Why is it called the Black Widow? Is it because in the old days, men were getting bit by the spider while using the outhouse then dying, leaving there wives as widows? No, while this did happen the real reason is that after mating the female spider generally kills and eats the male. Kind of like women in today in today's society. That was a joke. The widow spiders come in all different colors and shapes. The "Black" Widow is named for its shiny black color. While some have white or red markings on their back, they are generally all black with the red hour glass on its belly.
What harm can a Black Widow cause? While the male Black Widows bite is not considered harmful, the female Black Widow's bite is very dangerous and sometimes fatal. It is to be treated as a medical emergency. Now that being said, a bite from a Black Widow is rarely fatal and usually only to unhealthy elderly people or young children and still rare in those cases. The mortality rate from a Black Widow bite is less than 1%. The bite is very painful and can have severe effects on your body. Some of the symptoms of a bite are: acute pain at the bite, severe abdominal pains, muscle cramping, tremors and serious cases may include vomiting, fainting, chest pain and respiratory problems. For a full description of symptoms see http://www.emedicinehealth.com/black_widow_spider_bite/page2_em.htm.
Where can Black Widows be found? Black Widows can be found all around the world, and all all across the United States. Here in Phoenix Arizona, they will quickly take over a home that is not being treated. Around your home, Black Widows can be found in dark secluded areas, in and around wood piles, under junk scattered in your yard, valve boxes and other places around your home. I have found Black Widows up underneath kids toys, like power wheels, tonka trucks, and even on kids bikes. They also love to get up in the vent holes where the foundation of your home meets the base of the stucco. They like to be lower to the ground usually knee level or lower so their webs can catch passing insects, although I have seen them up in the corners above porches and patios. They generally stay outside, but I have found a couple inside. In my 6 years of doing pest control, I've found 2 inside. One occasion the home was left vacant, the other was next to a kids bed. Basically, Black Widows can and will get anywhere so you need to be very careful.
What are the benefits of a Black Widow? Black Widows really do more good than bad. They feed on hundreds of insects such as, crickets, cockroaches, flies, silver fish, and many others. Once they pick their spot, that's where they stay, so you don't have to worry about them roaming around and getting on you in your sleep. If you decide to live with them, find where they are, make sure you are cautious in that area, and the Black Widow will help keep your bug problems under control.
The Black Widow is very interesting and very misunderstood. When being cautious, a person can live with them and benefit from them. But, if you do have zero tolerance for them, have young kids, pets, or other reasons to not have them around, they can and should be exterminated by a pest management professional.
