How not to tread on the path of the Black Widow spider

golok

golok

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I understand that even though bites by the Black Widow are uncommon and usually non-fatal, they are extremely painful.

Black Widow spiders apparently are far more common than a lot of people think.

Are they common only in certain surroundings? How does one teach young children to avoid such creatures?
 
We have a lot of Black widows here in the desert southwest. I guess I squish about 6-10 a year around my "edge of town" home. In the garage, yard, bushes, stacked wood, fences, etc. etc. I guess the only advise to help kids is the same advise for anyone anywhere in the outdoors. Don't put hands or bare feet anywhere eyes don't go first. That includes any shoes stored in the garage. I look for spiders just as I look for snakes, look under and around first before reaching in, stepping on, or sitting on. I think this is common outdoor sense for any outdoor time. It just comes from being out over the years.
 
My garage and backyard are crawling with these things. Outside, they like to spin webs between the concrete walkway around my house and the outside wall, so I have to be careful how close to the wall I walk. I only see them come out at night; they avoid light. In my garage they like corners especially. B-Prepared has some good advice. Remember, their webs are a tangled mess, no structure whatsoever.

One thing everyone must beware of: right after opening a garage door, CHECK FOR SPIDERS HANGING FROM THE BOTTOM EDGE OF THE GARAGE DOOR. They're small and dark, easy to miss. Once I almost walked into a widow hanging at face level. That would not have been pleasant.
 
We have them here as well, but I don't see or run across that many. They usually hide where the light won't reach them so the best advice has already been given. Look carefully before doing.
 
I used to get a bunch in my basement and garage every fall. Now I spray around the base of my house in spring and late summer. No widows for a few years now.

Phil
 
Not only do they like dark, but dry as well. So in wetter climates you are most likely to find them in sheltered spots (garages, basements, etc), whereas in dryer climates they live equally outdoors and indoors. When I was but a wee lad (and infatuated with bugs) my parents warned me to watch for the red 'I', so I just never caught a spider if I didn't know what kind it was. I was probably 5 or 6 when they told me this, and I remembered it well, so your kids might not have any problem, either.
 
I killed about six one Saturday afternoon in the very room I write this message... The following Saturday I took the side panel of my computer off to change a video card and what do you think came out behind it? I've found 'em in kitchen drawers, way up in the corner of rooms, outside in all manner of circumstance. The biggest one I ever saw was in a tool shed behind a shop in Baker, Nevada. The body had to have been the size of quarter or nearly so... It was in there with a bunch of average dime-size ones. I've heard stories of even bigger ones but I don't want to believe them.
 
I learned NOT to sleep close to a "wall", rock that is, while in Utah. Some of the walls in question were vertical solid rock formations 50-200 feet high with vertical cracks in them 1 to 18 inches wide- like someone sliced the wall with a knife. I woke up and looked straight into what looked like a whole community of Black Widows ...better than coffee for a "wake-up". Biggest one I saw was only dime-sized, but one smaller than that made it touch and go for my dog for a while.
-cj
 
We call them redbacks here. There is a brand of beer named after them. Redback and Redback light of course. There was also a popular song about them in the '70s.

"There was a redback on the toilet seat
When I was in last night
I couldn't see it in the dark
But I sure could feel it's bite......."

Mostly in the garden and back sheds. In damp dark places, most often in spring time. I opened my toolbox yesterday and there was one under the bloody handle just where I had had my fingers!
 
We have lots of Black and Brown Widow spiders here too. I have taught my children what to look for and have captured several specimens for them to see what to look out for. The egg sacks are large and round and they must avoid dark and damp places, under rocks, in holes, etc.

The ones down here are lethal mate. One byte and you're well....in a whole lot of danger, especially kids. Adults are a little bit more safe but not too much more.

They have a neurotoxic venom similar to Cobra venom which affects respiration and induces cardiac arrest. They normally make acquaintance with the sole of my shoe (or boot).:D
 
In addition to their webs being a tangled mess, they are unusually sticky. When I was living in Arizona, it got to where I could avoid them primarily by just feeling their tacky webs and taking a step back.
 
As people have described them, black widow webs are free form tangles, not flat or round. They are usually placed closed to the ground along walls, in wood piles, or under sheltering objects. The strands are conspicously strong, pound for pound comparable to steel (but they don't weigh much). I can tell the feel of a black widow instantly. Black widows eat lots of larger insects like crickets, roaches and moths. They locate their webs where there is food. Allthough they are nocturnal and hide during daylight they will spin webs near outdoor lights that attract insects for them. I know a venemologist who intentionally leaves lights on at nights so that he can collect black widows.

I find them to show kids and explain what to avoid. Be careful when working around the garage and woodpiles. Wear leather work gloves. Get rid of things that feed bugs and they and the spiders go away.

I like to use a propane torch to clear out spiders periodically. A quick pass takes out the web and a brief flame in a crack in a cement wall kills spiders and eggs.
 
Like many of you, I live in an area that is rife with the little beasties. I've found them to be cowardly and more likely to retreat then hold their ground and fight except when there is an egg sac present. Then there is a big chance the Widow will defend that egg sac by crawling over and envenomating you if you are messing around her web. I've found this out because I used to work for a water company here and it seems water meter boxes are PRIME real estate for Black Widows.

BTW,
That propane torch idea is a great one. I'll have to give that one a try. ;)
 
Just a quick note, yes Blackwidows are deadly, and for those of you who don't know it, the injection you recieve when you are bitten is so strong that any person can only get it once. This means if the second bite is bad you're screwed. Have a nice day.
MNU
 
Do you have any documentation for that claim MNU? It contradicts what I've heard and read. I'd be interested in seeing it.

Phil
 
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