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Posts Tagged ‘Black Widows’

Signs you Have a Black Widow Infestation in Your Home

As a homeowner, you may feel as though you have taken all possible measures to protect your family from pests. Unfortunately, no matter how careful you are, certain pests may find their way into your home. While some of these insects may only be a minor nuisance, others can be dangerous and even deadly. One serious threat that can be found in homes is the black widow spider. Black widows are known for their venomous bites and can pose a significant danger to anyone living in the household. Here are some signs that you may have a black widow infestation in your home.

Webbing: One of the most apparent signs of having a black widow infestation in your home is the webbing that they leave behind. Black widows are known for their messy webs that can usually be found in dark, secluded corners. These spiders tend to build their webs close to the ground, so check areas such as your garage, basement, and crawl spaces. When you come across a web, look for distinctive patterns such as a sheer tangle of silk or irregular lines.

Presence of Eggs: Black widows lay their eggs in white, roundish sacs that measure about half an inch in diameter. When inspecting your home, keep your eye out for these sacs. You may find them in the same areas where you discover webbing. Each female black widow spider produces around four to nine egg sacs in a lifetime, and each sac contains 100 to 400 eggs.

Spider Bodies: Black widows have a distinctive appearance, so if you come across them in your home, it can be easy to recognize them. These spiders are usually black, with a red or orange hourglass shape on their abdomen. If you see spiders that match this description, it’s a good idea to steer clear and contact a pest control professional.

Bites: One of the most alarming signs of a black widow infestation is if you or anyone in your household gets bitten. Black widow bites are venomous and cause symptoms such as muscle cramps, nausea, and intense pain at the bite’s location. If you think that you or someone else has had a black widow bite, seek medical attention immediately.

Insect Population: Black widows can be an indication of other pests in your home. These spiders feed on insects and other small arachnids such as roaches, earwigs, and even other spiders. If you have a black widow infestation, there’s a good chance that you have other insect populations in your home.

Black widows can be dangerous and even deadly if not addressed. If you have come across any of the signs mentioned in this blog post, such as webbing or spider bodies, be sure to contact a pest control professional. With the help of a professional, you can develop a plan to safely and effectively remove black widows from your home. Remember to look for signs of infestation regularly, so you can take action before any serious harm is done. Stay safe and be vigilant!

Black Widows

Black widows are venomous spiders that are typically found in warm climates.

They are most easily identified by the red hourglass shape on their abdomen. Here are some signs that may indicate a black widow infestation:

  1. Sightings of black widows: If you see one black widow spider in or around your home, there may be more. Black widows typically hide in dark, quiet areas such as closets, basements, and crawl spaces.
  2. Spider webs: Black widows construct irregular webs that are typically found in corners, under eaves, and in cluttered areas.
  3. Egg sacs: Black widow egg sacs are white or cream-colored and round, and they can contain hundreds of eggs. They may be found in or around spider webs.
  4. Bite marks: Black widow bites can be very painful and can cause muscle cramps, spasms, and other symptoms. If you or someone in your home has been bitten and is experiencing symptoms, seek medical attention immediately.

If you suspect a black widow infestation in or around your home, it is important to contact a pest control professional for safe and effective removal.

How To Recognize Black Widow Webs And Egg Sacs Within Structures, And What Residents Need To Know About Black Widow Spiderlings

When it comes to dangerous spiders in the United States, black widows have long been the most notorious species. Reports describing dangerous, and even fatal, black widow bites started during the late 19th century when scientific documentation and record keeping was becoming more commonplace. Today, the black widow bite remains the most common cause of medically significant spider bite symptoms in the country, and these intimidating arachnids can be found in most areas in the US. Black widows belongs to the Latrodectus spider genus, which is comprised of more than two dozen urban-dwelling and highly venomous spider species worldwide.

Five Latrodectus species can be found in the US, two of which are documented in Louisiana where they are not infrequently reported as pests within homes and other structures. One of these species, commonly known as the brown widow, has recently been introduced into Louisiana. This alien spider species has been proliferating and spreading rapidly throughout the state, and their bites have been documented as causing serious medical symptoms. However, Latrodectus mactans, or the southern black widow, is responsible for the majority of medically significant spider envenomations in the country, and surprisingly, freshly hatched baby spiderlings of this species are not necessarily harmless either.

Black widows are often found in homes, but they are most frequently encountered in low-traffic indoor areas, such as garages, storage closets, sheds, barns, crawl spaces, cellars, basements and sometimes attic spaces. The southern black widow’s presence within a home can be recognized by the presence of tattered webs that usually measure 35 cm in both length and width, but they can be much larger. These webs are almost always located at elevated positions between 8 and 12 feet from the floor in dark corners and around ceiling rafters.

Southern black widow eggs sacs can be recognized for their grey and spherical appearance, and are generally around 9.5 mm in diameter with a conspicuous notch on the top. Each egg sac contains an average of 255 cream or yellow-colored eggs, and each female is usually in possession of 10 egg sacs. These eggs sacs can be constructed by females in as little as an hour within a home, and the spiderlings that hatch are particularly poisonous. However, due to their lack of developed mouthparts, spiderlings are only dangerous when ingested, but pets may die after consuming a spiderling.

Have you ever encountered an indoor spider egg sac? If so, did you learn which species the egg sac belonged to?

How Are Black Widow And Brown Recluse Bites Treated By Medical Professionals? And Why Are These Treatments Controversial?

The southern black widow and the brown recluse spider species both dwell in the state of Louisiana, and while these two species are widely recognized as being the only two medically significant spider species in the United States, many researchers have come to suspect that bite cases are over represented in medical literature. For example, one research study that analyzed 600 suspected black widow and brown recluse bite cases were actually completely separate medical conditions that had nothing to do with spider bites. The majority of spider bites can be identified by a single lesion that can be successfully treated by sanitizing the wound, applying cold packs, and possibly administering a tetanus booster vaccine.

While a black widow antivenom exists in many US hospitals, only children, the elderly and immunocompromised individuals warrant antivenom therapy following a black widow bite. Since black widow bites sometimes produce systemic symptoms, like muscle spasms, intravenous benzodiazepines are administered to many bite victims, as well as narcotic opioids to manage pain. If a healthy adult continues to experience serious black widow bite symptoms for a period of several hours, an antivenom may be used, but black widow antivenom is only effective 48 hours following envenomation. The use of black widow antivenom must be used sparingly, as some individuals may experience a hypersensitive reaction to antivenom. While the use of black widow antivenom may be somewhat controversial due to its possible adverse effects, there exists a clear cut medical procedure for treating black widow bites, but no such procedure currently exists for treating brown recluse bites.

At the moment, there does not exist any published medical literature on how to address brown recluse bites, leaving the form of treatment entirely up to the individual doctors. Many medical professionals believe that aggressive brown recluse bites can be more harmful than helpful for patients, and surgically removing tissue from a bite wound simply because the tissue may become necrotic puts patients at an unnecessary risk. Many doctors treat brown recluse bites with nothing more than antihistamines, while other doctors choose to use a drug named “dapsone” due to its possible anti-necrotic effects. However, dapsone’s anti-necrotic effects have not been proven, and this drug can cause the destruction of red blood cells in some patients.

Have you ever visited a hospital to address a spider bite?

 

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