Although poisonous, the black widow is not considered aggressive unless threatened. The male black widow is reclusive and hardly ever seen by humans. Show
Although poisonous, the black widow is not considered aggressive unless threatened. The male black widow is reclusive and hardly ever seen by humans. Photograph by Peter Waters, Dreamstime
Female black widows are shiny black, with a red-orange hourglass pattern on their abdomen. Male black widows are not black, but brown or gray with small red spots. Common Name: Black Widow SpidersScientific Name: LatrodectusType: InvertebratesDiet: CarnivoreAverage Life Span In The Wild: 1 to 3 yearsSize: 1.5 inches long; diameter of 0.25 inchesWeight: 0.035 ouncesBlack widows are poisonous arachnids—animals that have a skeleton outside their body, a segmented body, and eight jointed legs. They are not insects. Their deadly poison is said to be 15 times stronger than rattlesnake venom. Black widows use a silk-like substance to weave tangled-looking webs, typically close to the ground in covered or dark places, such as near drain pipes or under logs. The female hangs upside down in the web to await her prey, exposing her bright markings as a warning to potential predators. The black widow senses vibrations to the web. When an unlucky intruder gets trapped, the spider immediately begins weaving its glue-like webbing around it. Insects such as flies, mosquitoes, or even larger prey like grasshoppers are typically caught. Once captured, the black widow injects its victims with poison, paralyzing them. The tips of the black widow’s legs are coated with an oily substance that prevents the black widow from getting caught in its own web. Adult male and female black widows live solitary lives, meeting only to breed. The female black widow lays approximately 200 eggs. The eggs incubate for some 20 days in a small, round papery sac that’s attached to the mother’s web. After hatching, the baby spiders stay in the cocoon for up to one month. Three species of poisonous North American spiders carry the common name black widow under the genus Latrodectus. Each species occupies a distinct region of North America, as their names suggest: Eastern black widows (L. mactans), northern black widows (L. variolus), and western black widows (L. hesperus). These three species have very similar physical and behavioral characteristics. The name “black widow” comes from the female’s habit of eating the male after mating. The female black widow is approximately 1.5 inches (38 millimeters) long. The male is about half the female’s size. The black widow is prey for birds and other spiders. Although poisonous, the black widow is not considered aggressive unless threatened. In fact, the male black widow is reclusive and hardly ever seen by humans. While the black widow’s poison is rarely fatal to humans, it can cause severe pain and nausea. Black Widow Spider IdentificationPest StatsColorBlack, with characteristic red "hourglass" on underside of abdomen Size1 ½ - 1 3/8 inches long RegionFound throughout U.S. What Do Black Widow Spiders Look Like?Black widow spiders are typically black with two reddish triangular markings usually joined to form a reddish hourglass shape on the underside of their abdomen – their most recognized feature. Females are occasionally brownish black. Most black widow spiders are 3 to 10 mm long, with females being larger than males. Black widow spiders have eight legs and eight simple eyes, including two lateral pairs that almost touch. Young black widow spiders are primarily orange and white but acquire more black color as they mature. They have markings that are very similar to male adults – with one or two reddish markings on underneath side of abdomen. Signs of an InfestationOne of the most obvious signs of a spider infestation is the presence of webs in the home or on the property. Black widow spiders usually construct messy and irregular webs located near ground level. Finding a silken sac – which holds eggs – in the doorway is another sign that a spider infestation is underway. If you see any of these signs, professional black widow spider extermination services may be necessary. Black Widow Spider PreventionFind a Pest Control ProfessionalBlack Widow Spider BitesWhile male black widow spiders rarely bite, females may bite in defense, especially after laying eggs. Symptoms of a black widow spider bite include fever, increased blood pressure, sweating and nausea. Pain is usually almost immediate and reaches its maximum in 1-3 hours. The pain associated with a black widow spider bite may continue for one to three days and then gradually subside. Read more: Symptoms, Signs & Spider Bite Treatment. Fatalities from a black widow spider bite are unlikely, as long as proper medical treatment is sought in a timely manner. If you notice black widows or signs of a spider infestation, contact a licensed pest control professional who can safely and effectively address black widow spider control.
Black Widow Spider EducationHabitsBlack widows are active when the temperature is 70 degrees or higher, but they can survive in lower temperatures with the right conditions. Black widow spiders spin irregular webs, which they build at night near ground level. Once complete, these spiders hang upside-down in their webs, which are usually less than 1 foot in diameter. They use their webs to ensnare prey. Similar to most spiders, black widows choose arthropods as their source of food, including ants, beetles, cockroaches, scorpions and more. Most black widows take nearly a year to grow from egg to adult. They overwinter as immature individuals, develop into adults in the spring and die in late July. Female black widows have been known to consume male black widows once mating is complete, but contrary to popular belief, this doesn’t happen 100 percent of the time. HabitatBlack widows favor dry, dark locations to spin their webs. They often seek out warm areas during the winter months. Outdoors, black widow spiders commonly live in protected areas. These include under stones and decks, as well as in firewood piles and hollow tree stumps. The preferred habitats of black widows are dry man-made structures including barns, outhouses, henhouses, sheds, meter boxes, brick veneer, barrels and woodpiles. Indoors, black widow spiders tend to hide in sheltered, dimly lit locations and are often found in garages, basements and in crawl spaces. They prefer cluttered areas that offer more harborage for their prey. How long does it take for a black widow egg sac to hatch?Black widow eggs
Each sac, with a diameter of only about 1 centimeter, can contain anywhere from 200 to 250 eggs and will hatch in approximately 2 weeks.
Where do black widow lay eggs?The female black widow spiders will lay the eggs in groups with nearly 750 eggs as an average during the summer. Once she lay the eggs, she will wrap them with the silk to create an egg sac. These sacs get placed within the spider's web to keep them protected.
What do you do with a black widow egg sac?Eliminate the egg sacs.
You will find these attached to the web made by the female Black Widow. They are usually whitish-grey in color, as they are made from the same silk as the web. The best bet for dealing with egg sacs is to spray them liberally with insecticide or to vacuum them up.
How many babies come out of a black widow egg?Once a male black widow spider has fertilized a female, she will lay sacks full of eggs in her spider nest. She can lay up to five sacks that are each filled with 200 eggs. Within two weeks, the eggs will begin to hatch, and up to 1,000 black widow spider babies will emerge.
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