Black Widow Spider infestation
|
“Black widows” as they're known are very specific in their appearance. Black widow spiders have a red hourglass shaped figure on the stomach of their body frame, a key spider feature that separates them from other species. Black widows are considered to be apart of the latrodectus genus within the theridiidae family.
Black widow spider information is standard for most people to know, since there will be a big chance of seeing them on a regular basis. A big indicator of black widow spiders present is the irregular web partner they leave to entrap and catch any insects or bugs flying through. After entrapping any insects or bugs the black widow will kill with the poisonous fangs it has. The black widow fangs are hollow with about 1 ½ millimeters in length, allowing unusually large venom sacks to feed poison to kill. While the black widow lays upside down in the center of the web ready to pounce on any pests for dinner. If you were to put a human hair next to a black widow web cobb you would notice how large their web really is. Ironically, the black widow silk has twelve times the tensile strength of steel and is normally used in the making of precision optical instruments. Call (925) 329-3366 for black widow extermination! |
|
|
The Black widows hate being in light due their poor vision. Often times, the black widow’s reaction to any threats is through the vibration of the widow’s web created. You will more likely find the black spiders in a dim or dark area of the property, rarely out in the open with light. It’s possible for the black widow to create a new spider nesting area anywhere.
Black widows are considered poisonous spiders but are rarely fatal. The female black widow is the most dangerous to deal with for humans. Male black widows are meant to store female eggs. Male black widows are considerable different than females in overall size, but also by color. In proportion to the female spider, the male black widow has longer legs with orange and red colors spread all over. Male widows are definitely more colorful than females. |
|
Black Widow Eggs and Babies
|
Upon the female taking eggs from male widow the overall stomach of the female will appear to be swollen. Just before laying eggs the female black widow will spin top half of egg sack to protect against any weather or insect threat. The mother black widow lays baby black widow eggs twice a month typically in warm weather. To protect the baby widow spiders the mother will close up the egg sack with a strong web covering to insure no problems.
Female black widow spiders are especially dangerous several days after laying eggs and will naturally attack in defense of baby widow eggs. After about two hours of the eggs being laid the sticky substance keeping them together will evaporate. The birth of the immature black widow babies will happen about three weeks after being laid out. Weather will play a huge factor in how long the immature eggs will stay in the egg sack. Warmer weather is ideal while colder weather hinders the growth. When black widow babies are ready to leave egg sack, they collectively make a hole in the sack to exit. When all the baby spiders have left the sack they will all create a network of web cobbs as a means to escape and separate. Each spider link will seek it’s own shelter and food. Baby spider food is vital as it will stimulate the baby into a mature widow spider. Before fully maturing the black widow will shed skin at least six times until the final skin coat is grown. The skin color takes years to fully develop. The last mold takes the longest in the nesting process. During each molding process the spider is immobilized and defenseless to any attack. The time frame from an egg maturing fully depends on the food supply. The full process can take anywhere from several months all the way to several years. Black widows are often times characterized as quite spiders, spinning webs by day time and working at night. Many consider the widow spiders as nocturnal. Many times people will see the black widow hanging upside in the center of the web cob with the bright red hourglass belly showing. Showing off the red abdominal is apart of defending against any attacks as it warns. If bitten by a black widow a stinging sensation will be felt at the moment of the spider bite. Medical attention for this black widow venom attack must be sought immediately. Male black widows are subservient to the dominating female black widow. Widow spiders are very weird sexually. The male widow spider gets eaten upon mating with the female widow spider, not very many species on earth engage in sexual cannibalism. In fact, this spider sexual cannibalism is what gave name to “widow spiders.” Black widows eat a wide range of insects including but not limited to: ants, grasshoppers, beetles, cockroaches, scorpions, and many more. In the case of a homeowner it is good to have a spider readily eating other annoying pests in your house, but the downside is when the black widow lays eggs several more spiders come into existence. The black widow spider is found on five continents, often times around homes or other structures. Be very cautious upon seeing a black widow, especially the female black widow spider. The black widow venom is ten times stronger than a rattlesnake’s venom. Watch out for any black widow spider webs in or around dark/dim areas of the house, particularly dark corners, dark windows, patios, basements, attics, backyards, etc. |
|