Effective Black Widow Spider Control With Croach®

With its shiny black body and red hourglass marking on the underside of the abdomen, this is the image that inspires so much fear.

The black widow spider is one of three spider species in North America with a medically significant bite, the other two being the brown recluse and Chilean recluse.

They are generally shy and bite when threatened or pressed against the skin. Unlike the recluse species, the bite is venomous rather than necrotic.

People rarely die from the bite of a black widow. If you get bitten, wash the area with soap and water and seek medical attention, as they have extremely powerful venom, which can make you very sick.

The severity of a female bite depends on the age and physical condition of the victim, and how much venom, if any, the spider injects. Dry or low-venom bites have little to no pain and may leave fang marks.

Black widow spiders' young start out white or gray and grow darker with each molt.

Females are generally shiny black with the familiar red hourglass on the underside of their abdomen. Males are dark brown to black with red, yellow, or white dots and stripes on the back.

Other signs that you are dealing with a widow include a bulging abdomen and long, spindly legs, particularly the front two legs. Adults measure 1 to 1.5 inches.

Their webs are irregular and tangled like messy cobwebs from which they hang upside down waiting for their prey.

Black widows are known to practice sexual cannibalism, though it is not a forgone outcome. Males try to choose their mate by determining if she has eaten or not; a well-fed female is less likely to attack her mate. Her web contains a scent that clues him in if she has recently eaten.

These spiders are nocturnal. Males travel to find females. Females stay near their web, defending it and attacking when food lands. When threatened, they use an escape string and flee. If running is impossible, they most often play dead, only biting when pressed to the skin or when their eggs are threatened.

Although black widow spiders prefer warm climates, they are found throughout the United States. They prefer to live near the ground, choosing small holes and cracks to build their webs.

Black widows spin their webs in dark, quiet spaces near the ground. They tend to be in spaces where you reach in without looking, under sinks, in basements, under your deck, and the dark reaches of your garage.

Outside, we commonly find them living in wood piles, thick brush, and sprinkler valve boxes.

Experts caution people to tap and shake out their footwear before putting them on. Infrequently worn shoes or boots left outside make an attractive home for spiders.

Your best defense is professional pest control.

We use eco-friendly Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies to rid your home of spiders, break the breeding cycle, and exclusion to prevent them from returning.

When chemical extermination is called for, the products we use at Croach® are more powerful than what is available at the home center.

Our technicians are trained on the proper use and must be licensed through the State to ensure proper application methods.