Black Widow Spider | Latin Name: Latrodectus Hesperus

The female adult, black widow spider, has a body approximately half an inch long, including an almost round abdomen one-fourth an inch to 3/8 inches in diameter. The overall length of the spider, including its legs, is around 1 1/2 to 1 3/8 inches. The females are black and have a distinctive red hourglass marking on the lower abdomen. On the other hand, males are much smaller, and their bodies have a mottled appearance. Despite being a source of fear for most people who can recognize it, there is more to learn about this spider.

Behavior

They live in and around buildings and build three-dimensional webs in secluded areas. In addition, black widow spiders are active at night. They can usually be found in irregular webbing, hanging upside down, and hiding in sheltered spots such as under stones, firewood piles, decking, or inside hollow tree stumps, trees, and rodent burrows. Some favorite hiding places for them are barns, sheds, woodpiles, barrels, meter boxes, and bricks. Indoors, they may be in dark corners of garages, basements, and crawl spaces, where insects that they eat are in significant numbers.

Identifying an Infestation

Identifying the typical indications of a spider infestation is the initial step toward removing black widow spiders. This spider species is easily identifiable due to the bright red hourglass shape on its abdomen. Black widow spiders can reach lengths between 3 and 10 millimeters and have eight legs and eight eyes. When they are young, black widow spiders are primarily orange and white. They acquire their distinctive black and red coloring as they mature.

One of the primary signs of black widow infestation is the presence of webs in your home or on your property. These irregular, messy webs are often found near the ground in gardens, crawlspaces, basements, and sheds. They are most active in warmer temperatures, over 70 degrees.

Suppose you notice black widow spiders, silken egg sacs, messy webs in your garage, a hollow tree, or somewhere else. In that case, we recommend you call an Elk Grove spider pest control or pest management service immediately. At least address the issue as soon as possible. It is not likely to have an infestation of these spiders, but it is possible. So, please do not attempt to remove the pests without professional help. A spider exterminator is trained to remove black widow spiders from your property safely.

While they are excellent at controlling insects, their bites can be painful, causing muscle aches, severe abdominal pain, and vomiting. However, control measures are not necessary unless the spiders are in areas frequently visited by people or pets. That is because these shy arachnids will stay hidden unless disturbed.

Beware of Dangerous Spider Bites

The Western Black Widow spider tends to dwell near human habitats. Female black widows bite and are usually shy unless they sense a threat or right after laying eggs. However, their neurotoxic venom is 15 times more potent than a rattlesnake’s.

Black widow spider bites can cause extreme physical discomfort and illness for several days to a week in their victims. Symptoms of a black or brown widow spider bite include pain around the bite, muscle aches, severe cramps and abdominal pain, vomiting, sweating, fever, and headache. Thanks to the development of antivenom, it is rare for humans to die from a black widow spider bite.

The bites can be particularly dangerous for small children, older individuals, immune-compromised people, and chronic health issue sufferers. While bites are rarely fatal, calling a physician or visiting an emergency room is essential if you get bitten.

While black widow spider bites are rarely life-threatening to humans, they can be fatal to small pets such as dogs or cats. Seek professional medical attention immediately if you suspect that a widow spider has bitten you or your pet. Although there have been no deaths from this spider’s bite for decades, it is best not to handle them.

How to Remove Black Widows Elk Grove

1. Remove their webs and any silken egg sacs found to prevent black widow spiders from inhabiting your environment. If you decide to handle this task, wear gloves, a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, and shoes.
2. Remove stored firewood, boxes, and lumber to minimize available habitat for widow spiders.
3. Additionally, you can prevent spiders from entering your home by installing tight-fitting screens on doors and windows and sealing any cracks or crevices they may use to gain access.
4. Remove any clutter, both indoors and outdoors, such as old boxes, clothing, and tree debris, to avoid providing harborage for these spiders.
5. Additionally, do not stack firewood against your house.

Your Local Pest Solutions Pest Control technician will sweep down all accessible spider webs during their service and can provide advice on and implement any additional spider control methods. Get additional tips on identifying dangerous spiders in this recent blog post.

 FAQs About Dangerous Spiders in Elk Grove

Q: What are the symptoms of a Black Widow Spider Bite?

A: The symptoms of a black widow spider bite include two puncture marks, pain, swelling, and redness at the bite site. Intense abdominal muscle cramps and back spasms typically develop after the bite incident. Other symptoms include chills, fever, nausea, and headache. Additional reactions to black widow bites are trouble breathing, swollen or droopy eyes, and increased saliva production.

Q: How can one safely remove a spider from their home?

A: To safely remove a spider from your home, identify it to ensure it is not venomous. Then, you can use a thick piece of paper and a container/cup to trap the spider, gently nudge it outside, or toss it outside if it crawls onto the paper or container. You can also vacuum to remove spiders, their webs, and egg sacs, practice good sanitation and eliminate clutter, use yellow lights, remove vegetation, and vacuum to deter spiders.

Q: Are there any effective home remedies for treating spider bites?

A: Some effective home remedies for treating spider bites include cleaning the area with soap and water, applying a cold washcloth or ice pack wrapped in cloth to the area, taking an over-the-counter pain reliever if the bite is sore, and applying an antibiotic cream or lotion to the bite. Call for medical attention if the symptoms worsen or you suspect a nasty bite. Remember, it is always best to consult a healthcare professional if you are unsure or when symptoms persist.

More information can be found at Black Widow Spider Bite, Symptoms And Treatment – Medical Tech News: The Latest Health News.