Black Widow Spiders

Are black widow spiders dangerous?

Spiders have hollow fangs they use to inject and paralyze their prey with their venom. Most spiders have venom only strong enough to harm their insect prey, but black widow spiders are one of only a couple of spiders in the United States with venom strong enough to harm a person.

Black widow spiders are shy and reclusive, so being bitten by one isn’t a common occurrence and usually only happens when there is a direct threat to them. Reaching into a storage box, gardening, or putting on a shoe or item of clothing are common ways that an accidental bite may occur.

The venom from a black widow spider attacks the central nervous system and results in a person experiencing pain and swelling around the bite site, stomach cramps, chills, fever, chest pain, or back pain. While being bitten by a black widow spider is rarely fatal, the symptoms need to be managed by a health professional.

Why do I have a black widow spider problem?

If a large number of insects are already living on your property, there is the potential for black widow spiders to want to live on your property. When black widow spiders are in our yards, it is generally only a matter of time until they find a way inside our homes, usually after following their prey inside. Insects and black widow spiders move indoors through spaces around windows and doors, openings in the foundation, holes in exterior walls, or through vents. Once inside, if they find a suitable food source, they will stay and become a real threat to you and your family.

Where will I find black widow spiders?

Since black widow spiders like to stay away from people and hide in dark, quiet areas, knowing some of their favorite hiding spots will help you to avoid accidentally coming into contact with them. These spiders are often found outside near trees, in woodpiles, or piles of construction materials or debris. Gardens, tall grass, and debris in gardens and sheds are some other favorite hideouts. Inside our homes, they prefer to hide during the day in quiet areas like crawl spaces, under stairwells, in the backs of closets, and under furniture.

How do I get rid of black widow spiders?

Dedicated to providing our residential and commercial customers with effective pest control solutions, Evolve Pest Control will solve your property’s pest problems. Our trained and experienced professionals perform thorough inspections and advanced treatments to eliminate black widow spiders and prevent them from returning.

Our mission is to offer all our customers excellent services, helping them maintain a pest-free home or business. We understand how stressful black widow spiders can be and will act quickly and provide high-quality pest control services that are affordable and eco-friendly. For property owners looking to guard their homes and businesses against black widow spiders and other pests, call Evolve Pest Control today and request your FREE quote.

How can I prevent black widow spiders in the future?

The easiest way to prevent future problems with dangerous black widow spiders is to partner with Evolve Pest Control. In addition to our professional services, the following tips will help keep black widow spiders out of your home.

• Never store construction materials, wood, or piles of other items near your home’s exterior; black widow spiders love to hide in these places.
• Remove areas of standing water from your property that will not only attract black widow spiders but the insect prey they like to hunt.
• Keep the grass cut short and keep gardens from overgrowing to reduce hiding spots for black widow spiders.
• Keep storage areas like crawl spaces, sheds, and garages free of clutter where black widow spiders can hide.
• Take care when getting into bed or putting on shoes or clothing. It is a good idea to always inspect those things for hiding black widow spiders.