Female Black Widow Spiders have a black shiny body with a red hourglass shape on their abdomen. The size of the body is approximately 1/2 inch wide and 1 1/2 to 1 3/8 inches long. The male is about half her size and sometimes appears with a pair of reddish stripes on the sides of his abdomen.
This is a cobweb spider, the web she constucts is a tangle of lines with no apparent structure.
Only females are poisonous and despite common opinion, they rarely kill the male after mating.
There are about five species of the Black Widow Spider - all of which are poisonous.
NATURAL HABITAT:
Black Widows prefer dark shaded areas and avoid full sun. They can often be found in abandoned ground squirrel and badger burrows. They can also be found in woodpiles.
FACTS:
Black Widow Spiders generally live under rocks, fallen trees outside the home, firewood piles, meter boxes, they can also be found in unfinished basements, crawlspaces, and secluded places such as garages, sheds and barns.
They feed on insects and other spiders that are trapped in their web.
Black Widow Spiders are not aggressive but they will bite if they feel threatened or to protect their eggs. This is one of the most poisonous spiders in the world but it is also very shy and it will do everything to avoid confrontation.
The bite is rarely felt but a strong pain occurs right after the bite, the only evidence of the bite is a slight swelling with two tiny red spots (where the fangs entered). The black widow's venom is a neurotoxin that attacks the nervous system and may cause pain and serious illness in humans. The main symptoms are: an increase in body temperature and blood pressure, sweating, blurry vision and nausea. This is rarely deadly unless not treated in the following hours by a physician or a hospital (who will provide an antitoxin).
FIRST AID:
The College of Pharmacy of The University of Arizona recommends to clean the area of the bite well with soap and water, then apply a cool compress over the it and keep the affected limb elevated to about heart level. Aspirin or Tylenol may be used to relieve minor symptoms. Treatment in a medical facility may be necessary for children less than 5 years old or for adults with severe symptoms.
SOLUTIONS:
According to Pest Control Canada, to avoid getting bitten by the black widow: wear leather gloves when working around potential habitats, use caution around spider webs in basements and crawl spaces (their web measures approximately 30 cm in diameter). If a black widow is encountered, contact a pest control professional.
Female Black Widow Spiders deposit their eggs in silken egg sacs that are about 9.5-12 mm in diameter; the colour is white but soon turns pale brown. The female produces from 6 to 21 sacs with, in average, 450 eggs per sac. The sac's outer covering is tough and closely woven. The incubation period ranges from 8 to 30 days.
