Brown Recluse Infestation Forces Family Out of Home

FAIRFAX, Va. (October 14, 2014) – A Missouri family was driven out of their St. Louis home by an extreme infestation of about 6,000 venomous brown recluse spiders. Brian and Susan Trost bought the 2,400 square foot suburban home in October 2007 for $450,000, but it didn't take long for them to realize that there were other well-established inhabitants lurking in every crevice.

The family lived in a constant state of fear as they dodged spiders that fell from the ceilings and bled from the walls. They filed a claim in 2008 with their insurance company along with a lawsuit against the home's previous owners for not disclosing the brown recluse problem. Their abandoned home is now owned by the Federal National Mortgage Association and is undergoing treatments to remove all the spiders and their eggs.

Brown recluse spiders are easily identified by a characteristic dark brown violin marking on their back. They will bite defensively and both males and females can inject venom which results in intense pain and blisters that can turn in to open ulcers.