Atlanta

Beware of brown recluse spiders this summer! Here's what you need to know

ATLANTA — Beware of brown recluse spiders this summer, as they are more active in the hotter months.

The venomous spiders are rare in Georgia, but you may be more likely to see them now while they are laying their eggs.

Severe Weather Team 2 Meteorologist Eboni Deon talked to Mary Carol Sheffield with the University of Georgia Agricultural and Natural Resources program about how to spot one.

"Most spiders have eight eyes, but brown recluse spiders have only six eyes," Sheffield said.

Sheffield said if you think you've been bitten by one, you need to call your doctor. The bites can be extremely painful -- even deadly.

"If a small child were bitten, it would be more problematic than it would be for an adult," Sheffield said.

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Deon talked to Nicole Photianos, who realized last year that her new home was infested with the spiders -- and the problem still hasn't been resolved.

"When the spiders got bad in the spring time, we had to move the kids out," Photianos said. "It was just too dangerous."

Photianos' friend was bitten last week while visiting her home.

"If my 3-year-old would have gotten bit, it could have been fatal, if it wasn't taken care of properly," Photianos said.

Sheffield said the best way to keep them out of your house is to keep your home clean.

"Tidy up, reduce clutter," Sheffield said. "They like dark spaces that are undisturbed. They're called brown recluse because they are reclusive."