Brown Recluse Spiders at Westgate Branson Woods

[craftemp Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close craftemp]

Hi,
I was just wondering how prevalant the Brown Recluse spider is in this area.
I've been coming to Branson for the last three years (twice in August and I am here now) and have never seen any....
UNTIL my stay last week at Westgate Branson Woods.
There were several dead ones in our unit and I killed two (there was a huge dead one just outside of our door)
After notifying the front desk, we were moved to another unit IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT!! I requested just making the move and then coming back in the morning to get our stuff... the answer was NO!
I was pretty freaked out when I killed them - I know they can be quite dangerous... did I over-react??
Thanks

[falmouth3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close falmouth3]

It sounds like you are quite sure they are Brown Recluse Spiders. It seems like a vey unusual situation because they typically hide, hence their name. You can find them in attics, basements, wood piles, etc.

From past research, I understand that their bite is quite dangerous. They don't typically survive the winters up here in New England. Another good reason to live here.

Sue

[chellej Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close chellej]

Are you sure they were brown recluse? They are not a "huge" spider so that is why I ask. They are dangerous - I had one bite me several years ago and had to have surgery on my leg to remove the dead tissue.

[craftemp Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close craftemp]

brown recluse spiders

Yes, I am sure that they were the Brown Recluse... the man that came to spray identified the bodies.. Yes, I had kept them LOL
They are violin shaped and different looking than other spiders.
I looked them up on the internet and it said that they come out at night to hunt. The one that I killed first was walking across the bathroom floor when I turned on the light at 5AM
The other was in a very dark corner (the woodwork was very dark and when I turned on the light to make a phone call, I saw a little motion)
I asked the exterminator if they were in fact brown recluse and he said they definately were.

[dougp26364 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dougp26364]

In MO, especially in a wooded area, it's not unusual to find these spiders. We kill several of them every year in and around our house in KS. Bites are not that unusual and, most of the time, don't cause a lot of trouble.

From a very early age I was taught to ALWAYS shake out my shoes before putting them on. When we lived in Jefferson City, MO, we lived out of town and in a heavily wooded area. It wasn't unusual to kill scorpions in the house. They weren't poisonous but, they're sting would really hurt if you got stung.

[ace2000 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close ace2000]

Judy,

Your post sounds like you're on a vendetta against Branson Woods.

[craftemp Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close craftemp]

Westgate Branson Woods

On the contrary, I have no vendetta against Branson Woods...
This was my first Westgate experience and it was an unhappy one.
Having the spiders in my room was very upsetting and just as upsetting was having to move in the middle of the night. This was handled very poorly.
Isn't this where we are supposed to report these things??

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

The name of the resort is fairly descriptive.

In the woods there are critters.

When the weather changes, which it did about the date of this OP, the critters like to come in. Scorpions are almost as common as spiders.

They could accumulate here, along with all the snakes, because Jim Stafford is here.

[freewheelin01 Member Find all posts View Profile Close freewheelin01]

I don't think that craftemp has any vendetta against the resort. Recluse spiders (and Jim's "spiders and snakes") can be dangerous. I realize that the resort may be located in the woods, but shouldn't they have some type of regular extermination service to ward off the critters in the rooms? In this case, because of the sheer number of spiders in the room, it seems like the resort might be held liable if someone was bitten and got sick - wouldn't management want to avoid that?

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

It could be that in line with the recent massive cutbacks by Wastegate that other service have been cut back on, also.

Still, spiders, snakes, scorpions, etc. are quite common in Mother Nature's domain.

Here's a feature at another, very well regarded, local resort:

http://www.timeshareforums.com/forum...ness-club.html

Although the presence of dead spiders suggests that Wastegate has not dropped extermination service at their resorts, if one really wanted to know they could contact those types of services in this area. There can't be many of them.

[craftemp Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close craftemp]

Branson Woods

My complaint with this resort was not that there were spiders (though I was not happy to see them alive in my unit)
My complaint was that when they moved us to a new unit in the middle of the night, we were made to pack all of our things right then.
It would have been much easier and much less upsetting to just go to the new unit and come back in the morning to get our things - in the light of day

Then when we went to the new unit - it was gorgeous but lacked basic housekeeping

[ace2000 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close ace2000]

Judy,

There is nothing wrong with any of your thoughts on the matter. From the resort's perspective, maybe it was a problem with recordkeeping to allow you access to two units at the same time. Maybe the night manager felt it would be hard to keep straight if different shifts were involved and didn't want to push a 'problem' to another manager.

We had a Family Reunion/Wedding there last year and I used RCI to obtain 5 units. The resort did a great job in placing all of us together side-by-side in separate cabins. And we couldn't have been happier with the experience.

However, you've provided valuable knowledge about the spiders. Especially to some have this as a major concern. I think we all would have brown recluse spiders as a concern!!!

I've read your other posts on the matter, so please forgive my earlier comment about the 'vendetta'. I really meant no harm.

[craftemp Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close craftemp]

Branson woods

All is forgiven LOL

[coolarry Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close coolarry]

Branson Woods

I am an owner at Branson Woods and have stayed there at least once a year for 9 years. I have never seen a brown recluse spider or scorpion in any of the condos we have stayed in. Also the housekeeping has always been emaculate and the resort responsive. It was much more enjoyable when it was owned by Grandvista. Since Wastegate has taken over, the attitude of the staff has become more "distant".
Larry

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

And the pictures of Mr. Sleaze on the wall more offensive.

It was much more enjoyable when it was owned by Grandvista. Since Wastegate has taken over, the attitude of the staff has become more "distant".
Larry