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Increase in Black Widows
updated: Sep 25, 2012, 3:13 PM

By Edhat Subscriber

Has anyone else had an unusual amount of dealings with black widows this summer? I've seen at least 4 and know someone that was bitten recently.

Comments in order of when they were received | (reverse order)

COMMENT 324036	2012-09-25 03:27 PM
They're everywhere at my place too.
COMMENT 324037	2012-09-25 03:29 PM
yep, I just had one right next to my garage door opener on my wall in broad daylight and my boss was hiking last weekend and was bit on his arm! He didn't realize it was a black widow that bit him until he eventually went in to get it checked out and that's what they told him. Could be worse though, could be brown recluses!
COMMENT 324045	2012-09-25 03:51 PM
Black widows are shy and retiring spiders. You don't bother them, they won't bother you. I have had them in my garden for many, many years. Never had a problem. I leave them to their work of collecting insects, and they enhance my garden with their inky black good looks and raggedy webs. My last "pet" widow got eaten by a huge orb weaver. I was sad to see her go. She had had babies, but I never saw a one of them, after they were born. To those of you who are fearful, please don't kill any creatures just because they may bite you. Black widows, like the rest of us, are just trying to make a living.
COMMENT 324046	2012-09-25 03:54 PM
045 for the win. If I might add, "don't kill spiders because you are afraid of them". Most of the ones you see aren't interested in you (or any human) in the slightest.
COMMENT 324048	2012-09-25 03:57 PM
I kill them when I see them inside. Don't want my babies getting bit in their cribs.
COMMENT 324049	2012-09-25 03:57 PM
"I must destroy what I do not understand and therefore fear" That being said, I mean it...spiders give me the willys and I am not giving black widows a chance of biting me in my sleep!
COMMENT 324052	2012-09-25 03:59 PM
We have had several adults as well as one hatching this year. For the most part I will leave them be because they eat things I dislike more than the spiders themselves. I am sorry to say two of the adults decided our front doorway was the perfect spot for their web and had to be evicted for life. There have always been black widows on our property so I wouldn't say there were more this year than in the past. Perhaps you are just spending more time outdoors this year OP?
COMMENT 324055	2012-09-25 04:01 PM
A male & female established home base on my porch a few weeks ago. It's usually too sunny for them, but I suppose that's what I get when I let my porch get a bit crowded - more shade for them. I just moved my plants so it was sunny there again & haven't seen them since. No need to squish, I just made the area next to my front door a little more inhospitable for them and they moved along. Although, even as a spider person, I must admit I did think about killing them. I'm glad I didn't. They were doing a great job of eating ants on my porch (and others have taken up their job happily since).
COMMENT 324056	2012-09-25 04:01 PM
I haven't seen any, but my neighbor in our duplex says she's seen way more than usual. Odd.
COMMENT 324067	2012-09-25 04:16 PM
They are very common spiders for SB. I've noticed a few around our garden, but not any unusally high amount of them. Like most have said, they are very timid and not aggressive.
COMMENT 324069	2012-09-25 04:19 PM
Last month i killed a black widow with an abdomen the size of a blueberry. I didn't want to, but i felt i had to for the safety of my community. But my malevolent use of power did give me a LITTLE thrill.
COMMENT 324075	2012-09-25 04:34 PM
Every morning as I walk out to my car outside, I have to peel off all the webs on my face and arms. This happens every fall.
COMMENT 324077	2012-09-25 04:48 PM
No black widows but a whole lot of tiny jumping spiders were in my house all summer. Not sure how they all got inside.
ROGER DODGER	2012-09-25 05:07 PM
I got jumping spiders all over the place on occasion I see the poisionous spiders and I got bit by something fanged on my knee..In this neighborhood it could be anything that bit me. My doctor while concerned of the bite said I wasn't going to lose my leg for now...
COMMENT 324084	2012-09-25 05:17 PM
Crush em all. God made me bigger for a reason.
COMMENT 324092	2012-09-25 05:35 PM
If need be, black widows can be relocated fairly easily, as they'll play dead for quite some time. Our kitchen got over run with about 12 widows all hiding behind a rolling cart. Cart went outside, spiders into a jar and off we went to the great outdoors. I had one in my shed that actually killed and hoisted a 6" baby rattlesnake about a foot off the ground. So I have to ask myself, which would I rather run into in the dark and scary shed? Spider in the corner or rattlesnake on the ground?
COMMENT 324093	2012-09-25 05:42 PM
I have lots of pet daddy longlegs in the house which have been negating the black widows indoors. Any time I see a black widow though, out comes a can of RAID. If they are outdoors in the proper place - the offending black widow gets to see flames from the can of RAID and the lighter.
COMMENT 324095	2012-09-25 05:47 PM
I have lots of pet daddy longlegs in the house which have been negating the black widows indoors. Any time I see a black widow though, out comes a can of RAID. If they are outdoors in the proper place - the offending black widow gets to see flames from the can of RAID and the lighter.
COMMENT 324103P	2012-09-25 06:10 PM
I was bitten by a brown recluse spider two times on my foot and only by the grace of God I survived, and came two days from having my foot amputated! They did finally do surgery for the dead tissue and my three middle toes are permanently numb. I still feel the pain/discomfort with every step. Within an hour of being bitten I had all of the symptoms: nausea, fever, and the tell tale tri-colored target shaped bullseye. Now there are no spiders allowed in my house, any where near my house or in my car. They can be "beneficial " some where else.
SHOREBIRD	2012-09-25 06:25 PM
You don't need to use Raid to kill spiders. Hairspray freezes them in place. No more spider worries. Hairspray may be a little less toxic and you can use way less to do the deed.
COMMENT 324116P	2012-09-25 06:50 PM
We have widows everywhere all year long. In the garage, under eaves and under our living room sofa. I vacuum the ones inside and leave the outside ones alone, unless they become the size of a marble. Those have lived long enough. @103P were you bitten here in SB? I was under the impression we didn't have the brown recluse in So. Cal...
COMMENT 324118	2012-09-25 06:53 PM
But I like RAID......
SHOREBIRD	2012-09-25 07:16 PM
-118. Ok but don't spray it on your hair.
COMMENT 324136	2012-09-25 07:57 PM
092, I like you. To those of you who won't tolerate spiders or insects in your home, a "Bugvac Mini Bug Vacuum" costs $10.50 + S &H on Amazon. It takes one 9-volt battery and will be your new best bug-removal tool. Safer for you than breathing in any insecticides (or hairspray) and laughably easy to use. Also: you won't be poisoning your environment or that of your family/pets. Please be kind and put unwanted spiders/insects outside. Thank you for using your size and power for good.
COMMENT 324159P	2012-09-25 08:48 PM
116p. I was not only here in SB, but I was also in my car! Apparently it dropped down from the dash onto the top of my foot. It felt like a thumb tack on the top of my foot. I looked down and did not see it. When I got to my destination I looked at my foot and saw what looked like a mosquito bite. I was in the car again about an hour later, feeling nauseous, when I felt it again. That time I pulled over and got it so it could be identified. Neither the car, nor I had been anywhere where those spiders are usually found.
TAZ	2012-09-26 12:23 AM
I got bit by a brown recluse in San Diego, but I hit it fast so did not get the hugely serious reaction. My doctor identified it as one though when I showed her my leg. I'm impressed with people's efforts to take the spiders outside, which I most often do. I like hearing of people's comfort with the widows. I've been more concerned about them, but think I'm now influenced by these comments to feel more relaxed about them too. Thanks!
COMMENT 324173P	2012-09-26 05:59 AM
Any spider that can kill a snake is my friend.
MESAJIM	2012-09-26 08:51 AM
Spiders make great bait for steelhead.
COMMENT 324215	2012-09-26 08:58 AM
Be sure to wear gloves when doing yard work and moving things around in your yard and garage. Most people get bit when they accidently contact a widow that's hiding under, inside or behind an object like a piece of wood or a box. Check under your patio furniture and beneath and inside empty plant pots. Contrary to popular belief, brown recluses are not here in California. Most bites attributed to brown recluses are misdiagnosed and many of these are staph infections, especially the one called MRSA. See the UC Riverside Spider Research web page.
COMMENT 324218	2012-09-26 09:05 AM
Our larder/pantry closet was filled with black widows, unbeknownst to us till we emptied it. Hanging from the wood slats awaiting a misplaced hand to bite. We killed seven. Now we will improve our cleaning habits.
COMMENT 324224P	2012-09-26 09:21 AM
Almost anything in a spray can will kill insects, they're fragile. You don't need to use poison. I use a can of orange-peel essence, or Febreze, or Parsley Plus to shut down trails of ants, and to slow down really big or poisonous spiders.
COMMENT 324229	2012-09-26 09:26 AM
218: Right.... Because that's what spiders do - lie in wait until an unsuspecting hand (preferably a child's!) is within reach, then BAM! They run out to attack! Honestly, people, they are spiders. Get a grip. They hide from us, and only tend to bite when we accidentally touch them. Unless you have a phobia, this is really all a bit too much. (Phobics are another story. My aunt drove off the road when she saw a tiny little spider crawling on the rearview mirror. I wonder which was more dangerous?)
COMMENT 324252	2012-09-26 10:03 AM
Yes on my hose handle I almost grabbed it
COMMENT 324254P	2012-09-26 10:05 AM
A little spider I.D. for those interested in who to take outside vs. who is poisonous. That enormous spider who looks like an "Arachnophobia" escapee or a small mouse running across the floor or is a grass spider. Harmless, eats a lot of insects including smaller spiders. http://www.insectidentification.org/insect-description.asp?identification=Grass-Spider
COMMENT 324260P	2012-09-26 10:12 AM
More harmess-spider I.D. When this guy comes into the house, larger than a quarter, with a huge abdomen, he looks truly fearsome. http://www.insectidentification.org/insect-description.asp?identification=California-Trapdoor-Spider
COMMENT 324266	2012-09-26 10:21 AM
my brother was bitten by a black widow in the house and got sepsis, close to losing his leg.....
COMMENT 324267P	2012-09-26 10:23 AM
And...good pictures of brown recluse and look-alikes on YouTube: start at about 3:40 minutes into the video: "1013 Brown Recluse and Look-Alikes." (The range started in the 1950's in Florida and has spread almost everywhere now, further than this video's map shows.)
COMMENT 324274	2012-09-26 10:33 AM
While sitting on our porch last night I looked over at the newest web built by our resident widow. I thought about this discussion and watched as she climbed to the center of the web and sat there waiting for dinner to come along. She was hanging upside down and the unmistakeable red design was clear as day. As I passed the web this morning on my way to work she was hidden in places unknown. All that was visible was the large web with a moth and a cricket wrapped in it. Good night of hunting I guess.
COMMENT 324278	2012-09-26 10:44 AM
eff all black widows and insects in general. I'd be a lot happier if we didn't have any at all.
COMMENT 324283P	2012-09-26 10:49 AM
Spider, I.D., a local new poisonous spider: This is a genuine bad guy who recently has come to Ventura and SB counties, evidently via the ships docking in Ventura, from Australia. Supposedly as poisonous as the black widow, seems to prefer similar outdoor areas. He is fierce looking and stands his ground, with those sharp pointed legs looks rather robotic. https://www.google.com/search?q=Australian%20black%20spider%20pics&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&source=hp&channel=np
COMMENT 324303P	2012-09-26 11:26 AM
Also brown widows here, but not a significantly dangerous bite. NO brown recluse spiders in CA, though related recluse in Sonoran/Mojave desert region. See UCR spider site.
COMMENT 324320	2012-09-26 12:05 PM
This comment thread spurred me on to research info on Black widow bites/reactions to bites. The "venom" injected is a strong neurotoxic protein. Fortunately, the amount the Black widow injects per bite is nominal, and rarely is it injected into the bloodstream. Even then, the resultant symptoms are gone within a few hours. 6.5 human deaths are caused each year in U.S. by spider bites, but this number reflects the death total caused, in conjunction, by Brown recluse AND the Black widow. Chances of death are highly unlikely, unless you are a small child who receives no medical care, an elderly person, or someone who has a compromised immune system. I personally advocate leaving spiders alone. If you must get them out of the house, use that catch and release bug wand recommended earlier in thread. (Bugvac.) Otherwise, do what we do, and adopt them as pets. Be kind to spiders.
COMMENT 324355	2012-09-26 01:08 PM
maybe if they were as cute and fluffy as a baby kitten I'd be more inclined to be kind to them. I think they look nasty for a reason.
COMMENT 324387P	2012-09-26 02:09 PM
Sorry 430p, I had the darn thing w/me all wrapped up. It was positively identified as a brown recluse spider. Perhaps it was a CA brown recluse, but they who know these things identified it positively thru my Dr. 320, Both black widows, and brown recluse spiders are Very serious, requiring immediate attention. Please seek immediate attention if you are bitten by any sort of spider, especially if you can identify it as brown recluse or a black widow!
COMMENT 324397	2012-09-26 02:27 PM
My secretary had a black widow bite while she slept. Got a terrible infection/reaction which took two weeks of medical care, ultimately left a nasty scar. Spider bites are very dangerous for the elderly, the infirm and children. The widows are very reclusive and often come out mostly at night. They leave spindily webs, unlike the picturesque patterned garden spider webs. We like them) It is alright to use raid ant & spider spray. The key to using any pesticide is use only the smallest amount needed which means spray directly on the widow, not all around. Be careful in dark dry places where they hang out particlarly in the day time. Come out at night with your spray and a flashlight. They can get into the strangest places like nooks and crannies of outdoor furniture, closed umbrellas etc. The hot dry weather seems to bring them out more often.

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