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Thread: Black Widow Spiders

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    Veteran Member toomuchhomeworklately's Avatar
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    Default Black Widow Spiders

    I'm freaking out!!! I keep getting these dark brown spiders in my apartment so the exterminator came last week. I never use the storage closet that's located off my patio so he opened it to spray in there - spider webs EVERYWHERE!!! And a full grown female black widow spider!! I screamed & ran inside so he very dramatically stomped it with his boot to allay my fears. He sprayed tons of poison inside & out. (I told him what a neat freak I am.) I'm seeing dead bugs outside all over the place, which is fantastic.

    Two nights ago my cat was flipping out. I thought he was chasing imaginary things till I took out a flashlight. He was chasing a small white spider. After killing it, I googled black widows. Their babies are white or pale yellow. So the one the exterminator stomped on must have laid eggs that have recently hatched. Even more beautiful: one of the web sites said that black widows are resilient to most insecticides.

    My cat discovered another creepy spider an hour ago. I killed it with a paper towel then noticed how it's legs and color looked so much like a black widow (the males aren't as big & don't have the red hourglass.)

    I'm not really concerned about myself (worst case scenario: I'd feel like I have appendicitis & have to go to the hospital) what I'm worried about is my cat getting bit. The web sites I looked at said that birds get sick if they eat them but it didn't say anything about the effects a bite would have on a smaller creature.

    Anyone know anything about this? I'm supposed to go out of town for a few days & leave the kitty alone next week.

  2. #2
    God/dess sxybrat07's Avatar
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    Default Re: Black Widow Spiders

    Eek! I dunno. I've been bit by a black widow...not fun. If I remember right, only the females are poisonous? Though I could be wrong about that one...
    I believe you Dottie and you have my support

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    Veteran Member toomuchhomeworklately's Avatar
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    Default Re: Black Widow Spiders

    That sucks so much that you got bit. How bad was it? I'm getting more & more paranoid because of Google.

    Yeah, that's what I've read - only females are poisonous. But if boys & baby ones are getting in my apartment....there's gotta be another female nearby. I'm so worried about my cat.

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    God/dess greenidlady1's Avatar
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    Default Re: Black Widow Spiders

    I wouldn't kill the other spiders, particularly granddaddy long leg spiders. The long legs spiders don't have strong enough jaws to break our skin so they can't bite us or animals but they kill black widow spiders. Black Widow spiders like dark, moist places. So, make sure you keep your place as dry as possible. Also, the female will eat the male, if he doesn't get away, immediately after mating, so you shouldn't see much of the males around. I do know that boric acid will kill ants but you want to make sure to keep it away from your animals. I don't know it'll kill spiders.

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    Veteran Member toomuchhomeworklately's Avatar
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    Default Re: Black Widow Spiders

    Where can I get boric acid? I could put that outside so they won't come in.

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    God/dess sxybrat07's Avatar
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    Default Re: Black Widow Spiders

    Quote Originally Posted by toomuchhomeworklately View Post
    That sucks so much that you got bit. How bad was it? I'm getting more & more paranoid because of Google.

    Yeah, that's what I've read - only females are poisonous. But if boys & baby ones are getting in my apartment....there's gotta be another female nearby. I'm so worried about my cat.
    Well, I was like 10 or 11 when I got bit, I didn't know I was bit til I got really sick. The Dr. assumed it was a baby black widow because it didn't make me seriously ill, but I was on steroids for a long time, and I lost all the energy and muscle I had (I was an active little kid).

    I hate spiders. Bah. I kill all of them, cuz they creep me out. Check your apt for the little webs where they keep their eggs, normally in corners on the ceiling, they're thicker than regular webs, and you can tell if they've hatched cuz the web is open. I found a bunch when I moved out of my last apt.
    I believe you Dottie and you have my support

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    Default Re: Black Widow Spiders

    If you're in good health, a bite shouldn't do more than be a pain. They only kill very young kids and elderly people, or people with weak systems. But of course that doesn't mean you want to get bit. As others have said, keep your place dry. If you do get bit, catch the spider, dead or alive, so a doctor can examine it and treat you properly. This product seems to be a popular one in controlling spiders.
    http://www.bugsaway.com/catalog/demon-pack-p-210.html

  8. #8
    Banned gingerlee's Avatar
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    Default Re: Black Widow Spiders

    Eeek, spiders! I'm a girly girl who is scared of bugs...and spiders are pretty much the top of the list.

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    Default Re: Black Widow Spiders

    We used to have a spray for killing spiders in Melbourne. I think it was something like black flag protective spray. I sprayed it around the house every 3 months or so, around all the doors, windows and other entry points. You'd see the spiders run from the eaves. If you got them with it directly they would not get very far.
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    Veteran Member toomuchhomeworklately's Avatar
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    Default Re: Black Widow Spiders

    I actually yelled at the exterminator not to spray in my bathroom because I have several long leg spiders living in there. He looked at me like I was nuts but I explained that they're not running around freaking me out, they just make their webs & stay put. So they can live.

    But my cat was just sprawled out on my desk & I tickled his foot. But something felt weird. He's got a big scab on his front right foot. He made a pitiful meow when I tried to look at it (not the angry meow, like 'I'll kick your ass if you keep poking around,' but the super sad 'please don't touch that, it hurts' meow). The vet sounds pretty concerned. They gave me an appt with his doc on Monday morning. They also gave me the # of the emergency vet nearest to me. He has been sleeping a little more lately, but it is really hot. Hopefully I'm freaking out over nothing. Hopefully he just scraped his foot on the edge of the coffee table or something.

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    Veteran Member scarletfang's Avatar
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    Default Re: Black Widow Spiders

    if you're going to be away, you should either leave the cat with a friend/family member at their home, board your cat at the vet's if that's something that they offer, or call your vet and ask them to refer you to a boarding facility that they trust...

    since cats are much much smaller than humans, it would take much less of the spider venom to make a cat seriously ill, and if you're not going to be home to notice any signs of illness right away, that could have a very bad ending...especially since cats love to chase creepy crawly things
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

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    God/dess greenidlady1's Avatar
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    Default Re: Black Widow Spiders

    You can get boric acid at the drug store in the pharmacy. I think I had to order mine but they usually have some in stock.

  13. #13
    zxcire
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    Default Re: Black Widow Spiders

    Quote Originally Posted by greenidlady1 View Post
    I wouldn't kill the other spiders, particularly granddaddy long leg spiders. The long legs spiders don't have strong enough jaws to break our skin so they can't bite us or animals but they kill black widow spiders. Black Widow spiders like dark, moist places. So, make sure you keep your place as dry as possible.
    Actually daddy long legs are not spiders at all. Unless you are talking about house spiders, there are 2 kinds of bugs with that name. They are not poisonous, and it's a myth that their jaws are too small to pierce skin. They also don't kill black widows.

    --this explains the myth of daddy long legs.

    Black widows actually tend to like dry and undisturbed areas such as log piles, eaves of houses, basements, barns, etc. One of the best ways to spider proof is to keep your place immaculately clean: dusted, vacuum all corners, etc because undisturbed areas will attract spiders.

    They can however be fatal to children and pets.

    =: "Only the female's bite is poisonous. The male does not develop venom sacs into maturity, and does not attack prey as an adult. Spiderlings are poisonous only if eaten during first 18 days, but lose their poison. Adult venom is different, a neurotoxin. Female is not aggressive except after egg laying and when guarding her eggs."

    ---this is a really good website to alleviate your fears and educate yourself on these spiders.


    Last edited by zxcire; 06-16-2007 at 04:34 PM. Reason: dumb.

  14. #14
    zxcire
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    Default Re: Black Widow Spiders

    If you can't tell...I love spiders.

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    Veteran Member toomuchhomeworklately's Avatar
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    Default Re: Black Widow Spiders

    I guess the management office was worried when I called earlier about "poisonous black widow spiders" so the exterminator just showed up. He was totally cool eccept... you know that dumb look guys get when they're staring at boobs? He was staring at my computer. (My computer is set to run a slide show of all my pics. Some are quite naughty.) I asked him "Is there anything else I can do?" and he said "Was that you?" as he looked over my shoulder at the computer. "Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't," I said as I stomped over & turned the monitor off.

    All of a sudden he had a brain again! I had him spray in the storage closet & all over my apartment. I told him to come see me at xyz club as he left.

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    God/dess cinammonkisses's Avatar
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    Default Re: Black Widow Spiders

    Quote Originally Posted by zxcire View Post
    If you can't tell...I love spiders.
    Me too







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    God/dess Sirona's Avatar
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    Default Re: Black Widow Spiders

    Quote Originally Posted by zxcire View Post
    If you can't tell...I love spiders.
    Me too! I've owned quite a few actually.



  18. #18
    Jay Zeno
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    Default Re: Black Widow Spiders

    Quote Originally Posted by zxcire View Post
    If you can't tell...I love spiders.
    Yeah. I'm a lot more annoyed by mosquitos and I think I face higher odds of being ungodly sick from West Nile, so the more spiders there are to kill mosquitos, the more I like 'em. So I just trap spiders in the house and take them outside.

    When we'd go camping, I used to let the daddy longlegs crawl all over my bare arms, just to gross out the other campers. You know, you find fun where you can.

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    Veteran Member SnakeBabe's Avatar
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    Default Re: Black Widow Spiders

    Me too!

    I have 11 in my kitchen and I am going to do my kitchen in a spider theme this year…I hope I get to it but I plan on this year.
    Hugs and Hissessss,
    Maria
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  20. #20
    zxcire
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    Default Re: Black Widow Spiders

    I can't hold my spider. She's super aggressive, but very pretty.

    My giant black/white Brazilian Elyse. She's about 3" now and should double in size.

    I heart her.
    Last edited by zxcire; 08-11-2007 at 07:25 PM.

  21. #21
    High_Heel_Lover
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    Default Re: Black Widow Spiders

    :poos in pants and faint: why do I open these threads? why?

  22. #22
    Featured Member yogibear179's Avatar
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    Default Re: Black Widow Spiders

    if they are black widows, be careful that your cat is playing/hunting them...


  23. #23
    Featured Member yogibear179's Avatar
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    Default Re: Black Widow Spiders

    i think spiders are amazing, but my boyfriend is deathly afraid!


  24. #24
    Veteran Member pink_staR's Avatar
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    Default Re: Black Widow Spiders

    Omg I am afraid of every kind of bug/insect... Moths, beetles, ants.. Spiders especially.

    Lol I'm pathetic!

  25. #25
    Senior Member KentuckyMysteryMan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Black Widow Spiders

    This will sound girly, but spiders freak me out and I always have to check under my covers before I get in bed. I have to kill them when I see them.

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