Scientists and pest control experts are urging residents of Texas, Arizona and other southwestern states to remain vigilant as deadly black widow spiders return this summer.
Females of this species can attack with a powerful neurotoxic venom, 15 times stronger than the bite of a rattlesnake, which is used to defend itself and paralyze its prey, experts warn.
The poison, known as latrotoxin, can cause severe muscle pain and spasms, heart problems, abdominal cramps and can paralyze the diaphragm, causing serious breathing problems, but it is primarily a threat to children, the elderly and the sick.
Texas A&M entomologists warned that locals should “take precautions when dealing with stored items or working in areas where these spiders might hide,” specifically, “undisturbed sites such as basements and storage areas.”
Scientists and pest control experts are urging residents of Texas, Arizona and other southwestern states to remain vigilant as deadly black widow spiders return this summer. A Texas A&M expert warned that the spider likes to hide in “quiet places, such as basements and storage areas.”
The scientific consensus remains that the species is not aggressive to humans unless threatened.
Here’s what you need to know to stay safe as another ‘black widow summer’ descends on the American Southwest.
“They prefer cluttered areas,” according to Bryant McDowell, a pest management specialist who teaches training and seminars on the subject at Texas A&M University.
“I have personally encountered black widow spiders hanging in outdoor trash cans, on smoking grills that haven’t been touched for some time, and under patio furniture,” McDowell said.
Black widows generally prefer to hide in fortified caches closer to the ground, McDowell explained in a notice this springeven under rocks, piles of wood, holes dug by other animals, and hollowed-out tree stumps.
A key sign that a black widow might be nearby is its uniquely messy webs.
‘Look for cobwebs that look like they were woven by a very drunk spider!’ explained TJ Martin of the University of Arizona Cochise County Master Gardeners program.
“The black widow typically spins a very messy-looking web,” Martin said, “it bears little resemblance to the stereotypical neat, symmetrical web of most spiders.”
June is when state residents should be most alert to the resurgence of the species in their area, according to a University of Arizona Fact sheet, because black widows “are very active during hot summer nights.”
Half of all snake attacks on spiders took place in North America. Pictured: A dead snake wrapped in a black widow spider web on a building in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Meteorologist Cody Gottschalk told local TV station KTRE in Polk County, Texas, that he almost accidentally caught a black widow right before mowing his lawn in May.
“I reached where the handlebars were,” Gottschalk said. KTRE“I noticed something scurrying around and sure enough, it was probably the biggest black widow I’d ever seen.”
Broken Arrow Pest Control owner Daniel Shank told the station that a recent spate of hot, humid, rainy weather in East Texas has increased the population of insects that arachnids like the black widow feed on.
“They feed on insects found in these areas,” he said.
Shank’s advice to locals is to always bring a flashlight when searching for these jet black, like many other spiders and scorpions, which will reflect light vividly.
“They’ll glow when a flashlight hits them,” Shank explained.
Pest control experts, health professionals and spider experts agree that the black widow’s venomous bite is a major threat to children, the elderly and the sick. Many healthy adults, they point out, have survived black widow spider bites.
Pest control experts, health professionals and spider experts agree that the black widow’s venomous bite is a major threat to children, the elderly and the sick.
Many healthy adults, they point out, have survived black widow spider bites.
“Black widows have always had a bad reputation because they are quite venomous, which is unfortunate,” according to Francisco García, an insect and arachnid expert and director of entomology at the Butterfly Pavilion in Westminster, Colorado.
‘But we have to remember that spiders are super important for the environment,’ García said last year.
However, for many homeowners, especially those with loved ones at risk, experts advise safely removing black widows from their property.
“I love spiders, I’ll let them do their thing,” said Gottschalk, the Texas meteorologist.
‘But when it comes to black widows, we’re not going to let this one hang around. That needed to be taken care of.’
