irisrose

Where we used to live, we had many black widow spiders. I didn't like them around either. The cats would try to catch them and I was worried one of them would get bitten. Anyway, I called an exterminator and they said poisons they use for most spiders don't work on black widows. They don't have hairy legs, they're smooth and therefore won't hold the poison on them. Additionally, the egg sac is impervious to these kind of poisons.

About black widow bites. I am going to paste some info I found about black widows and getting rid of them. Hope this helps. Good luck!!

Caution -Venomous!

The venom of the black widow spider is 15 times as toxic as the venom of the Prairie Rattlesnake. But only a minute amount of the toxin is injected with a single bite by the spider, so they are rarely fatal. However, the relatively large amount of injected rattlesnake venom results in about 15 to 25 percent mortality among those bitten.

The bite itself is often not painful and may go unnoticed. But the poison injected by the the Black Widow bite can cause abdominal pain similar to appendicitis as well as pain to muscles or the soles of the feet. Other symptoms include alternating salivation and dry-mouth, paralysis of the diaphragm, profuse sweating and swollen eyelids.

Persons younger than 16 and older than 60, especially those with a heart condition, may require a hospital stay. (Heart and lung failure may result in death.) A physician can give specific antivenin or calcium gluconate to relieve pain. Healthy people recover rapidly in two to five days.

For others, clean the site well with soap and water. Apply a cool compress over the bite location and keep the affected limb elevated to about heart level. Aspirin or Tylenol may be used to relieve minor symptoms. Treatment in a medical facility may be necessary for children less than 5 years old or for adults with severe symptoms. Call the Poison Center for additional information. Poison Centers across the country now have a new national emergency phone number - 1-800-222-1222

Be very careful when working around areas where black widow spiders may be established. Take proper precautions-wear gloves and pay attention to where you are working. The reaction to a Black widow bite can be painful, and the victim should go to the doctor immediately for treatment.

To control the black widow, carefully remove all materials where they might hide. They can be cleaned out of an area simply by knocking down the webs, spiders, and round, tan egg sacs with a stick and crushing them underfoot. Removal or destruction of the egg sacks may help control the population. This spider is resistant to many insecticides.