The video above and the story below are courtesy KMOV and reporter Ray Preston via CNN.
Weldon Spring, MO (KMOV) -- A home in an upscale Weldon Spring neighborhood that has been overrun by brown recluse spiders is finally getting rid of the eight legged creatures.
Crews have covered the house, which is located near Whitmoor Country Club, with a giant tent and pumped in poison gas to kill the spiders.
A family bought the home in 2008 and later found out it was infested with what a spider expert estimated to be 5,000 brown recluse spiders. The family sued the previous owners, saying they were not informed of the spider problem. The house eventually went into foreclosure. An expert on brown recluse spiders said the creature's bite can be very serious depending on how much venom is injected.
"It's not going to kill you, but it will make you wish you were dead," said Jamal Sandidge with the University of Kansas.
An exterminator said there is particular reason why one home may be infested even though nearby homes have no such problems.
"Many times people bring them in, you can move from a house that has them. You buy things at an auction, you have furniture in storage, many times brown recluse spiders are carried right into the house," said Tim McCarthy with McCarthy Pest and Termite Control.
The family that sued the previous owners accumulated more than $100,000 in legal fees. McCarthy said it will cost around $14,000 to get rid of the spiders.
