Black Widow Spider

The black widow spider is one of the only three venomous spiders in North America. Only females bite and their venom is 15 times stronger than rattlesnake venom.

Although a black widow spider bite is not usually fatal, it does kill 5% of its victims. This is often young children, those who are ill and the elderly.

The female black widow spider has:

• A round, shiny black body 1 ½ to 1 ⅜ inches long
• A red-orange or yellow hourglass-shaped mark or dot on its belly

A male black widow spider has:

• A lighter colored body than the female that’s only half its size
• Longer legs that are marked by orange and brown joints
• A red or pale brown stripe down the middle of its back and white or yellow streaks extending outward

The black widow spider got its name because the females have a reputation of killing the male after mating. Though some males do survive, the females usually live up to their name.

Black widow spiders build large, irregular webs which they use to snare prey and hold their egg sacs, which contain hundreds of eggs. They prefer dark, damp, and protected places such as sheds and other outdoor structures, cracks in stone walls, fences, woodpiles, and even porch furniture. They seek out basement and crawl space areas inside the home.

Black widows are not usually aggressive, but will attack if they feel that they or their eggs are threatened. It’s always a good idea to check for these spiders if you’re reaching for a tool in the back of a shed or putting on shoes stored outdoors.

If you’re bitten by a black widow spider, it may feel like a pinprick at first, but within 15 minutes more severe symptoms can occur, such as:

• Muscle aches
• Nausea
• Headache
• Vomiting
• Paralysis of the diaphragm

These symptoms can last for several days to a few weeks.