Why Spider Control Is Wise For Black Widows
Posted on: 1 August 2017
If you are an individual who lives in the country, then you may be used to larger animals like coyotes and bears coming onto your property. If so, you may not take a few spiders in your home seriously. After all, they are only spiders. While this may be true, there are a few types of spiders that should be immediately eradicated if you find them in your home. The black widow is one of them. You might know that this type of spider is extremely dangerous, but you may not know all the facts. Keep reading to learn a few that will help you understand why immediate spider control is necessary.
Black Widows Have A Dangerous Bite
All spiders have fangs, and the vast majority have venom in their fangs. However, most spiders only have venom that is powerful enough to subdue a fly or another type of insect once it gets caught in the spider's web. While this is true, there are some spiders that have venom that can cause some serious reactions in humans.
While it may seem logical that the size of a spider may be directly linked to the venom and its ability to cause harm, this is not the case. For example, a tarantula bite will cause very little harm, while a black widow can cause an emergency situation. However, if the same black widow were to bite your pup, you may see no lasting effects. This has a lot to do with the different venoms that are created by each type of spider. Venoms are different and are specific to the different types of spiders. Each of these venoms are meant to disable their prey. Some venoms also affect humans, not by design, but by chance.
The black widow spider venom is considered quite strong, not only to its prey, but also to humans. In fact, the venom is 15 times stronger than that of a rattlesnake. The good news is that the bite is rarely deadly. The venom can cause some paralysis of the diaphragm and it can substantially increase heart rate. If you or a loved one has a heart issue or a breathing ailment, then this can result in an emergency situation. Antivenom can assist, but this does require a trip to the emergency room, and the medication can be quite expensive. It is much better to invest in eradication efforts instead.
They Can Be Aggressive
Your country home may provide a wide variety of hiding and living spaces for black widow spiders. They like to live in wood piles, old stumps, rock piles, sheds, garages, and dark attic areas. Like many other spiders, they live in areas that are secluded and dark, where there is easy-to-catch prey.
If you do work outdoors or enjoy walking in the woods, or if you simply clean out your shed every spring or fall, then you are likely to come into contact with a black widow if you live somewhere along the Pacific Northwest.
You may have heard that spiders only bite when they feel threatened. This is true, but female black widow spiders can be quite aggressive if you come near a nest, especially if there are young spiders nearby or an egg sac that is being protected. Unfortunately, the spiders can be hard to spot due to their black coloring, and you can disturb one without noticing.
Black widows will sometimes pretend to be dead when they sense a larger predator nearby. This can pose an issue as well if you decide to dispose of the spider, since it appears dead already. The spider can then bite if it feels as though it is trapped.
If you see any spiders in your home that you fear may be black widows, speak with a pest control specialist at a company like Godfather's Exterminating, Inc. as soon as possible.
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