Are Black Widow Spiders Dangerous?

Spiders, as a whole, don’t pose a large threat to humans. They are more of a nuisance than a danger. However, there are a couple of spider species that can harm us and one of them is the black widow spider. A bite from a black widow can be incredibly painful and cause some lasting effects if you aren’t careful. Eagle Pest Services is here to talk about black widows and how to identify and stay away from them.

Black Widow Spider Facts;  Identification and Behavior

Black widows are easily identified by their notorious red hourglass shape on the underside of their abdomen. They are large black spiders that weave a messy large web. Black widows are considered a carnivorous spider and will eat a large variety of prey they catch in their webs including ants, flies and other insects. Since they are carnivorous, they also bite humans and other animals when the chance presents itself.

If You Find a Black Widow Spider Are There More?

Unless a black widow is trying to mate, they prefer to keep to themselves. The black widow gets its name from the way it mates. Once mating takes place, the female spider will eat the male. This is why females live much longer than males. A male spider only lives about 6 months where a female can live up to 18 months. The average female black widow will lay around 750 eggs at one time. She doesn’t only lay one batch of eggs either. They are known to lay several batches at a time. This usually happens during the summer and the eggs don’t hatch for about 30 days. You can count on the thousands of baby black widow spiders to be an orange and white color after they first hatch. It takes females about 3 months to mature and males about 70 days.

How Do You Know if You Got Bit By a Black Widow Spider

The good news is that black widows don’t usually bite humans. Unless they feel they are in danger and are provoked, they will more than likely leave you alone. However, if you find yourself with a bite, you will know it pretty fast. You will feel the sting immediately and the pain will start to travel through your body to your chest. If you suspect you have been bitten by a black widow you should seek immediate medical attention right away. The bite from a black widow pose a larger threat to very young children and elderly individuals. When someone is bitten by a black widow, the effects aren’t usually fatal and you should feel better within a week or so. There are certain medications that can help you heal from black widow bites as well as pain relievers to help with the pain.

Spider Control

If you suspect you have a black widow problem, don’t hesitate to call Eagle Pest Services to help. When black widows seek the inside of your home, it is usually because it is cold outside. Don’t hesitate to call for help in eradicating black widows.