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Name This Animal

Black widows that aren't black.....

17 years ago

Hey, where is everyone? Are spiders considered animals? Oh well, I'll give it a try....My son has been having an outbreak & I mean hundreds of what seem to be black widows,big red hourglass on belly, but they're not black. They have patterns & lines etc. They're all over in his kids toys,in shrubs, just everywhere! Very scary with children around. This is in So. California. Can anyone shed some light on what's going on? Thanks for any info. Peg

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Comments (8)

rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
17 years ago
Would it be possible for your son to submit some images of these spiders? In the meantime, there is a spider called the Brown Widow that would do a pretty good job of fitting the description. I'll attach some pictures for comparison.

(Yes, spiders are animals. :-)

Here is a link that might be useful: Click here
mazer415
17 years ago
Get the hoover out. Suck em up. I went to a class on spiders and the instructor said there were a number of suspected non black - black widonws in California but people were not certain because nobody has been bit yet.
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socks
17 years ago
We've found at our elementary school we have brown widows. Obviously, they are brown--and they have an orange hourglass pattern on their bottom sides. Their egg sacks are small, pale, round and have spikes sticking out all over them. I've read conflicting reports about them on the internet--that they are more toxic than the black widows but less aggressive, etc. but I really don't know what to believe.

I don't like spraying because spiders have a job to do, but cleaning out the places they live with a broom and a hose, removing any pot ghettos, excess "stuff" which might be lying around the perimeter of the house should help a lot.

Susan
socks
17 years ago
I'm in So. CA also.
hellpaso
17 years ago
in el paso, we had not only black, but brown and even yellowish ones. get rid of them!!
ok_wildlife_control
17 years ago
They are Brown Widows ... same family as Black Widows. Just as venomous ... here is more information ...

http://sarasota.extension.ufl.edu/IPM/BrownWidow.htm

Hope this helps.

Here is a link that might be useful: Oklahoma Wildlife Control, LLC
jean001
17 years ago
Identification without a good image is guessing.

Can you post one or more images, please?
mazer415
17 years ago
Actually there are such things, they are called false widows. Apparently not many have been bitten by them because there are no reports. Use the same caution as with a black widow

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