Black widow spiders are famous for the female’s unusual markings and tendency to consume their own partners. Both genders, male and female black widows, look completely different. They are properly distinguished from each other. Above all, the female black widow spiders are the most peculiar and distinctive. They have a gleaming black body and a crimson-reddish hourglass-like pattern on the underside of their round abdominal body part. The hourglass pattern on the body can occasionally be orange-yellow as well. They are deemed to be the second most poisonous spiders in North America. Nevertheless, their bite is unusually not fatal to human beings.
Female black widows come in different sizes and shapes. The usual length of a female black widow is up to 1.5 inches long. The males are smaller than the female black widows, being about 50% smaller than a female. The male black widow spiders are paler and lighter in color. They also have red and pink spots all over their backs.
Like many spiders, the black widow spider eats different spiders and small insects that get caught only in their webs. The female Black widow spider dangles upside down from her web while waiting for her prey. This hunting pose reveals the bright and beautiful markings and patterns, which acts as a prominent warning to potential insects defining that she is toxic and harmful to them. The designs and markings do not alarm the prey – birds and insects have differences in perceiving colors and patterns.
In this article, we will be talking more about black widow spiders, where they reside in America, about black widow spiders’ actual habitat. We will also disclose whether black widow spiders live inside houses or not.
Where Do They Live In America?
The Black widow spider generally loves to live in warm regions. Specifically, in America, it is usually found in the Southern United States. They are also found in all four southwestern deserts: the Great Basin, Sonoran, Chihuahuan, and Mojave. Black Widow Spiders are also often located in Florida and Texas.
Black Widow Spiderweb
The Black Widow spiders inhabit diverse habitats. Some of them include warm, humid forests, tropical quarters, dense rainforests, temperate grasslands, and dry, hot deserts. Black widows prefer knitting their webs near the ground. This has a significant reason behind it – black widows like to prey on small crawling insects, so they need to be in close proximity. They choose dark, calm areas where they won’t feel disturbed. You can call them introverts in the world of spiders. They also web their homes near holes and tunnels as that area is more prone to have insects.
The web made by a black widow is an astonishing structure filled with absurd patterns. It serves as a shelter for the spider, protection against its predators, shield from the weather, a delusional trap for prey, and also offers communication between male and female black widow spiders.
The predators and the prey both get involved in the trap. The black widow is an expert in luring its prey. But when this happens, the spider is intelligent enough to wrap more silk around the unfortunate victim and perfectly kills it with its deadly venom. The black widow then detangles its prey and divides it into portions to eat later.
Even mating happens in the web of a black widow spider. The male black widow usually extends most of its energy in finding a female black widow during the mating period.
After the male finds a female partner, the male black widow vibrates the threads of the female black widow’s habit. This is done to alert his mating partner and determine if she is ready to mate or even interested in mating. After the mating, the female black widow lays 50-100 eggs in the same web where she resides. It covers its beautiful tiny eggs in silk and guards them day and night until her spiderlings get hatched.
Do Black Widow Spiders Live In Houses?
Black widow spiders can possibly live inside your houses. Black widow spiders prefer to live in shady, dark, secluded areas like garages, woodpiles, and sheds. They prefer to survive on crawling insects, so they typically build their webs near the ground or soil. To avoid pulling the attention of these spiders to your house, you should try keeping your garden clear of rubble and regularly have pest control done in your yard.
It is ordinary to find spiders in your house, finding a black widow in your home can turn out to be pretty dangerous – that’s one spider you should keep away from. Check your basement, garages, attics, and crawlspaces regularly to avoid black widows creating webs in there. If you are a child and come in contact with a black widow that has bitten you, immediately inform an adult and rush to the hospital.
Clegg’s Pest Control in North Carolina
We hope that we have given some informative details and facts about black widow spiders. Black widow spiders are extremely dangerous to deal with. Their venom can be pretty deadly and sometimes even fatal for human beings. So, maintain a reasonable distance from them. If you ever get bitten by one, make sure to seek medical help immediately.
If you think you have a problem with spiders in your home, or even black widows, please reach out to Clegg’s Pest Control today using the form below for a free home inspection!
