Pest Expert Overview: Black Widow Spiders in Bryan & College Station
Adult female black widows are large (1.5 inches), shiny, black spiders with a red hourglass or similar shape on the underside of their abdomen. Male black widow spiders have a narrow abdomen with white lines on the side of the abdomen. Female black widow spiders are mistakenly believed to eat male black widow spiders after mating. This almost never happens in nature, but can happen in captivity where the male is unable to escape.
There are more than 25 species of Widow Spiders in the world, with 4 of those species occurring in Texas: Latrodectus hesperus (Western Black Widow), L. mactans (Southern Black Widow), L. variolus (Northern Black Widow), and L. geometricus (Brown Widow). The Southern Black Widow has historically been the most common species in the Eastern part of Texas, while the Western Black Widow has been the most common in the Western Part of Texas. There is evidence, however, that the Brown Widow is displacing the other species throughout Texas.
Life Cycle
Females are able to reproduce about 4 months after hatching and can live up to 3 years. Males lifespan is about 6 months. Females can produce as many as 9 egg sacks per year, with each egg sack containing as many as 400 eggs.
Black Widows make irregular, messy looking webs in sheltered areas close to the ground. They feed on a large variety of other spiders and insects, generally anything small enough to be caught in their web will be eaten. Black Widows do not typically have dense populations. This is partly because they are cannibalistic and partly because the young use their webs to “balloon” to new locations. Widow Spiders are a favorite prey of Mud Dauber Wasps.
Why are they Pests?
Black Widows feed on other insects and spiders, many of which are pests, so they can be beneficial. However, arachnophobia, the fear of spiders, is one of the top 10 most common fears and female Black Widows are venomous, so it’s easy to understand why Black Widows are considered pests.
Estimates are that there are around 2,000 Black Widow bites per year in the United States. Although many people believe that Black Widow bites are deadly, there has only been one death reported from a Black Widow bite in the last 50 years. That death was an elderly man with a pre-existing heart condition in 2001. The reality is that about 75% of bites cause only localized pain and swelling. The other 25% may develop more severe symptoms of muscle pain, stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting. These symptoms can persist, off and on, for several days or weeks, if anti-venom is not used.
Another persistent myth is that Brown Widows are more dangerous than Black Widows. The opposite is actually true. It is true that Brown Widow venom is more toxic than Black Widow venom, but Brown Widows do not deliver a high enough dose with their bite to cause more than localized pain.
Black Widow Spider Prevention
- Reduce clutter in garages, storage sheds, and near your house
- Wear work gloves when moving items that have been stored for long periods of time
- Keep wood and other storage at least 20 feet from your house and at least 5 inches off the ground
Professional Black Widow Spider Control
If you are dealing with an infestation of black widow spiders, Venus Pest Company can help. Founded by Aggie Entomologist Dr. Scott Lingren, we provide expert, eco-friendly Integrated Pest Management solutions in Bryan and College Station. To get started, fill out the contact form, call/text 979.774.0486 or email [email protected]. Don’t let nuisance pests take over your home!
