Black widow in house

[Edgehollow]

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

I pictured you screaming like a teenage girl the 1st time you missed it.

 

[imprimis]

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

I find them routinely inside black rat bait stations around buildings. Insects eat the rat bait because it has a peanut butter aroma. They don't die from the poison as its mode of action is like Coumadin or Warfarin. Spiders are waiting for the insects. Occasionally, I find snakes in the boxes waiting I presume for rats and mice to enter.

Sister's lake house is infested in the crawl space with black widows and scorpions and now has termites. Guess who has been asked to kill the termites? Beforehand, the crawl space will be fogged at least twice and the termite treatment will be after the first freeze.

 

[laterallyshaking]

Hope this helps.

 

[TopHook]

 

[BurntJ]

@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?

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

View attachment 127739

Perfect 1st response. Therad/

Great Gift!

@Croot_Overlord where are you and the family looking to move to? Stay in Huntsville or total relocation?

 

[BurntJ]

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.

Ugh….I’m paying someone to deal with the fuckin rattle snakes too bro.

 

[imprimis]

Had the president of a client company call this AM and said there was a den of skunks under her front porch. I referred a wildlife company to her as I don't have traps for skunks. Wire ones will catch them but you run the risk of getting sprayed. Skunk traps are basically large round PVC pipes with doors. Almost all skunks carry rabies too. That's a costly job.

 

[Edgehollow]

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.

Is the Optimate pet safe? We got spiders like a MFer but I don't want to kill the grandbaby's dog in the process. TIA

 

[imprimis]

Is the Optimate pet safe? We got spiders like a MFer but I don't want to kill the grandbaby's dog in the process. TIA

I've used it numerous times indoors with children and pets. Just make sure it has dried before letting the pets and anyone get near it. It's one of the better ones for spiders and scorpions. At the feed stores, it comes in a blister pack of a one ounce vial. Much cheaper than the pint or quart size I buy.

As always, read the label before using or buying. Also, if one ounce/gal works---2-3 ounces/gal is not better. That's where people get into problems. I believe the recommended dose is 1/3 oz/gal. So the vial could be used for 3 gallons. It works outside too but will break down faster. I used it 2 months ago for black widows outside a home and have heard nothing from them about reinfestation.

 

[LVRebel]

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

How did you manage to miss a spider multiple times? Either you're dealing with some sort of new ninja spider breed, or we need to work on your hand eye coordination.

 

[LVRebel]

On second thought, I can see how a spider could be missed based on a past experience.

Probably 7-8 years ago, I walked out my front door and there was a giant sun spider basically guarding the walkway to the street. I got a little closer to it to check it out and it charged me. I'm pretty sure I jumped and squealed a bit, since I was definitely not expecting that. I closed the door, went back in and regrouped before going back out and killing that thing. Those dudes are gnarly and they're actually pretty fast.

Spoiler: Sunspider

From article: "Sunspiders are extremely voracious, and the largest forms can kill small vertebrates. The chelicerae (first pair of appendages) are large toothed, jawlike pincers, and the leglike pedipalps (second pair of appendages) have suctorial tips for seizing prey. Unique racket-shaped organs (malleoli) on the hindmost legs may be sensory."

"Solifugids are fast running, nocturnal arachnids that resemble something intermediate between a scorpion and a spider, thus the alternate common name, sun spider."

 

[AmericanViking]

Had the president of a client company call this AM and said there was a den of skunks under her front porch. I referred a wildlife company to her as I don't have traps for skunks. Wire ones will catch them but you run the risk of getting sprayed. Skunk traps are basically large round PVC pipes with doors. Almost all skunks carry rabies too. That's a costly job.

We cover the cage so they can’t see and haven’t had issues. We then walk them over to a tub, set the trap in it, and fill it up with water.

 

[imprimis]

How did you manage to miss a spider multiple times? Either you're dealing with some sort of new ninja spider breed, or we need to work on your hand eye coordination.

I have a friend use a 20 ga shotgun on a copperhead and had to shoot twice. Missed entirely the first shot. Vaporized it on the second.

 

[imprimis]

We cover the cage so they can’t see and haven’t had issues. We then walk them over to a tub, set the trap in it, and fill it up with water.

I don't even want to deal with them although raw eggs are their preferred bait. And, I've had the rabies injections.

 

[shiv]

I pictured you screaming like a teenage girl the 1st time you missed it.

I was on the inside

 

[shiv]

Perfect 1st response. Therad/

Great Gift!

@Croot_Overlord where are you and the family looking to move to? Stay in Huntsville or total relocation?

North Pole

 

[shiv]

How did you manage to miss a spider multiple times? Either you're dealing with some sort of new ninja spider breed, or we need to work on your hand eye coordination.

It was hauling ass across the top of the couch at first. I was coming at an awkward angle and didn’t have good light. From the end it started dropping from its thread, and I tried to get it with a paper towel, but just ended up pushing it back onto the side of the couch. Final move was I grabbed a kids shoe off the floor and smeared it into the side of the couch. RIp in pieces spider

 

[shiv]

Also my couch is black too so it blended in well

 

[LVRebel]

Also my couch is black too so it blended in well

View attachment 127935

I think it's still there. Look at that black spot above the top right corner

 

[imprimis]

It was hauling ass across the top of the couch at first. I was coming at an awkward angle and didn’t have good light. From the end it started dropping from its thread, and I tried to get it with a paper towel, but just ended up pushing it back onto the side of the couch. Final move was I grabbed a kids shoe off the floor and smeared it into the side of the couch. RIp in pieces spider

I was reading this thread early this AM while dark outside and inside. Felt something crawling on my foot. Turned out to be a click beetle.

 

[OPD77]

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

That's better than 2 girls 1 cup I suppose.

 

[BurntJ]

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

This is NOT good news for Corch Saban and BAMMER.

You sir have not done yore part as a real fan and gotten yoreself in shape. You are a let down to Saban and Bama bro. But hey re-reading that......it reads more like a Tennessee fan anyway.