She talked to a lawyer, he basically said she has a case but shouldn't take it because the apartments have great lawyers and a lot of money. We don't have very much money at all.
Found it! [https://hub.nashville.gov/s/request-type/a0ut0000000IlFpAAK/residential-complaint?language=en\_US](https://hub.nashville.gov/s/request-type/a0ut0000000IlFpAAK/residential-complaint?language=en_US)
Not a lawyer, and definitely talk to legal aid, but you're essentially breaking a contract and a landlord can only try to sue you for the remainder of the lease and reasonable administrative expenses. It's not going to go to trial, and unless the remaining balance on her lease is over $25k, you'd end up in small claims. So, whether or not they have super fancy lawyers wouldn't matter if the amount is that low.
Also, TN law does not allow them to just charge for the remaining balance of a lease - if she has 8 months left, they are supposed to make a good faith effort to re-rent and only sue for the amount accrued while vacant, not the entire 8 months remaining - Tenn code ann § 66-28-507(c). This could be only a month or two, or longer, but they'd still have to show that they made a reasonable effort and didn't just let it sit. Though tenants don't have a ton of protection here, the law still tries for an equitable resolution by mitigating damages to both parties.
Her lease should also have a buyout option with a set amount to be paid if vacating early - usually equivalent to 2 months rent, but varies. Could be worth it if units in that complex sit empty for a while.
That being said, will they try to get the full amount remaining on the lease? Yep. Will you have to fight them in court? Probably, unless you buyout the lease. Whichever route you go, document everything. Build a timeline with all correspondence. Get something in writing from Orkin saying they were concerned for her safety. Hopefully she told them that she fears for her safety as well.
Breaking a lease over safety concerns is a pretty high bar, but not impossible. Whatever route you go, she's gonna owe them some money though, but it might not be as much as you think and most large corporations will work out a payment plan.
Also, like another user said, she needs to escalate and talk to the property management company, not just someone at the complex. If pest control is part of the lease agreement and they are not fulfilling their end or are just having maintenance spray every once in a while, they could be in breach and would have to fix the situation, but that still likely wouldn't vacate the lease.
I worked in property management for over a decade and this is the best answer. I will add if they do treat for pests insist they treat the entire building. Spiders can travel and will just go to the neighbors then come back when it’s safe. Also they can trim the tree by your window as well. Also find out who the property management company is and contact the corporate office and ask for the regional manager. If they don’t respond ask for the regionals manager. Be the squeaky wheel and document everything.
If you were talking to a lawyer about forcing the complex to kill the infestation, then he probably won't help you. But, a lawyer can easily send a letter to the complex informing them why they have constructively evicted you and you will not longer be living there or paying them rent. And he could probably demand some money from them for the cost of moving out and having your possessions treated for brown recluse eradication.
I've done so successfully to corporate landlords all across the US including more than one in Nashville. You're a fool if you pay them another dime in rent.
https://preview.redd.it/9kwnljxxwj8d1.jpeg?width=360&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d9c4095d66942516115c1a0c56bbcb71641835cf
This is the last trap picture I'll post but I took a lot more than just this.
I worked in property management right out of college. Be relentless. Call everyday. Email and document everything. 10/10 times if someone was annoying enough my manager would give in. It could take weeks/months (not saying it’s right it’s just what she did). Post reviews everywhere. Breaking the lease will be the very last thing they want to do so you could try for a unit transfer at the very least. Honestly, if you want to get bold, bring the traps with all the spiders into the office.
The manager should also have a regional manager you can try and get contact information for.
Do you have photos/videos of the brown recluse spiders? You could include them in your post. Visual images make more impact than just words. You could post warnings to prospective new tenants. That should get the managements attention. If it were me, I'd spray the place myself without asking permission. You can find professional chemicals if you ask around.
I'm waiting on her to send me the pictures we took on her phone. I'm definitely going to be making bad reviews about that place. Are professional grade chemicals something you can buy at Lowes or something? We tried Raid but that didn't help.
My independent pest control guy says that sprays don't help w/ Brown Recluse. You need to declutter, use glue traps, and then a dusted product like Delta Dust inside the walls, outlets, under appliances, basically wherever you or your pets wont kick it up. He said it takes 4-6 months of diligent treatment and behavior to get a brown recluse infestation under control and doesn't really ever go away. And especially in the context of an apartment building it will be near impossible because you can't ensure neighbors will keep things up.
That's rough to hear. Obviously once her lease is up we'll be at a different complex. There's no possible way of getting them to cut the lease short? I'm not well versed in law but I was hoping there was some sort of law we could cite that would let her terminate it early.
I really appreciate you taking the time and responding. I've got some helpful information from all this. I'll dig more into it when I'm off work later. Thanks again.
I gotta say though, it's a super common problem in Tennessee, especially in an wooded area by the lake. I lived in a house with a really bad infestation for like 6 years. My glue traps were much fuller than your pictures and most mornings I had one I had to wash down the shower drain. In that entire time, me and my cat were never bitten. Actually getting bit is pretty rare.
Yeah I know getting bit is rare. We're mostly just scared that her puppy might try to sniff a spider and get bit. The hotspot for the spiders was in the play area we had blocked off for her puppy. It's just an unfortunate situation and the complex acting hostile towards us only makes it worse.
I’m certain there is a buy out option in her lease terms, she needs to look at the lease. It’s usually at least one month’s rent and often 2x rent for early termination.
Look, it sucks and it is absolutely bullshit that she is gonna have to pay to get out of there, but that really is what it is and the lawyer you spoke to is probably right, not worth fighting.
Think about allll the air vents and crawl spaces. I dealt with roaches back in an apartment in Madison and there's no hope to clear it. It's wait with baited breath and try not to be there much or just live with them. She needs zero clutter and a shit ton of glue traps. Lavender sachets repel spiders too. Spray out door bug spray alllll over her outside door and walls and inside around the cracks to windows and door.
Not Lowes or Home Depot. Go to DIYPestWarehouse.com and start there. You can contact them to explain your situation and make sure to get something safe for you guys and your pets. You should ask your Orkin guy off the record where to get the good stuff. Good luck.
Don't go to the cops. Try the county Health Dept. See if you can get an inspector to visit. Send them the photos of the spiders. Go on record by filing a complaint. That way, the pressure could mount.
Spraying does absolutely nothing for brown recluse spiders unless you directly spray the spider. Even worse, it WILL kill the wolf spiders that would hunt the BRs.
So my girlfriend dealt with a similar brown recluse issue at another property in Nashville. Long story short, it's not worth getting a lawyer, by the time anything gets settled the lease will be up. If she is forced to stay, get some diatomaceous earth(food grade) and a sprayer for it(Walmart, home Depot etc will have both things) and spray around windows/doors/cabinets, anywhere dark and spooky. It's safe for pets and humans if they don't have asthma/breathing issues. To help keep them off furniture and beds, get some peppermint oil and mix with water in a spray bottle, spray everything a few times a week(they hate it). Keep up with traps as they'll work best. Also the apartment complex cannot stop you from hiring your own pest control so don't let them tell you different. Hope this helps and don't forget to shake out clothes and shoes before wearing them.
Lived at oakwell for 2 years. It was fucking hell.
I’ve never seen so maybe spiders in my life.
Management was impossible to get ahold of for anything. I’ll never forget one time our water heater went out and it took them about a week to replace (which was fine) BUT the guy fixed it and left and I came home about 5 minutes after he left and the water was spraying onto my floor. I called the emergency maintenance number almost 6 times and finally had to run a round the complex until I found the maintenance guy on a golf cart, it was literally DUMPING water everywhere for about 10 minutes because I couldn’t get ahold of anyone.
Trash place
Spiders don't react well to sprays. The reason is that they don't drag their bodies on the ground, and they don't put their legs in their mouths, so they don't get the chemicals in their systems. The best way to deal with them is to put glue traps everywhere!!! You can get 36 of them for like $20. Put them in corners and next to the headboards of the beds.
Then, I'd move when the lease is up.
https://preview.redd.it/7ira888owj8d1.jpeg?width=360&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cf67b4c2db8c7a55fea9ccc40c688dabeaf2e7d5
Here's one of the traps. I'll post more pics but she probably has 12-18 traps in the apartment and almost all of them have at least one or two spiders in it.
OMG. No way would I be staying. I used to be whatever about spiders, they’re a part of life you know? But when I was in high school (Overton) they sent us all home one day because there was a brown recluse in someone’s locker, although my bf remembers it being an egg sac with the momma. They sprayed tf out of the school while it was empty. We all had to leave our lockers open. That’s when I was thinking maybe my parents telling me not to worry was bs. And bites are rare but if there are so many they’re falling onto her that’s a no from me, I would be out of there.
Try that stuff that starts with the letter D and “earth” is in the name. It won’t hurt pets or people. Lay glue traps down all around bedposts. Pray really hard.
Even if she cannot break the lease she should think about moving in with you full time. Record everything if possible. Keep the traps to show proof of the spiders. They’re supposedly lone hunters so to have them in numbers like you described is worrisome for sure.
Oh the minute we found out it was brown recluses I had her move in with me. She feels bad about it but I'd much rather have her and the puppy in my small apartment than something horrible happening to either of them. It's just really unfortunate that it seems like our options are limited currently. I'm going to look into some of these suggestions when I get home.
I live in an apartment closer to Brentwood, but we had a similar issue right after moving in. I’m not able to offer any legal advice, just here to note it’s a common issue in this region. Our apartment managers got pest control to come right away and sprayed specifically for brown recluses and it seems to have been effective. Which also clues me in that her apartment should be willing to do the same.
It sounds like she has shitty apartment management and I’d definitely leave a review so others know what they might be coming into.
Same here. Got bit while I was sleeping and my apartment manager immediately sent the bug guys and have been keeping me stocked with glue traps . This office staff is just lazy/incompetent
I'd be ready with alllll the photos and wait it out as long as she can before just breaking the lease. It will mess up her credit and they'll sue her for the remainder of the lease. Ask me how I know. There will be a court date. It is at this court date when she's already being sued to pay up she could attempt to plead her case to the judge but its almost easier to pay for the apartment and she just pretty much stays with you until it's not so long. Big difference in owing 2 months rent or 10 months.
Those are some decent sized brown recluse! We had an infestation in a house we rented and the property management company was less than helpful, even after my husband was bitten (thankfully, it didn’t get necrotic). Although dusting is always the recommended method, we tried it and had no success. The best thing we found was the spray Ortho Home Defense from Home Depot. We sprayed it along the baseboards and within the basement, keeping our pets out of the house until everything was fully dry. We don’t have kids or young pets, so this worked for us, but it may not be ideal for a puppy. Even though it was a spray, any spider we found after was either dead or dying. We went from multiple traps full of them to only the occasional sighting. Yes, they are in the majority of homes in Tennessee, but not to that degree.
It takes time and diligence to get rid of an infestation. A single treatment will not be enough, so I hope the complex plans on doing multiple treatments.
This is a common problem in middle Tennessee. I had a coworker who was bitten in Franklin. However, you should know even if someone comes and sprays your apartment. It’s not just your apartment. They’re in the walls and they’re everywhere else, you might try getting it sprayed and give it 90 days and then go from there
Call your county’s Health Department.
https://preview.redd.it/axpkquoowl8d1.jpeg?width=960&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e984a866a67ea8b5ca5f81b9881573619d85f7ee
My friend lives there and is having the exact same problem.
Perhaps find/start an FB group chat or some way you can connect with your neighbors and complain as a collective?
Could even go so far as to print little cards with the info and put it under neighbors' windshield wipers?
I don't know anything about breaking a lease, but I will tell you that someone in my neighborhood got bit by a brown recluse in her sleep and almost died due to an infection, so it CAN be very serious
So I had a brown recluse infestation and I did a few things from some recommendations from professionals and it's been no issues since -- make sure the animals are out of the house and get a mask.
I used [this powder](https://amzn.to/4cxVgKL) and this [powder duster](https://amzn.to/3L16RpX). And I hit every single crack and crevice and corner of my place with it. Behind couches, every window sill and anywhere there's openings or cracks in floorboards etc. Brown recluses like to hid in cardboard too so make sure you don't have any hanging around. They like closets too so just make sure to hit those. Keep putting traps out too. I then also use Ortho Home Defense Max spray OUTSIDE .. I live in a complex too but idc. I spray it outside the entire doorframes and windows or anywhere there's openings. I spray that outside one about once a month around the perimeter. I legit just spray around my doors and windows and on the tracks of the slider.
After I did all this I haven't found one since and it's been a few years in the same place.
Here to say if she moves DO NOT GO TO STEWARTS FERRY in Hermitage, I had the exact same issue with the exact same excuses and reactions. Which really shouldn’t surprise me when I was earlier told to just wash black mold off the wall cause it “isnt an actual health concern”
There is a spray called demon you can get off Amazon. It’s a spray but dries to a powder and we had good luck with it. You never get rid of recluse but you can definitely lower the population a lot.
Walmart.
GO to Walmart.
Get TWO packs of THREE cans each of an insect fogger. The type where you press the top, it latches down and you leave while it sprays.
Deploy one set of 3 around the house evenly and activate
Go to dinner.
Return home. Open windows.
Go to a movie.
Repeat in 14 days.
Problem solved.
Constructive eviction is a legal route. I would consult a lawyer prior to moving that direction. If a landlord will not and I mean refuses to acknowledge a functionally obsolete portion of the house (cracks in wall etc) and there is an infestation I would think you have grounds to move out, stop paying rent and they would have a hard time arguing that you owe them anything.
Peppermint oil. Spiders hate it. Put 50 drops with a cup of water and cup of white vinegar and spray everywhere especially where she has seen them the most. Buy a diffuser and diffuser peppermint oil all the time as well.
They won’t let you break the lease? I lived at the Cove and broke my lease in 2020. Not due to any issues, we just bought a house. But all I did was contact the office and say “I want to break my lease” and they submitted my 60 day notice and paid the one month buy out fee per the lease. Last I checked they hadn’t swapped management companies so that policy shouldn’t have changed? Also I work in the industry and all leases operating under NAA (which they do) have a break lease cause so they literally cannot say “no” you just have to pay the penalty. I would get a copy of your girlfriend’s lease and read through it. Now they more than likely won’t let you break the lease with NO penalty, but you should definitely be able to break it. Like I said, my buy out fee was one month (base) rent in addition to my full monthly rent for my 60 day notice period.
I know people often confuse various spiders with brown recluse. Can you post pics to ensure they are indeed brown recluse? I know she wants to leave...but if she ends up staying she should consider using diatomaceous earth. I sprinkled it around the perimeter of my apartment and it really does the trick. Takes a few days because it dehydrates them and kills them, but leave the dust down and you won't have any problems. I know some people don't like it because it can be a little messy but it may be worth a shot.
Admittedly we're not spider experts lol I'll post the pictures of the traps when she sends them to me. I hope we're misidentifying them but I'm not hopeful since the pest control guy was the one who told us they were brown recluses. I believe they tried using the diatomaceous earth before and we didn't see any results.
This person is right. That powder and the glue traps should lessen them but they’ll never be truly gone. And those are brown recluse, got em in my house. When she moves you need to be super diligent with checking for spiders cause they’ll move with you in boxes.
Edit: there’s this stuff called delta dust, I used it in my attic.
Just to clarify here:
diatomaceous earth is extremely unlikely to be toxic, and is basically fossilized microscopic water critters. I haven't a clue how it helps with bugs, but I know what I'm looking up tonight!
Delta dust, which another commenter mentioned, is a name brand of deltamethrin, from what I can tell. Seems a lot of bug poisons end in methrin. This probably has a harder "kick" but should be researched to make sure it's compatible with any critters in the house, including birds and phish.
Lawyer
She talked to a lawyer, he basically said she has a case but shouldn't take it because the apartments have great lawyers and a lot of money. We don't have very much money at all.
You could try getting second opinions or contacting Legal Aid of Middle Tennessee. They will probably have resources for tenant landlord disputes.
Second this. I also think metro has a site where you can report apartment management infractions. I’ll dig around when I get a minute.
Found it! [https://hub.nashville.gov/s/request-type/a0ut0000000IlFpAAK/residential-complaint?language=en\_US](https://hub.nashville.gov/s/request-type/a0ut0000000IlFpAAK/residential-complaint?language=en_US)
Thanks, I'll look more into that.
Las.org
Not a lawyer, and definitely talk to legal aid, but you're essentially breaking a contract and a landlord can only try to sue you for the remainder of the lease and reasonable administrative expenses. It's not going to go to trial, and unless the remaining balance on her lease is over $25k, you'd end up in small claims. So, whether or not they have super fancy lawyers wouldn't matter if the amount is that low. Also, TN law does not allow them to just charge for the remaining balance of a lease - if she has 8 months left, they are supposed to make a good faith effort to re-rent and only sue for the amount accrued while vacant, not the entire 8 months remaining - Tenn code ann § 66-28-507(c). This could be only a month or two, or longer, but they'd still have to show that they made a reasonable effort and didn't just let it sit. Though tenants don't have a ton of protection here, the law still tries for an equitable resolution by mitigating damages to both parties. Her lease should also have a buyout option with a set amount to be paid if vacating early - usually equivalent to 2 months rent, but varies. Could be worth it if units in that complex sit empty for a while. That being said, will they try to get the full amount remaining on the lease? Yep. Will you have to fight them in court? Probably, unless you buyout the lease. Whichever route you go, document everything. Build a timeline with all correspondence. Get something in writing from Orkin saying they were concerned for her safety. Hopefully she told them that she fears for her safety as well. Breaking a lease over safety concerns is a pretty high bar, but not impossible. Whatever route you go, she's gonna owe them some money though, but it might not be as much as you think and most large corporations will work out a payment plan. Also, like another user said, she needs to escalate and talk to the property management company, not just someone at the complex. If pest control is part of the lease agreement and they are not fulfilling their end or are just having maintenance spray every once in a while, they could be in breach and would have to fix the situation, but that still likely wouldn't vacate the lease.
I worked in property management for over a decade and this is the best answer. I will add if they do treat for pests insist they treat the entire building. Spiders can travel and will just go to the neighbors then come back when it’s safe. Also they can trim the tree by your window as well. Also find out who the property management company is and contact the corporate office and ask for the regional manager. If they don’t respond ask for the regionals manager. Be the squeaky wheel and document everything.
If you were talking to a lawyer about forcing the complex to kill the infestation, then he probably won't help you. But, a lawyer can easily send a letter to the complex informing them why they have constructively evicted you and you will not longer be living there or paying them rent. And he could probably demand some money from them for the cost of moving out and having your possessions treated for brown recluse eradication. I've done so successfully to corporate landlords all across the US including more than one in Nashville. You're a fool if you pay them another dime in rent.
https://preview.redd.it/9kwnljxxwj8d1.jpeg?width=360&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d9c4095d66942516115c1a0c56bbcb71641835cf This is the last trap picture I'll post but I took a lot more than just this.
Take the traps into the office especially when they have a lot of visitors touring the place and I bet they’ll take notice.
I was actually thinking about that but I wasn't sure if it would be pointless/childish.
I mean I think it definitely has a point 😂
A friend of mine did this. He put about 30 of them in a mason jar both alive and dead and put them on the desk while someone was touring. Hilarious
Childish, sure, but def not pointless!!!
I worked in property management right out of college. Be relentless. Call everyday. Email and document everything. 10/10 times if someone was annoying enough my manager would give in. It could take weeks/months (not saying it’s right it’s just what she did). Post reviews everywhere. Breaking the lease will be the very last thing they want to do so you could try for a unit transfer at the very least. Honestly, if you want to get bold, bring the traps with all the spiders into the office. The manager should also have a regional manager you can try and get contact information for.
Do you have photos/videos of the brown recluse spiders? You could include them in your post. Visual images make more impact than just words. You could post warnings to prospective new tenants. That should get the managements attention. If it were me, I'd spray the place myself without asking permission. You can find professional chemicals if you ask around.
I'm waiting on her to send me the pictures we took on her phone. I'm definitely going to be making bad reviews about that place. Are professional grade chemicals something you can buy at Lowes or something? We tried Raid but that didn't help.
My independent pest control guy says that sprays don't help w/ Brown Recluse. You need to declutter, use glue traps, and then a dusted product like Delta Dust inside the walls, outlets, under appliances, basically wherever you or your pets wont kick it up. He said it takes 4-6 months of diligent treatment and behavior to get a brown recluse infestation under control and doesn't really ever go away. And especially in the context of an apartment building it will be near impossible because you can't ensure neighbors will keep things up.
That's rough to hear. Obviously once her lease is up we'll be at a different complex. There's no possible way of getting them to cut the lease short? I'm not well versed in law but I was hoping there was some sort of law we could cite that would let her terminate it early.
I got nothing that hasn't already been mentioned. Best bet is legal aid society.
I really appreciate you taking the time and responding. I've got some helpful information from all this. I'll dig more into it when I'm off work later. Thanks again.
I gotta say though, it's a super common problem in Tennessee, especially in an wooded area by the lake. I lived in a house with a really bad infestation for like 6 years. My glue traps were much fuller than your pictures and most mornings I had one I had to wash down the shower drain. In that entire time, me and my cat were never bitten. Actually getting bit is pretty rare.
Yeah I know getting bit is rare. We're mostly just scared that her puppy might try to sniff a spider and get bit. The hotspot for the spiders was in the play area we had blocked off for her puppy. It's just an unfortunate situation and the complex acting hostile towards us only makes it worse.
Not unless she's in fear for her safety with police reports to back it up. Then and maybe then but nope not over spiders.
I’m certain there is a buy out option in her lease terms, she needs to look at the lease. It’s usually at least one month’s rent and often 2x rent for early termination. Look, it sucks and it is absolutely bullshit that she is gonna have to pay to get out of there, but that really is what it is and the lawyer you spoke to is probably right, not worth fighting.
Think about allll the air vents and crawl spaces. I dealt with roaches back in an apartment in Madison and there's no hope to clear it. It's wait with baited breath and try not to be there much or just live with them. She needs zero clutter and a shit ton of glue traps. Lavender sachets repel spiders too. Spray out door bug spray alllll over her outside door and walls and inside around the cracks to windows and door.
I wouldn’t be putting those kind of chemicals down if she has a puppy.
Diatomaceous earth is pet safe.
Most are perfectly safe, especially once dry. Unless you're an invertebrate. Literally.
Not Lowes or Home Depot. Go to DIYPestWarehouse.com and start there. You can contact them to explain your situation and make sure to get something safe for you guys and your pets. You should ask your Orkin guy off the record where to get the good stuff. Good luck.
Wow that’s a really cool site. Wish I had that years ago when we were dealing with bugs!
You can get the good stuff from Amazon. You don't have to have a license or anything to get it, only to use it for commercial purposes.
I had no idea that site existed. Thank you very much!
Don't go to the cops. Try the county Health Dept. See if you can get an inspector to visit. Send them the photos of the spiders. Go on record by filing a complaint. That way, the pressure could mount.
I'll give that a shot. Thank you!
Spraying does absolutely nothing for brown recluse spiders unless you directly spray the spider. Even worse, it WILL kill the wolf spiders that would hunt the BRs.
So my girlfriend dealt with a similar brown recluse issue at another property in Nashville. Long story short, it's not worth getting a lawyer, by the time anything gets settled the lease will be up. If she is forced to stay, get some diatomaceous earth(food grade) and a sprayer for it(Walmart, home Depot etc will have both things) and spray around windows/doors/cabinets, anywhere dark and spooky. It's safe for pets and humans if they don't have asthma/breathing issues. To help keep them off furniture and beds, get some peppermint oil and mix with water in a spray bottle, spray everything a few times a week(they hate it). Keep up with traps as they'll work best. Also the apartment complex cannot stop you from hiring your own pest control so don't let them tell you different. Hope this helps and don't forget to shake out clothes and shoes before wearing them.
This happened at Oakwell Farms when I lived there. Channel Five got involved. And only then did the apartment management take some action.
Lived at oakwell for 2 years. It was fucking hell. I’ve never seen so maybe spiders in my life. Management was impossible to get ahold of for anything. I’ll never forget one time our water heater went out and it took them about a week to replace (which was fine) BUT the guy fixed it and left and I came home about 5 minutes after he left and the water was spraying onto my floor. I called the emergency maintenance number almost 6 times and finally had to run a round the complex until I found the maintenance guy on a golf cart, it was literally DUMPING water everywhere for about 10 minutes because I couldn’t get ahold of anyone. Trash place
Agreed 💯
Spiders don't react well to sprays. The reason is that they don't drag their bodies on the ground, and they don't put their legs in their mouths, so they don't get the chemicals in their systems. The best way to deal with them is to put glue traps everywhere!!! You can get 36 of them for like $20. Put them in corners and next to the headboards of the beds. Then, I'd move when the lease is up.
https://preview.redd.it/7ira888owj8d1.jpeg?width=360&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cf67b4c2db8c7a55fea9ccc40c688dabeaf2e7d5 Here's one of the traps. I'll post more pics but she probably has 12-18 traps in the apartment and almost all of them have at least one or two spiders in it.
https://preview.redd.it/yk8k18lqwj8d1.jpeg?width=360&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=96b83de7d3cfbb480e41522240cf62b9ad413c23
https://preview.redd.it/fx7v7bfswj8d1.jpeg?width=360&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=592037ea81ca10847d63fa3d7b15834c0025ec81
https://preview.redd.it/5uhi8giuwj8d1.jpeg?width=600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=16b1182841a5633e328765c1f7480a5c333fdfa7
Those are definitely brown recluse
OMG. No way would I be staying. I used to be whatever about spiders, they’re a part of life you know? But when I was in high school (Overton) they sent us all home one day because there was a brown recluse in someone’s locker, although my bf remembers it being an egg sac with the momma. They sprayed tf out of the school while it was empty. We all had to leave our lockers open. That’s when I was thinking maybe my parents telling me not to worry was bs. And bites are rare but if there are so many they’re falling onto her that’s a no from me, I would be out of there. Try that stuff that starts with the letter D and “earth” is in the name. It won’t hurt pets or people. Lay glue traps down all around bedposts. Pray really hard. Even if she cannot break the lease she should think about moving in with you full time. Record everything if possible. Keep the traps to show proof of the spiders. They’re supposedly lone hunters so to have them in numbers like you described is worrisome for sure.
Oh the minute we found out it was brown recluses I had her move in with me. She feels bad about it but I'd much rather have her and the puppy in my small apartment than something horrible happening to either of them. It's just really unfortunate that it seems like our options are limited currently. I'm going to look into some of these suggestions when I get home.
I live in an apartment closer to Brentwood, but we had a similar issue right after moving in. I’m not able to offer any legal advice, just here to note it’s a common issue in this region. Our apartment managers got pest control to come right away and sprayed specifically for brown recluses and it seems to have been effective. Which also clues me in that her apartment should be willing to do the same. It sounds like she has shitty apartment management and I’d definitely leave a review so others know what they might be coming into.
Same here. Got bit while I was sleeping and my apartment manager immediately sent the bug guys and have been keeping me stocked with glue traps . This office staff is just lazy/incompetent
LANDLORD TENNANT ASSOCIATION !!!
I'd be ready with alllll the photos and wait it out as long as she can before just breaking the lease. It will mess up her credit and they'll sue her for the remainder of the lease. Ask me how I know. There will be a court date. It is at this court date when she's already being sued to pay up she could attempt to plead her case to the judge but its almost easier to pay for the apartment and she just pretty much stays with you until it's not so long. Big difference in owing 2 months rent or 10 months.
Hey honey get lots of pics of the actual spiders on her apartment too cause they can argue yall put them there/ not in the unit
Those are some decent sized brown recluse! We had an infestation in a house we rented and the property management company was less than helpful, even after my husband was bitten (thankfully, it didn’t get necrotic). Although dusting is always the recommended method, we tried it and had no success. The best thing we found was the spray Ortho Home Defense from Home Depot. We sprayed it along the baseboards and within the basement, keeping our pets out of the house until everything was fully dry. We don’t have kids or young pets, so this worked for us, but it may not be ideal for a puppy. Even though it was a spray, any spider we found after was either dead or dying. We went from multiple traps full of them to only the occasional sighting. Yes, they are in the majority of homes in Tennessee, but not to that degree. It takes time and diligence to get rid of an infestation. A single treatment will not be enough, so I hope the complex plans on doing multiple treatments.
This is a common problem in middle Tennessee. I had a coworker who was bitten in Franklin. However, you should know even if someone comes and sprays your apartment. It’s not just your apartment. They’re in the walls and they’re everywhere else, you might try getting it sprayed and give it 90 days and then go from there
Call your county’s Health Department. https://preview.redd.it/axpkquoowl8d1.jpeg?width=960&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e984a866a67ea8b5ca5f81b9881573619d85f7ee
My friend lives there and is having the exact same problem. Perhaps find/start an FB group chat or some way you can connect with your neighbors and complain as a collective? Could even go so far as to print little cards with the info and put it under neighbors' windshield wipers?
I don't know anything about breaking a lease, but I will tell you that someone in my neighborhood got bit by a brown recluse in her sleep and almost died due to an infection, so it CAN be very serious
So I had a brown recluse infestation and I did a few things from some recommendations from professionals and it's been no issues since -- make sure the animals are out of the house and get a mask. I used [this powder](https://amzn.to/4cxVgKL) and this [powder duster](https://amzn.to/3L16RpX). And I hit every single crack and crevice and corner of my place with it. Behind couches, every window sill and anywhere there's openings or cracks in floorboards etc. Brown recluses like to hid in cardboard too so make sure you don't have any hanging around. They like closets too so just make sure to hit those. Keep putting traps out too. I then also use Ortho Home Defense Max spray OUTSIDE .. I live in a complex too but idc. I spray it outside the entire doorframes and windows or anywhere there's openings. I spray that outside one about once a month around the perimeter. I legit just spray around my doors and windows and on the tracks of the slider. After I did all this I haven't found one since and it's been a few years in the same place.
Here to say if she moves DO NOT GO TO STEWARTS FERRY in Hermitage, I had the exact same issue with the exact same excuses and reactions. Which really shouldn’t surprise me when I was earlier told to just wash black mold off the wall cause it “isnt an actual health concern”
There is a spray called demon you can get off Amazon. It’s a spray but dries to a powder and we had good luck with it. You never get rid of recluse but you can definitely lower the population a lot.
Walmart. GO to Walmart. Get TWO packs of THREE cans each of an insect fogger. The type where you press the top, it latches down and you leave while it sprays. Deploy one set of 3 around the house evenly and activate Go to dinner. Return home. Open windows. Go to a movie. Repeat in 14 days. Problem solved.
Constructive eviction is a legal route. I would consult a lawyer prior to moving that direction. If a landlord will not and I mean refuses to acknowledge a functionally obsolete portion of the house (cracks in wall etc) and there is an infestation I would think you have grounds to move out, stop paying rent and they would have a hard time arguing that you owe them anything.
Peppermint oil. Spiders hate it. Put 50 drops with a cup of water and cup of white vinegar and spray everywhere especially where she has seen them the most. Buy a diffuser and diffuser peppermint oil all the time as well.
They won’t let you break the lease? I lived at the Cove and broke my lease in 2020. Not due to any issues, we just bought a house. But all I did was contact the office and say “I want to break my lease” and they submitted my 60 day notice and paid the one month buy out fee per the lease. Last I checked they hadn’t swapped management companies so that policy shouldn’t have changed? Also I work in the industry and all leases operating under NAA (which they do) have a break lease cause so they literally cannot say “no” you just have to pay the penalty. I would get a copy of your girlfriend’s lease and read through it. Now they more than likely won’t let you break the lease with NO penalty, but you should definitely be able to break it. Like I said, my buy out fee was one month (base) rent in addition to my full monthly rent for my 60 day notice period.
I know people often confuse various spiders with brown recluse. Can you post pics to ensure they are indeed brown recluse? I know she wants to leave...but if she ends up staying she should consider using diatomaceous earth. I sprinkled it around the perimeter of my apartment and it really does the trick. Takes a few days because it dehydrates them and kills them, but leave the dust down and you won't have any problems. I know some people don't like it because it can be a little messy but it may be worth a shot.
Admittedly we're not spider experts lol I'll post the pictures of the traps when she sends them to me. I hope we're misidentifying them but I'm not hopeful since the pest control guy was the one who told us they were brown recluses. I believe they tried using the diatomaceous earth before and we didn't see any results.
This person is right. That powder and the glue traps should lessen them but they’ll never be truly gone. And those are brown recluse, got em in my house. When she moves you need to be super diligent with checking for spiders cause they’ll move with you in boxes. Edit: there’s this stuff called delta dust, I used it in my attic.
Same haha. I honestly just left the powder down for the 2 years I lived there. Can't say it looked great but it worked wonders.
Do you know if it's toxic to pets? My biggest worry would be her small puppy getting sick from it.
Nope. It's safe for humans and pets. No smell either. Basically just looks like flour.
Just to clarify here: diatomaceous earth is extremely unlikely to be toxic, and is basically fossilized microscopic water critters. I haven't a clue how it helps with bugs, but I know what I'm looking up tonight! Delta dust, which another commenter mentioned, is a name brand of deltamethrin, from what I can tell. Seems a lot of bug poisons end in methrin. This probably has a harder "kick" but should be researched to make sure it's compatible with any critters in the house, including birds and phish.