The male is about half the size of the female and is brown or grey. He usually has several red dots on his abdomen and may have a yellow or red band across his back. Male black widow spiders are not venomous. Young black widows, known as spiderlings, are white or yellow-white when they first hatch. They become darker as they grow. They may have yellow or red patches across their backs, resembling the adult male. It is impossible to tell male and female spiderlings apart. At this stage, both are harmless to humans.
The black widow spider’s web is usually located within a foot of the ground. It is slightly erratic in appearance and made with stronger silk than most other spider webs. The web is used to catch prey and to hang the female’s cocoon of eggs. Black widows are usually found in dark corners of the house or around the edges of a yard or garage where their webs will have a lesser chance of being disturbed. They may also be found under vehicles, even those that are being driven periodically. Check for webs near the tires, or under/around the engine. Black Widows are territorial, so their webs are often spaced about a foot apart.
Black Widow spiders are not aggressive and will only bite as a defense mechanism. Most bites occur when the spider is accidentally disturbed or injured, and feels threatened. Small children, the elderly and the infirm are much more susceptible to adverse reactions when bitten by a Black Widow. Medical treatment should be sought immediately.
The venom of the Brown Recluse spider is not as strong as the Black Widow’s, but their bite can lead to death. The methods for getting rid of Brown Recluse spiders are the same as for the Black Widow, so you can target both species at once.
Indoors, look for webs in dark corners of closets, under the bed and in cluttered areas of the basement and attic. Outdoors, look for the webs under window ledges and door frames, in piles of firewood or stacked lumber and in close-growing vegetation. Black Widow webs are disorganized and erratic looking. They are slightly funnel-shaped, giving the female Black widow a convenient place to hide during the day. Never intentionally disturb a web without protective clothing and a method of killing the spider. Make a note of the location of each web, so you will be able to return to it later.
Dust applications are best for out-of-the-way places where the dust won’t be disturbed by anyone but the spiders. This includes attics, basements and crawl spaces. It can also be applied to wall voids, using a hand duster. Products such as Drione Dust and Delta Dust Insecticide are recommended. Liquid spot treatments are usually purchased in powder form, which is then mixed with water to form a residual spray. This works best under and behind furniture, under beds, in storage spaces and any dark corners. Products such as Demon WP Insecticide and Cynoff EC are recommended. Even though these products are very effective, they are not guaranteed to kill all of the spiders, so they are best used in combination with more active methods of elimination and to prevent new spiders from coming back.
Kill the spiders with insecticide. Using a non-residual spray insecticide is one of the quickest and easiest ways of killing Black Widow spiders. The spray must come in direct contact with the live spider, at which point it will quickly stun and kill it. These sprays are safe to use and will not leave harmful residues behind. Squash the spiders. A more hands-on method of killing the spider is just to squash it. It may not be elegant but it’s certainly effective. Just make sure to use a stick or shoe to avoid coming in too close contact with the spider, in case you miss. Black Widows may run toward you rather than away from you when under attack. Vacuum the spiders. A vacuum with a hose attachment can be used to quickly suck up the spiders without the need to get too close. This method is obviously best for indoor webs and can be very effective for catching spiders in hard-to-reach places, as the suction will pull them out. Once you have vacuumed the spiders, take the vacuum bag out immediately, place it in a securely tied garbage bag and place it in the trash outside.
The best bet for dealing with egg sacs is to spray them liberally with insecticide or to vacuum them up. Trying to crush or squash the egg sacs may release a flurry of tiny little baby spiders, which you will probably be unable to catch in time. If this happens, your spider infestation is likely to continue.
Clean the area around the bite and immediately apply an ice pack to the area. If the bite is on the arm or leg, try to elevate it until it is level with the heart. These measures will slow down the spreading of the venom. Seek medical treatment immediately. Black Widow bites can be relatively harmless, but only if adequate treatment is administered. Victims usually respond to an intravenous injection calcium gluconate or calcium salts. In more severe cases, a specialized antivenom may be administered. If possible, try to collect the spider that bit you (alive or dead) in a small plastic bag or glass jar and bring it with you when seeking treatment. The species of the spider can then be confirmed by a spider expert, which may help medical professionals to decide on the best treatment. You can call a Poison Center for more information.
If the spider infestation is large, or the spiders are nesting in hard to reach places, an exterminator will have the specialized equipment necessary to deal with this. They are also licensed to used stronger chemicals and insecticides than those available for residential use. If you decide to go the exterminator route, try calling several pest control agencies first to ensure that they are adequately equipped to deal with Black Widow infestations. They should also be able to quote you a price based on the size of the infestation and the area of the space to be treated.
Black Widows are often found under window ledges and around door frames. A good way to deal with this is by washing the outside of your house with a power hose. This will flush out any nasty creepy crawlies, especially from hard-to reach places like upper level windows.
Move firewood or other debris away from the foundation of the house. Spiders love making their homes in stacked up firewood, where it’s dark and sheltered. However, when firewood is stacked against the house it makes it very easy for the spider to make a dash indoors, if it feels the urge. Remove this possibility by keeping firewood (or any other materials) stacked as far from your house as possible. Also, remember to wear thick gloves when carrying firewood indoors, to avoid being bitten. Cut back vines, shrubs and other vegetation from the side of the building. [2] X Expert Source Chris ParkerPest Control Specialist Expert Interview. 21 April 2021. Spiders often make their homes in close-growing vegetation, and vines or bushes growing on or near exterior walls are ideal. Unfortunately, vines also give these spiders easy access to windows and roof spaces, so they may be facilitating the spider’s entrance to your home. Cut back any ivy, or bushes near the foundation of your house, and avoid letting garden grass grow too long.
Before you seal up any exterior cracks, make sure to sprinkle some residual insecticide into the space. This will prevent any spiders from entering if the cracks open again in future. Use a caulking gun and a tube of sealant to fill in and seal any cracks you find around the perimeter of your house. Pay special attention to areas around wires and cables, faucets and electrical outlets. Make sure window and door screens are in good repair, and close up any holes or tears. Make sure the screens on any air vents are tightly fitted. Attach weather stripping to the bottoms of all doors and windows and install door sweeps to all exterior facing doors.
Keep your curtains closed at night so your indoor lighting doesn’t attract more insects outside. [3] X Expert Source Chris ParkerPest Control Specialist Expert Interview. 21 April 2021. Another method of reducing the Black Widow’s food supply is to place sticky traps for catching small insects and flies around your house, or use pesticides targeted at other insects. The scarcer the food, the less likely the Black Widow will be to make her home in your home. However, it is advisable to leave other spider species (excluding the Brown Recluse) alone. This is because other spiders compete for food, and Black Widows prefer to settle in spaces where they are the only predator.
Encourage wrens to live in your garden. Wrens are natural predators of bugs and spiders, including the Black Widow. You can encourage them to live in your garden by installing nest boxes and filling them with items such as bread crumbs, peanut butter and apple slices. Scatter horse chestnuts. Some people believe that scattering horse chestnuts around your home, on windowsill and in tight corners is an effective way of keeping spiders out of your home. Chemical contained in horse chestnuts, known as saponin, repels spiders and keeps them away. This has not been scientifically proven, but many people swear by it.
