Yes Brown Widows. I am glad you reminded me...I was going to bed but now I must hunt Widows. I have knocked them down radically by going out at night and "torching" them. (Small torch called a BenzOMatic for soldering) My local entimologists really had no advice for me. Getting rid of spiders is very difficult. (I will not kill everything to kill them.) So I am making it up as I go. (They want me to let them know how it goes! LOL, Geeez!) From hundreds to 10s is pretty good! I also use sticks (cause they are slow) when they are in my plants, so I don't burn them up. :-( They are NOT aggressive. Each egg sac can have upto 35 babies, ewww. So you definitely want to get rid of them.
Not fun but you must go out at night because they are highly visible. Kill them. In the morning remove the webs with broom or whatever so the next night you can see the new webs. Continue for a few nights and soon there will be very few. The entimologist says to put the egg sacs in alcohol to kill them. I "torch" them. The webs and sacs are so sticky it is not easy to put them into a jar of alcohol! Like trying to get a piece of tape stuck on you to fall into the trash can. Not fun when you already have the heebie jeebies. They are everywhere here in SOCal. By the hundreds.
zyperiris, I wish for your Father a smooth as possible journey. (I went through lung cancer with my Mom) Oh yeah, as far as your Dads animals the vets have said they are not getting any more spider bites than normal since the Brown Widow introduction/infestation. Thank goodness! (Same with hospital reports and humans, by the way.) I have read everything I can get my heebie jeebied hands on.
Take good care of you and your sister.

Allison
ps I love my spiders and beetles and ants and all, but this has been crrazzy!

So sorry to hear of your father's illness. My dad just got through his chemo treatments for multiple myeloma (bone cancer). My father's doctor was impressed with his support system, so I know how important it is for your father (and for you, too) for you to visit - no matter what the garden ends up looking like. I was the one that lives nearby and my sisters live away, so don't feel bad that you live away. We kept them informed of every report, doctor's visit, etc. It was also a stressful time for us sisters (everyone had a different opinion of doctors, treatments, etc.), so I hope your family is getting along together.

I had not heard of the brown widow. We have tons of black widows. They are the only bug we have declared war upon. We used to use bug spray but was afraid our cats might be getting into it (a mystery illness we're racking our brains to figure out the cause), so we may start that torching method. They are everywhere! Now we have another spider to worry about?!!? Thanks for the heads up.

It is a most trying time all around when dealing with this hideous insidious disease. Not being able to "fix it" was horrible. It is hard to have everyone on the same page with all the different emotions and knowledge and energy involved. My Mother was not healthy to begin with and it was found very late. Now my Dad has something they are "watching" in a lung. It is soooo mentally taxing. I am glad I have the serene time with my roses. Even if they prick me now and again...

OK Holleygarden, Brown Widows. You say you have a lot of Black Widows. I orginally thought I was finding juvenille Black Widows when the infestation started. I thought oh they turn black when mature. Are you seeing ones with a light back/abdomen? With a pattern?

{{gwi:267319}}

You need to get rid of the egg sacs:

{{gwi:267321}}

Little story: After I read Zyperisis' post last night I did go Widow hunting. I hadn't for a few nights. Found 20 or less (YAY!) A good sign I saw was lots of Daddy long Legs where the Widows usually are. Anyway, this morning I threw on the same shirt I wore to hunt last night to take my boy to the bus. At the front door he gave me that something... is.. on..you..(!!!) look and hit my shoulder really hard! Yes, I had a Brown Widow crawling on me!!!!! It went to the big web in the sky.... So another lesson learned or maybe two. First, strip down before going back in the house and leave clothes outside. Secondly, it might not just be a stray hair tickling my neck when hunting AHHHHHHH!!! Ewwww! They are in my trees but sometimes when I am geting them close to the ground I forget and stand up and a branch touches my head!!! Man o man this ain't fun!

Bleeech,
Allison

Yes! I have seen what I though was juvenile black widows - now I know! Wow!
We have tons of black widows here, and their egg sacks. In the drain holes of the retaining wall is a favorite, as well as the garage. (I guess our water filtering system leaks a bit.) They are also around our koi pond and we see them on the back porch constantly.

But - I never thought about the trees! I hate to think of that because I'll get paranoid about going outside!

DH is in charge of killing them. He is now using bleach because it won't hurt the cats and he says it kills the spiders. He's a bleach-freak anyway. I just hope he keeps it away from my ponds. :D

Thanks for the informative post, zeperiris, and also for the pictures, Allison. I usually bring everything inside because I don't want spiders to get on/in my shoes and clothes outside. I have found a BW or two inside before - not on me though!!!! That would be enough to give someone a heart attack! :O

Holleygarden, I have found that the Widows are kinda wimpy. bleach will probably work. FYI-The entomologist told me to use oil based spider spray not water based. BUT you have to get it on them directly.

How nuts I have become: A few times I was carrying a torch, spider spray and wearing my sons camping head light.

You all have to hear this too. My son said he wanted to Widow hunt with me one night. Ok son here is how Mommy does it....and with him I can go into uncharted areas of the yard. So I am out in the north forty and AHA I knew it under the trampoline ewwww, and now I will go to the big pine tree....AHA I knew it! There you are you nasty things! Step down further, go to light torch and....a RATTLE SNAKE GIVES ME ITS WARNING TAIL SHAKE!!!!! A rattle snake!! Both my son and I heard it so I wasn't hallucinating from my heebie jeebies! A rather distinct sound, lol Now, we live in the city, not in the hottest climate and I have never even seen a garden snake in the yard! What's next a grizzly!! No, probably a mountain lion, yeesh. There are canyons all over... A mountain Lion on our 1/4 acre hahaha

My hope with the Widow hunting is to radically knock down the numbers. (I think I am almost there) When they are in every rose bush that means you have A LOT! The last straw or rather two last straws, when one was on me when I was mixing soil for potting and when I found one in the house.

Fact: more people go to the hospital from spider heart attacks than spider bites. Oh how consoling....

Allison

Allison, oh that's priceless...Looking for a wee spider meanwhile a huge rattler nearbye is watching closely....

Zyperiris, I know! A frickin' rattler!
I was telling my Dad about people on the rose forum finding them too ( thinking of your post). Then I told him the story. I said you have to admit things like this are always happening to me. He says, well, you are always doing things like this. LOL Okay, Dad. lol In a way he's right of course.... :-P

Allison