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Black Widow

15 years ago

My husband and I won a bid on a house. When the realtor took us to see the house, we found a black widow in the garage. I am really concerned that if there is one in the garage, then there might be more inside the house. How likely is this? I am so worried that my baby will be bitten. The house is in Raleigh, NC.

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rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
15 years ago
Black widows are quite common outside, but I've never found one inside my home....nor have I heard of anyone else doing so.

Black widows won't be found far from their messy web system, so you don't really have to worry about them going on hunting excursions. Before you move in, do a through cleaning job in the garage and around the outside of the home. Look for those disorganized webs as clues to their where-abouts.

Inside, check under cabinets and behind appliances for the webs. If you store things in the garage for awhile, inspect before bringing them in the home.

Several years ago, just after moving into a home, I found a large BW in the attached laundry room and freaked out! However, I never, ever saw another one in all the time I lived there.

In this home, they are all over the place outside and in the garage. We do a good cleaning job to get rid of them occasionally, but other than that....we don't worry about it. I turn the outdoor furniture upside down to see if there are any hiding out there and that's about it.

The more you learn about the habits of these spiders, the easier it will be to relax.
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That's funny Pelargonium! :) Icadena, After looking at your pic again it looks like the "mix" is a few inches lower from the rim and the spaces down in there are VERY inviting to widows because they need nooks and crannies to hide in. Can't help wondering if raising the level of the "mix" closer to the rim(and thus making the "shelter" less secure),wouldn't make it less appealing to future tenants. Worth a shot,no? Edit: When/If you do this,First take a hair from your head and set one end into the web,then twirl it between your fingers to simulate prey. Once you know where she is,you'll be less likely to put your hand in her way,thus avoiding potential accidents. Good luck! :) This post was edited by asleep_in_the_garden on Fri, Aug 16, 13 at 19:21
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Black widow spiders can be really bad news for cats, as well as people. I had a cat that was bitten by a black widow spider that we accidentally brought in on some firewood. Of course, he was immediately attracted to the spider that ran off of the wood and, before I could get to him, he'd swatted at it and was bitten on the paw. The bite, itself, was extremely painful for him and then, as we were on our way to the pet emergency hospital, he developed vomiting, awful muscle spasms, etc. Fortunately, with treatment, he recovered fully. It was pretty scary, though. I was told that it's even worse if they eat the spider. I don't know what the best way is to get rid of these spiders when there are a lot, but I kill every single one I see, usually by squishing with something with a long handle! I really don't like them. The exterminator told me that spiders, as a general rule, are pretty hard to kill with sprays. In your situation, I'd be afraid to drive them out from where they were now, for fear they would end up in other, worse, places. I like the idea of plastic sheeting and foggers. You might have to repeat this multiple times because the foggers might not kill the eggs?
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