I quite like spiders.
So I am going to be a negative benefactor to story telling. But I am pretty informative when it comes to our eight legged friends. Or enemies, in your case.
Firstly, Brown Recluse Spiders do not live in colonies, though they do lay egg sacs that can contain over 50 spider babies. A spiders life is hard though, and not very many of them will reach adulthood. In fact, they usually only have a lifespan of a couple years, if they survive infancy.
As far as living in baseboards go, they like any place that is dark and feels safe. The Brown Recluse is not an agressive spider, and will only bite if disturbed or frightened. Here are some steps to avoid bites that I copy&pasted off a page on Brown Recluse:
- Shake out clothing and shoes before getting dressed.
- Inspect bedding and towels before use.
- Wear gloves when handling firewood, lumber, and rocks (be sure to inspect the gloves for spiders before putting them on).
- Remove bedskirts and storage boxes from underneath beds. Move the bed away from the wall.
- Exercise care when handling cardboard boxes (recluse spiders often are found in the space under folded cardboard flaps).
As you can see, brown recluse spiders don't attack people on a whim, and if you're careful about sticking your hand in dark places and don't pick up clothes off the floor and throw them on, you should be okay. If you're really worried about it though, I recommend ma.ss genocide via those insecticide sprayers that go off for a few hours, layering your house in poisonous death. Be sure to remove any pets and/or small children before initiating this procedure.
This should take care of most of your insect problems, but fair warning, the smell can be quite awful when you come back and you'll be surprised at how many tiny bodies you'll be sweeping up.
I'm not a very big fan of Brown Recluse either, (though up here I'm more likely to be haunted by those dreaded Hobo Spiders) but they're easily managed. Just frequently dusting and vacuuming can keep them from living in your room. Like I said before, they like dark places that are rarely taken care of. It probably set up camp in your room because you were gone and not managing it.
An interesting fact: Brown Recluse Spiders only have six eyes instead of eight. Because knowledge is power.
With all of that said I must say, that no matter who you are and how much you hate spiders you should love Jumping Spiders. They're harmless, and they're adorable.
Look at that adorable, big eyed look.
This is not the face of a vicious monster.