BLACK WIDOW SPIDER ON A HOT SUMMER NIGHT THEY ARE BACK

Black Widow Spider in my yard

It's a dark summer night and we open the patio door. I switch on the night light.  It's the night before garbage pick up and my son ties the tie on our last trash bag for the weekly pick up.  Off to the left in the corner of the patio step is a web.  He inspects it.  

"It's a black widow. Holy Cow! I'm going to spray it and then carefully place it in a jar, very carefully." 

 He identifies it by the red hourglass shape on its abdomen. It packs a venom as strong as a rattlesnake bite.  And this one is a mature female about 1"long.  Now I'm listening because if he misses, this "spider woman" will become aggressive.

I don't fear spiders and most are good insect eaters. After this catch, I think I'd better take some of these creatures very seriously.  Easy to say they are nocturnal and not interested in biting humans for no reason -- but neither are rattlesnakes!  

Proceed with caution 

HABITS:

The black widow spider is timid and reclusive, preferring to make its home in dark, protected areas, such as in boxes, among firewood and under ledges. It is nocturnal, which means it only becomes active and does its hunting at night. *

The black widow spider's web is usually located within a foot of the ground. It is slightly erratic in appearance and made with stronger silk than most other spider webs. *

The web is used to catch prey and to hang the female's cocoon of eggs.Black widows are usually found in dark corners of the house or around the edges of your yard or garage where their webs will have a lesser chance of being disturbed.*

 They may also be found under vehicles, even those that are being driven periodically. Check for webs near the tires, or under/around the engine.Black Widows are territorial so you will often find their webs spaced about a foot apart.*

If bitten, go to the emergency room immediately.  You life will depend upon it.  Without urgent care, death may follow.   

Don't kill any spider. They are necessary in our ecosystem and most are quite harmless.  

ULTRASOUND PEST REPELLENTS
Bell and Howell makes an ultrasonic pest repeller  for indoors . I have placed one in each room. It is for rats, mice, spiders, ants and roaches.  So far, after 2 weeks, I have had complete success and it really works!  


* For more information on the elusive Black Widow, go to www.wiki.how and google your question.