Black widow in house

[shiv]

@imprimis

Just had a small black widow walking across the back edge of my couch. It was the smallest one of seen, so I’m guessing it was pretty young, but I’m 95% sure it was a black widow

I’ve never seen one inside before. We keep our house and floors clean so it’s not like there is an obvious nest somewhere

How screwed am I?

 

[NolesBravesNiners]

Burn the house down to the ground and move. Where there's one, there's hundreds.

 

[Chuck 2020]

Don’t have sex with it. I hear they will eat you after.

 

[skramer100]

Burn the house down to the ground and move. Where there's one, there's hundreds.

Salt the earth after as well for good measure.

 

[shiv]

Don’t have sex with it. I hear they will eat you after.

Too late

 

[AmericanViking]

Don’t have sex with it. I hear they will eat you after.

Better than monkey pox

 

[hmt5000]

Don’t have sex with it. I hear they will eat you after.

Try to stop me....

 

[champsballs]

@imprimis

Just had a small black widow walking across the back edge of my couch. It was the smallest one of seen, so I’m guessing it was pretty young, but I’m 95% sure it was a black widow

I’ve never seen one inside before. We keep our house and floors clean so it’s not like there is an obvious nest somewhere

How screwed am I?

Real talk here. I’m pretty sure those small ones are by far the worst to have come inside your house. We get spiders bad around my place certain years especially wolf spiders so I try to spray as good as I can. Usually kills off the little ones but the giant mofos won’t ever die but luckily they stick to their nest and don’t venture inside much unless you leave your garage or shed open long enough for them to make a badass web. But that’s not typical they make a killing in evergreen bushes and shit that bugs like

 

[absoluteUnit]

 

[shiv]

Real talk here. I’m pretty sure those small ones are by far the worst to have come inside your house. We get spiders bad around my place certain years especially wolf spiders so I try to spray as good as I can. Usually kills off the little ones but the giant mofos won’t ever die but luckily they stick to their nest and don’t venture inside much unless you leave your garage or shed open long enough for them to make a badass web. But that’s not typical they make a killing in evergreen bushes and shit that bugs like

Every little twitch and tingle now I feel like they are crawling all over me

 

[shiv]

Try to stop me....

Scar Jo is one of the GOATs

 

[Chuck 2020]

Every little twitch and tingle now I feel like they are crawling all over me

that’s just the acid kicking in. You’ll be fine in a few hours.

 

[imprimis]

If there are little ones there are probably more than one. Check the area thoroughly. If there is a feed store close by, get a bottle of Optimate and spray well. Optimate is very good on spiders. If no Optimate use whatever you have. Check the couch everywhere especially underneath.

 

[champsballs]

Every little twitch and tingle now I feel like they are crawling all over me

Do you want to know why we try to keep the small ones away?

 

[shiv]

Do you want to know why we try to keep the small ones away?

Not really

 

[shiv]

If there are little ones there are probably more than one. Check the area thoroughly. If there is a feed store close by, get a bottle of Optimate and spray well. Optimate is very good on spiders. If no Optimate use whatever you have. Check the couch everywhere especially underneath.

I was hoping you would say something else like “it’s not a big deal, probably only one. You aren’t gonna die”

 

[PawPower1981]

@imprimis

Just had a small black widow walking across the back edge of my couch. It was the smallest one of seen, so I’m guessing it was pretty young, but I’m 95% sure it was a black widow

I’ve never seen one inside before. We keep our house and floors clean so it’s not like there is an obvious nest somewhere

How screwed am I?

Honestly doesn’t seem like a black window situation. I’ve been inspecting houses for a decade and rarely seen a widow inside a home and never on a couch.

They generally hang out in cool damp areas with lots of insect traffic (corners of garages, sheds and underground water shutoffs)

Could have been an orb weaver or an ant mimic

 

[Jtrain80]

I was hoping you would say something else like “it’s not a big deal, probably only one. You aren’t gonna die”

Tactical nuke!

 

[shiv]

Honestly doesn’t seem like a black window situation. I’ve been inspecting houses for a decade and rarely seen a widow inside a home and never on a couch.

They generally hang out in cool damp areas with lots of insect traffic (corners of garages, sheds and underground water shutoffs)

Could have been an orb weaver or an ant mimic

i was trying to get a good look at it. It was black and had the same frame as a black widow, but smaller. Had some red on its back too. I tried to get a good look at it and then it had almost got to where I couldn’t smash it, I panicked, tried to get it, missed, couldn’t find it, then saw it, missed again. Finally smashed it against the side of the couch. The wreckage at that point was too much to identify

 

[shiv]

Honestly doesn’t seem like a black window situation. I’ve been inspecting houses for a decade and rarely seen a widow inside a home and never on a couch.

They generally hang out in cool damp areas with lots of insect traffic (corners of garages, sheds and underground water shutoffs)

Could have been an orb weaver or an ant mimic

Nah I checked and it’s definitely not an orb weaver or ant mimic. I’m pretty damn sure it was a black widow

But I agree about it being strange seeing it in the house. My mother in law had just come in and she had been outside and sat in the couch. My guess was that she brought it in some how on her clothes

 

[AmericanViking]

i was trying to get a good look at it. It was black and had the same frame as a black widow, but smaller. Had some red on its back too. I tried to get a good look at it and then it had almost got to where I couldn’t smash it, I panicked, tried to get it, missed, couldn’t find it, then saw it, missed again. Finally smashed it against the side of the couch. The wreckage at that point was too much to identify

??

 

[OPD77]

@imprimis

Just had a small black widow walking across the back edge of my couch. It was the smallest one of seen, so I’m guessing it was pretty young, but I’m 95% sure it was a black widow

I’ve never seen one inside before. We keep our house and floors clean so it’s not like there is an obvious nest somewhere

How screwed am I?

RIP @Croot_Overlord and family. We appreciate what you've done getting TFSF started before you kick the bucket.

 

[OPD77]

Real talk here. I’m pretty sure those small ones are by far the worst to have come inside your house. We get spiders bad around my place certain years especially wolf spiders so I try to spray as good as I can. Usually kills off the little ones but the giant mofos won’t ever die but luckily they stick to their nest and don’t venture inside much unless you leave your garage or shed open long enough for them to make a badass web. But that’s not typical they make a killing in evergreen bushes and shit that bugs like

 

[GarnetPild]

Still one of the scariest movies of all time.

 

[NolesBravesNiners]

Better than monkey pox

View attachment 127736

That's what happens when you eat a dirty asshole.

 

[imprimis]

??

View attachment 127749

Quoted your picture but info for Croot and others.

The red hour glass is on the belly of the black widow. This looks similar - probably the Australian RedBack Spider which is in the same genus. I've never seen red on the back of black widows. The key is the black color is shiny ebony and the abdomen is large like this. If you find their webs they are quite irregular in shape. Males are very small. This said, they usually are outdoor spiders and occasionally found inside. Brown recluses, however, love interiors.

Adults rarely die from their bites but the pain is intense for about 24 hours. So intense some get IV painkillers. Kids can die from their bites as well as adults hypersensitive to their venom. They are easily killed with Raid but a good residual spray (Optimate) is preferred. Unfortunately, they tend to return annually to where they were nesting. I suspect you had a straggler and not an infestation.

I fumigated a building once which was infested with some black widows and lots of brown recluses. When the contractor opened the interior walls after the fumigation dead brown recluses tumbled out by the hundreds. They were also on glue boards their pest control operator has placed out everywhere.

Good luck but don't freak out. Do a thorough inspection and a good crack and crevice spray. Read the label first. Be thankful these aren't bed bugs.

 

[tiderollsonu]

 

[imprimis]

I treated a house last week that found a tarantula inside.

 

[shiv]

Quoted your picture but info for Croot and others.

The red hour glass is on the belly of the black widow. This looks similar - probably the Australian RedBack Spider which is in the same genus. I've never seen red on the back of black widows. The key is the black color is shiny ebony and the abdomen is large like this. If you find their webs they are quite irregular in shape. Males are very small. This said, they usually are outdoor spiders and occasionally found inside. Brown recluses, however, love interiors.

Adults rarely die from their bites but the pain is intense for about 24 hours. So intense some get IV painkillers. Kids can die from their bites as well as adults hypersensitive to their venom. They are easily killed with Raid but a good residual spray (Optimate) is preferred. Unfortunately, they tend to return annually to where they were nesting.

I fumigated a building once which was infested with some black widows and lots of brown recluses. When the contractor opened the interior walls after the fumigation dead brown recluses tumbled out by the hundreds. They were also on glue boards their pest control operator has placed out everywhere.

Good luck but don't freak out. Do a thorough inspection and a good crack and crevice spray. Read the label first. Be thankful these aren't bed bugs.

See what was weird is I’m pretty sure the red was one the back. But that was what made me think it might not have been. I’ve seen tons of black widows before, but never one with red on the back

Here is what it looked like



This is what I’m used to seeing

 

[shiv]

See what was weird is I’m pretty sure the red was one the back. But that was what made me think it might not have been. I’ve seen tons of black widows before, but never one with red on the back

Here is what it looked like

View attachment 127896

This is what I’m used to seeing
View attachment 127897

It was small compared to the ones I find outside which made me think it was just a young one

 

[shiv]

Fortunately we do have pest control service that will come out basically on call

 

[ChicagoFats]

Nah I checked and it’s definitely not an orb weaver or ant mimic. I’m pretty damn sure it was a black widow

But I agree about it being strange seeing it in the house. My mother in law had just come in and she had been outside and sat in the couch. My guess was that she brought it in some how on her clothes

You sure you didn't plant the black widow on your mother in law?

 

[shiv]

You sure you didn't plant the black widow on your mother in law?

Crossed my mind

 

[imprimis]

Fortunately we do have pest control service that will come out basically on call

Let them inspect and treat. Show them the photo resembling what you saw. I suppose it's possible one of the Aussie spiders came into the US on cargo and migrated your direction. Remember, the fire ant arrived from S America in the 30's in Mobile on wood.

 

[shiv]

RIP @Croot_Overlord and family. We appreciate what you've done getting TFSF started before you kick the bucket.

I will pass the reigns and caretaking responsibility over to @ounce to cup

 

[AmericanViking]

See what was weird is I’m pretty sure the red was one the back. But that was what made me think it might not have been. I’ve seen tons of black widows before, but never one with red on the back

Here is what it looked like

View attachment 127896

This is what I’m used to seeing
View attachment 127897

Google says the top one is the Australian red back which I guess is all over the world. The one I posted was a hobo spider.

 

[Taggart]

Still one of the scariest movies of all time.

My dad took me to see Arachnophobia in theaters... I was 6. Haven't been the same since.

 

[Fansong1977]

Quoted your picture but info for Croot and others.

The red hour glass is on the belly of the black widow. This looks similar - probably the Australian RedBack Spider which is in the same genus. I've never seen red on the back of black widows. The key is the black color is shiny ebony and the abdomen is large like this. If you find their webs they are quite irregular in shape. Males are very small. This said, they usually are outdoor spiders and occasionally found inside. Brown recluses, however, love interiors.

Adults rarely die from their bites but the pain is intense for about 24 hours. So intense some get IV painkillers. Kids can die from their bites as well as adults hypersensitive to their venom. They are easily killed with Raid but a good residual spray (Optimate) is preferred. Unfortunately, they tend to return annually to where they were nesting. I suspect you had a straggler and not an infestation.

I fumigated a building once which was infested with some black widows and lots of brown recluses. When the contractor opened the interior walls after the fumigation dead brown recluses tumbled out by the hundreds. They were also on glue boards their pest control operator has placed out everywhere.

Good luck but don't freak out. Do a thorough inspection and a good crack and crevice spray. Read the label first. Be thankful these aren't bed bugs.

When I lived in Australia we had a guy come out to fix our swamp cooler which was outside. When he opened it up there were probably 100 or so Red Backs in webs inside. A perfect place for them, dark and cool.
Most of the time Black Widows, Red Backs stay in their webs and aren't out wondering around.

 

[AmericanViking]

When I lived in Australia we had a guy come out to fix our swamp cooler which was outside. When he opened it up there were probably 100 or so Red Backs in webs inside. A perfect place for them, dark and cool.
Most of the time Black Widows, Red Backs stay in their webs and aren't out wondering around.

I hate the bastards. Our well is filled with them. I cut the electricity and threw a bomb down into our well where the pressure tank is because I need to increase our pressure. Most of them were youth and brown which are not poisonous but there were plenty that were. I’d rather deal with a rattle snake than go down into a hole filled with BW nests. I’m going to pay for someone to do it. Fuck that.

 

[shiv]

When I lived in Australia we had a guy come out to fix our swamp cooler which was outside. When he opened it up there were probably 100 or so Red Backs in webs inside. A perfect place for them, dark and cool.
Most of the time Black Widows, Red Backs stay in their webs and aren't out wondering around.

It seems like 50% of the time I’ve opened up the water cutoff in the yard there is a black widow in there