownie]

It's a wonder more people don't get bit by them as common as they are.

[Oklahomagirl74]

I've lived in OK my entire life and have never been bit. Don't recall that I've ever even seen one.