# Black Widows :P



## Dennis Nedry (Sep 20, 2007)

[deleted]


----------



## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Dennis Nedry said:


> Just my luck, being a total arachnophobe ...
> 
> When we moved to Victoria, BC- one of the things we asked around about was the Black Widow spider, which I'd heard about (apparently they're pretty prevalent in Calgary too- though we never saw a single one or ever heard about one in our 25 years living there) having taken up residence on the island. The general consensus was that they were so rare around 'town that you'd be lucky to see one in your entire life.
> 
> ...


Guess they are here in western NL as well, DN. 

Spider forced family out of western Nfld. home - Nfld. & Labrador - CBC News


----------



## The Doug (Jun 14, 2003)

I'd say just chill and leave it alone. The spider is likely eating other little crawlies that you don't want in the house. Don't bother it and it won't bother you.

The only arachnids I remove from our abode on sight are Yellow Sac Spiders as they tend to infest homes - and you're more likely to be bitten by one of these than a Black Widow.


----------



## monokitty (Jan 26, 2002)

The Doug said:


> I'd say just chill and leave it alone. The spider is likely eating other little crawlies that you don't want in the house. Don't bother it and it won't bother you.
> 
> The only arachnids I remove from our abode on sight are Yellow Sac Spiders as they tend to infest homes - and you're more likely to be bitten by one of these than a Black Widow.


+1; chances are the spider won't be a problem (or harmful) to you, your family and your family cat.


----------



## MLeh (Dec 23, 2005)

We just 'let 'em be'.

Wait until you encounter a Wolf Spider.


----------



## eMacMan (Nov 27, 2006)

MLeh said:


> We just 'let 'em be'.
> 
> Wait until you encounter a Wolf Spider.


Never attempt to spray the outside of the home as this may drive them indoors. As said spiders eat other crawlies and wherever possible are best left alone. 

BTW Wolf spiders are really scary looking but seemingly harmless. Got this info from someone whose definition of harmless could be suspect so best confirm by checking with a qualified "Bugologist".


----------



## MLeh (Dec 23, 2005)

eMacMan said:


> BTW Wolf spiders are really scary looking but seemingly harmless. Got this info from someone whose definition of harmless could be suspect so best confirm by checking with a qualified "Bugologist".


Oh, I know they're relatively harmless. It's just the OP said "_being a total arachnophobe_" and I was thinking of their reaction when they first see a spider the size of the palm of your hand ...


----------



## rgray (Feb 15, 2005)

Wolf spider bite


----------



## GratuitousApplesauce (Jan 29, 2004)

Don't worry Dennis. The false widows are actually pretty common. I've seen them here on my island. Unless they have the red hourglass and are totally jet black (not dark brownish), they're not black widows. Apparently some of the false widows prey on black widows.

And even if they are widows, they are shy. They are stealth hunters, they don't make webs to catch their prey, they hide and pounce. They don't want to tangle with you. If you are bitten by a spider it's likely because they feared they were about to be crushed by a wall of human flesh and went into panic mode. They generally bite things that are far smaller and that they intend to eat. Biting a person, would be like you trying to bite a wall that was about to fall on them. Most of us would never do this, but you could put your hand next to one and they would crawl upon it without ever biting, because they aren't being threatened.

Consider yourself lucky you don't live in Australia. There they have a very toxic relative of the black widow called the Red Back, that has very dangerous bites and lives in and around the suburbs. Hospitals there have to carry many types of anti-venom for all the dangerous spiders and snakes.

There is a spider expert at U Vic who gives fascinating talks. I sent him an email once to ask him about the common spiders around here with a good macro shot and he replied with his estimation. His name is Robb Bennett.

Now for the spiders that live around our place. *Arachnophobes ... close your eyes!*










While being large these guys are pretty benign. They are a particular species that live in the native Douglas Fir trees of Vancouver Island and region. They are called the Callobius spider and are not wolf spiders (as many here think). They are slow moving — even though I've evicted now hundreds of them from my house over the years I've never been bitten. It doesn't even make me involuntarily shudder any more when I see a large one sitting on the wall. 

We have far fewer of them now that there is a metal roof on the house. The previous cedar shake roof harboured tons of little wood bugs that were eating the old roof and just happened to be the Callobius spider's favourite snack. So I credit them with helping to extend the life of the old roof.


----------



## Kazak (Jan 19, 2004)

Saw lots of real black widows growing up in Kelowna, but they kept to dry, dark places, almost always outside.

Lots of wolf spiders in our house here, but I don't think I've been bitten. They rarely leave the floor.

About five years ago, we started seeing a new kind of spider in the house. They have tiny bodies, and long, hair-thin legs, and make their webs in ceiling and floor corners. I think they're venomous, because I've seen wolf spiders many times their size all wound up like Frodo was by Shelob. (No, they're not daddy-long-legs. These guys are much smaller, and their legs are much thinner. Plus, I've never seen a dll indoors.)


----------



## jamesB (Jan 28, 2007)

rgray said:


> Wolf spider bite


Sheesh, at first I thought I was looking at a satellite photo of the sahara desert.
I had to scroll up down and sideways to try and see what I had a picture of.


----------



## KC4 (Feb 2, 2009)

Dennis, 
I wouldn't worry unless you find a giant web strung across your back door with a Klondike Bar placed in the center. 

In Texas we encountered (but thankfully were never bitten by) the brown recluse spider. Small and innocuous looking, they killed many pets and typically at least one human/year in Texas. It's the small plain ones that get ya.


----------



## Kazak (Jan 19, 2004)

KC4 said:


> Dennis,
> I wouldn't worry unless you find a giant web strung across your back door with a Klondike Bar placed in the center.


Or Theresa Russell in a negligée.


----------

