Where it hides and how to eliminate the violin spider from your home

July 03, 2023

A small spider - whose body does not exceed 9mm and which reaches a maximum size of 4-5 cm (including its legs) - is one of the two most poisonous spider species in Italy and is of particular concern because it lives in domestic settings: this is the violin spider (loxosceles rufescens). It can be easily recognized by its red body with a distinctive violin-shaped spot on its back and is not normally an aggressive species (although it may occasionally bite if it feels threatened).

The danger derives from the fact that, loving dark places and fabrics, this spider sneaks into our homes and hides in the baseboards, under the furniture and inside drawers and boxes, between the sheets or inside clothes and shoes left on the floor. In summer, it is very common to find it while working in the garden, hidden under pots or rocks.

So how do we eliminate this spider from our homes? Let's find out together:

Syrio/Wikimedia Commons

As already mentioned, the violin spider does not like sunlight and for this reason, it is nocturnal. During the day, it remains hidden in the darkest corners of our homes. For this reason, when we are about to clean up attics, cellars, garages, basements and closets or work in the garden, it is always advisable to be well covered with long sleeves and protect yourself with gloves (preferably leather ones).
The violin spider enters our homes through cracks and gaps near doors and windows and in the walls. So, the first thing to do is to try to seal any possible access points (in addition to other possible hiding places such as skirting boards, cracks in the walls and passages for pipes).
Another useful tip is to frequently vacuum the surfaces of the home, concentrating on corners and the space under furniture and mattresses. This will help to remove both the spiders and any insects that they prey on.
If you have a garden, you can easily prevent or eliminate a violin spider infestation with special pyrethroids sprayed directly on the vegetation.
Another way to eliminate these spiders is to use diatomaceous earth - a very effective, 100% natural insecticide that you can spread around doors and windows and in every spot the spiders might hide.