Black Widows

[Laurelin]

I found a black widow in my closet today. It was a juvenile male and he'd built a web from the wall to my coat. I killed him.

This is the fourth black widow I've seen around my house recently but it's the first one I found inside. About a month ago I found a huge female on my porch with two egg sacs. I didn't have any bug spray so I ran inside and grabbed lysol and sprayed it all over the egg sacs. They shriveled up and turned brown so I'm pretty sure I killed them.

The others were one adult male and another adult female on the back porch.

My question is what would you do? I guess I should get an exterminator out here. Is there some other approach to keep them out of the yard?

[meepitsmeagan]

No advice here except BE CAREFUL!

Spiders are so friggen creepy. Especially poison ones... Just be careful. I don't want to see a thread on here about you getting bit by one.

I personally, would call an exterminator and see if that would help.

[Emily]

Originally Posted by meepitsmeagan

Spiders are so friggen creepy. Especially poison ones...

Venomous, not poisonous... unless you plan on eating them! Sorry, that's an old habit I can't help from being on snake forums.

Um other than that... I like spiders, normally, but you should probably light everything on fire if you keep finding black widows. Just sayin'.

[CharlieDog]

It should actually fall on your landlord to call an exterminator. Unsafe living environment and all that.

[Shai]

You could get a cat...

[Grab]

I don't know, we have a cat who has been coming into work after likely being bitten by a black widow. I really don't think he's going to have a full long term recovery..seizures that have settled for near constant focal tics, neurological signs, and he can't urinate on his own, at least not fully. He's also steadily losing muscle mass and barely eats. I'd stick with the exterminator

I'm in AZ, we have tons of black widows. We kill them as needed, but I'm ready to just burn our garage. Babies. Babies everywhere.

[Shai]

Originally Posted by Grab

I don't know, we have a cat who has been coming into work after likely being bitten by a black widow. I really don't think he's going to have a full long term recovery..seizures that have settled for near constant focal tics, neurological signs, and he can't urinate on his own, at least not fully. He's also steadily losing muscle mass and barely eats. I'd stick with the exterminator

Holy smokes...okay I'm glad (for my sake as well as Brie's) that we are pretty much limited to benign creepy crawlies around here.

[-bogart-]

lizards! cultivate green lizards for your yard and house. with Mia that may be a pain but they will eats up the crawllies!

[Romy]

I'd get a house gecko if you can keep Mia away from it.

My grandma used to have us bring them inside because she loved them. I was only bit twice in my life (never at her house, oddly enough). The males won't hurt you.

I was bit on my ankles running through brush that had them.

[meepitsmeagan]

Originally Posted by Emily

Venomous, not poisonous... unless you plan on eating them! Sorry, that's an old habit I can't help from being on snake forums.

Um other than that... I like spiders, normally, but you should probably light everything on fire if you keep finding black widows. Just sayin'.

My bad. I can be a grammar/use the correct word Nazi as well. It was early... If that helps.