How to Identify A Black Widow

The Black Widow Spider gets its name because one it’s black and shiny and two because after mating the female will most commonly eat their male companion like do most female spiders. Black Widow Spiders bites can be potential dangerous and very painful. These simple steps will help you determine if you are dealing with a Black Widow Spider.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. The most commonly a Black Widow will be found in a warmer temperature and are found in all 4 western American deserts. Black Widow spiders prefer to stay near the ground in a dark, undisturbed place. Indoors Black Widows similarly like to be in dark, undisturbed places like furniture or under desks.

2. If you have found a spider in an area like this the easy way to identify the Black Widow is to look at it. A mature Black Widow will be a shiny black or sometimes a gray. The easiest way to identify a female widow is by the red or red-orange hourglass shape on the underside of the abdomen. Male widows sometimes have an hourglass pattern, but coloration often is more orange. When the male widow matures, they have large knob-like structures originating from the head.

3. Only the bite of the female, which is mostly the adult female, is potentially dangerous. Every bite will be extremely painful but death from untreated black widow bites are uncommon. A Black Widow bite to a young child, old person or people who suffer from hypertension or high blood pressure are at the greatest risk for complication from a bite.

4. Because of the possible danger from a black widow bite it is important you always see a doctor after a bite. Before you go to the doctor the first treatment should be treating the area with some antiseptics to make sure the site doesn’t get infected, then rush to a doctor.

Resources

• How To Identify A Brown Recluse Spider

[jameyamyamisen]

on 8/12/2009 thanks a bundle! 5*

[eribear34]

on 8/12/2009 Good information! Thanks, 5*