Have You Ever Wondered Why The Black Widow Spider Is Called The Black Widow Spider

Notice The Difference Between The Male And Female Black Widow Spider. Quite Often After Mating The Female Eats The Male. The Female Black Widow Spider Is The Larger Spider In The Photo.

Do you know why the Black Widow Spider is called the Black Widow Spider. It is because she has the nasty habit of eating the male black widow spider after she mates with him. She then goes on to spin a egg sac and fill it with 700 - 900 eggs most of which will hatch into baby black widow spiders and quite often she will even make a meal out of part of her baby black widow spiders.

Black Widow Spiders are considered to be some of the worlds most poisonous spiders and the bite of the female black widow spider can kill a human though it is usually the very young or the very old that this spider does kill. And in spite of only weighing an average of one gram the Black Widow Spider builds one of the largest webs of almost any spider. Once the female black widow spider has built her nest and mated with a male black widow spider she will spin an egg sac and hang it up in the corner of her nest and guard it. She will even attack a human who to closely approaches her egg sac. The egg sac usually contains 700 - 900 eggs and only a few baby spiders will make it to adults. The female black widow spider will eat part of her babies and birds will consume a large number of the baby black widow spiders. The Baby Black Widow Spiders will take 20 days to hatch from the egg sac and will be almost white in color when they are born with a brown hour glass pattern on their bellies. It takes about four months for the female baby black widow spiders to look like their mothers.

The Black Widow Spider is usually found in dark places like garages, sheds, and crawl spaces and around wood piles. If you know their are black widow spiders in the area use care in dark places and when you are carrying in firewood or moving firewood.

Did you know that the Black Widow Spider is the favorite prey of the praying mantis. And there are some birds that will eat the spiders though they will give some birds upset stomachs.

Spider Bites Can Kill You

Unfortunately it is true that there are three species of spiders in the United States that can kill you. They are the Brown Recluse Spider, The Hobo Spider, and the Black Widow Spider. Above is a chart you can go by and it will tell you exactly what you should expect in the event of a spider bite.



If you think you have been bitten by a poisonous spider you should seek medical attention as soon as possible. The best thing to do if you think you have received a bite from one of the three deadly spiders is to call 911 and ask for help. If you can capture the spider with out getting another bite get it into a jar with a tight fitting lid and take it with you when you seek medical help.



If you can not capture the spider get to the hospital and tell them what you think bit you. Tell the medical professionals what you are feeling.

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Easy Ways To Get Rid Of Spiders

The best way to prevent spiders from getting into your house is some simple prevention. If bushes or trees touch your house then trim them way back so the spiders will have a harder time getting into your house. Caulk all the cracks and crevices around the outside of your home. Use a strong soapy solution and wash down the outside of your home well especially if you know it is soon going to be turning cold outside. Be sure to wash down all your porches and steps.

A Brown Recluse Spider Is About The Size Of A Penny. The above picture is much larger than a brown recluse spider really is.

If you have a lot of cardboard boxes around your home get rid of the boxes. Spiders love cardboard boxes. Spiders like your kitchen and bathrooms because there is a ready water source and spiders need water to survive. If you have leaking faucets get them fixed.

Spiders need insects to survive because insects are what they live on. All spiders are meat eaters so they must have insects to survive. The fewer insects that your home has the fewer spiders you should have.

Here is a brown recluse bite. Brown Recluse bites can cause tissue death where they bite. If you receive a brown recluse bite seek medical attention as soon as possible.

Beware of places with lots of clutter, sheds, crawl spaces and wood piles. All of these are places where brown recluse and black widow spiders like to hide. If you must work in areas where there are a lot of spiders wear long pants tucked into your boots and long sleeve shirts tucked into gloves. You can wash down your wood pile with a strong soapy solution to get rid of spiders around it. keep in mind that most spiders only bite humans when they feel they are in danger or when they are mashed. Remember to shake out all your clothing including shoes and socks.

The Black Widow Spider

Black Widow Spiders Are Identified By Their Red Hour Glass Shape On Their Black Bodies

Fortunately deaths from Black Widow Spider Bites are fairly rare with most deaths occurring when small children, the elderly, and people with low immune systems are bitten by the spider. The female black widow spider quite often kills and eats her mate after she mates with him. The Black Widow Spider usually only bites when they are crushed. Every year many people a year are bitten carrying in firewood.

The female Black Widow Spider spins a large web and she hangs her cocoon containing hundreds of eggs in her web. The baby Black Widow Spiders leave soon after they hatch but the web remains. Black Widow Spiders also use their webs to ensnare their prey which is insects of all types.

One reason the Black Widow Spiders bite is so feared is because scientists say that the venom of the Black Widow Spider is 15 times more powerful than the rattlesnake.

The Hobo Spider

The Hobo Spider belongs to the type of spiders known as Funnel Web Spiders. One of the worst of the funnel web spiders is the Australian Funnel Web Spider. Hobo Spiders build their funnel shaped webs outdoors near human habitation and this is where the problem is.

Here is a female Hobo Spider. The Hobo Spider builds funnel shape webs and they wait at the bottom of the webs for their insect prey to fall into the webs.

Hobo Spiders usually bite people when the spider comes indoors or gets picked up with firewood and carried into the house. If you live where Hobo Spiders occur you need to be sure to shake out all your clothing including socks and shoes. If you accidentally crush or squeeze a Hobo Spider it may very well bite you and the bite of a Hobo Spider can  kill you. It can also cause tissue death in the area where it bites you. 

The Hobo Spider was not originally native to the United States. The spider was first accidentally introduced to the Pacific Northwest from Western Europe in the 1930's. Two other similar spiders also live in the same area as the Hobo Spider. They are the Giant House Spider and the barn funnel weaving spider. Both of these spiders were also introduced to the area from western Europe.

Here is a photo of the Giant House Spider. The bite of the Giant House Spider is not dangerous to Humans or Pets.

Spider Information For Everyone

Here is a Black Widow Spider. A bite from a Black Widow Spider can kill you. If you are bitten by a Black Widow Spider seek medical attention as soon as possible. Notice the distinct Hour Glass Shape on the above Black Widow Spider.

There are three spiders native to the USA that can kill you. They are the Black Widow Spider, the Hobo Spider, and the Brown Recluse Spider. And there are other types of spiders like the Wolf Spider, Black House Spider, and the Mouse Spider that can deliver painful bites to you. If your bitten by a spider and you start itching and the area where you received the bite starts swelling seek medical attention as soon as possible as you may be having an allergic reaction to the spider bite.

In the United States their are three distinct species of the Black Widow Spider. They are the Southern Black Widow, the Western Black Widow Spider, and the Northern Black Widow Spider. All three are poisonous and could kill you. In the southern United States the Black Widow Spider often likes to hide in mail boxes as this makes a great home for them. So look in your rural mailbox before you reach into it.Black Widow Spiders often make their homes in your wood pile so be sure to pick up or move your wood only with long sleeves and gloves on. If you have black widow spiders outdoors you can easily get rid of them by spraying them with a strong soapy solution.

Notice at the very back of the rural mail box in the photo there. That is a Black Widow Spider there in the back of the mail box.