Black Widow Spiders

August 12, 2007 by
Filed under: Other Stuff 

I’m not sure if it has something to do with the wet weather we had in the early part of summer or what, but we have seen a very large number of black widow spiders this year! And I really am not too fond of the little creatures!

My wife came in house this morning with her camera in hand and said, “you’ve got to come take a picture of this cool spider web out in the shop”. So I grabbed my camera and tripod and head out there. Sure enough, there is this really strange, multi-dimensional spider web connected to some gardening tools. And the sunlight was coming through the window and hitting it just right to create a really eerie looking design.

So I snapped a few pictures and kept looking at them to see if I got the shot I wanted. Finally in one of the pictures I see this spider which I hadn’t noticed in the others? So I peer into the web to see this fine specimen of a black widow! As much as I dislike spiders, I have to admit that the black widow is pretty. Shiny black with that unmistakable red “hourglass” shape on the bottom.

Black WidowAs I said…they’re pretty, but I’m afraid I can’t tolerate their existence in my space. This one met it’s demise soon after the photo-shoot. I apologize in advance to any arachno-lovers out there, (sorry…don’t know what the official term is for a spider lover).

I’m certain thats not the last one of these little beasts I’ll see this year. Hopefully we can keep our distance from each other and everything will be fine!

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Comments

25 Comments on Black Widow Spiders

  1. Angela on Tue, 14th Aug 2007 1:08 pm

    2. Thank you, Chris, for getting such a good closeup of one! None of the pictures I’ve ever seen of a black widow show enough detail for me to be able to figure out what I should watch for.

    So far I haven’t seen more than the normal amount of spiders, but this morning a woodpecker cut loose on the exterior wall where my desk sits here in my office. Needless to say, pens, pencils, paperclips, paper and what-have-you went flying as I flew from my chair. LOL!

    Need to get MY camera out and see if Woody has an ivory beak.

  2. Chris on Tue, 14th Aug 2007 2:03 pm

    3. Hi Angela – Yes…keep an eye out for the little boogers! They give me the heeby-jeebies!

    Thats funny about the woodpecker! LOL! I like woodpeckers until they start attacking the house and scaring the crap out of you!

  3. Free Self-Growth eBooks on Wed, 15th Aug 2007 5:54 am

    4. I really wouldn’t feel comfortable with creatures like that around me.. Glad I don’t have to worry about it :-)

  4. Chris on Wed, 15th Aug 2007 1:26 pm

    5. Self-Growth eBooks – I’m glad you don’t have to worry about them as well!

  5. jew on Thu, 23rd Aug 2007 9:25 am

    6. what a great picture. i agree black widow are scary, but frankly i love spiders they eat mosquitoes

  6. Chris on Fri, 24th Aug 2007 10:50 am

    7. Jew – I’m more fond of the kind of spiders that eat mosquitoes but don’t have the nasty bite of one of these! Thanks for dropping by!

  7. Jew on Sun, 2nd Sep 2007 6:42 am

    8. Well, yah I guess you’re right…
    I’ve never meet a Black Widow in person, but I did heard it’s one dangerous spider.

  8. Ventrilo Server on Fri, 7th Sep 2007 3:33 pm

    9. Yea I try to stay away from those spiders

  9. Gyms and Health Clubs by Aaron on Fri, 7th Sep 2007 9:24 pm

    10. I’ve always been absolutely terrified of spiders, but these in particular… this and the brown recluse are supposed to be able to kill a man, is that accurate?

  10. Chris on Mon, 10th Sep 2007 9:03 pm

    11. Ventrilo Server – Indeed….I would leave these bad boys alone!

    Gyms and Health Clubs by Aaron – I’m not too fond of them myself. As for the damage they can do…I would think it would be a very rare occurrence for the black widow or brown recluse to kill a human. I’ve seen people let a brown recluse bite go without getting treatment, and those things get nasty!!! You can probably do a google search for “brown recluse bites” and see some pictures of what they can do to you.
    Thanks for dropping by!

  11. angela on Sun, 23rd Sep 2007 2:46 pm

    12. Just droppin’ in to thank you again for this pic. It verified that the TWO spiders my husband encountered today while mowing the lawn and getting things from our shed were indeed black widows.

    Thank goodness no bites!

  12. Play arcade games on Mon, 21st Jan 2008 1:40 am

    13. very intresting reading, keep up the good work man

  13. JENNIFER on Sat, 2nd Feb 2008 3:23 pm

    14. You all are cruel and sick in your head to not like a black widow if anything they would keep the pest out of your house…. They do not harm humans unless they feel threatend…

  14. Chris on Sat, 2nd Feb 2008 10:05 pm

    15. Ummm….Ok…..I’ll take your word for that.

  15. montblanc meisterstuck on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 6:37 am

    16. Yuck! If there is one, does that mean there are more? I wouldnt be able to sleep at night.

  16. MSN hacken on Sat, 22nd Mar 2008 12:58 pm

    17. I almost been surprised with this kind of picture. I hate that animals, but they are very useful for our environment and the world

  17. next health news on Thu, 8th May 2008 5:32 pm

    18. However, like any spider, widow spiders may cause fear and nervousness in people who come into contact with them.

  18. Nick - Bittenbydesign.com on Mon, 11th Aug 2008 12:16 am

    19. If memory serves, it is an Arachnophile.

    But I would much prefer the Black Widow over the huge range of Spiders we have here in Australia!

    The Red Back is similar, but we also have many more (and very aggresive) spiders, snakes, and the occasional mad magpie.

  19. cheap website hosting on Sun, 7th Sep 2008 9:58 am

    20. I just love it ….. well i don’t have any doubt about your articles… your posts are awesome… Honestly you are simply the best.Thanks for sharing this in yo ur post with us.

  20. Totally Home on Tue, 9th Sep 2008 9:54 pm

    21. Spider scare me to death :( .. I have arahcnaphobia i guess lol.. nice topic though :P

  21. Flood Damage on Thu, 4th Dec 2008 8:25 am

    22. Last week while I was at my computer typing, I looked down through my glasses and a big old brown spider about the size of a quarter was sitting on my leg. I almost dies. Had it been a black widow, I’m sure I would have really had a heart attack. They are like the most evil of spiders. We also see qute a few black widows where I live in Tennessee, but I have never had a desire to photograph one. My first instinct is to mash it quickly or run, whichever I happen to do first!

  22. Plug on Wed, 17th Dec 2008 10:20 am

    23. I don’t like spiders at all. I’m afraid of it. But I try to don’t kill them. My grandma said, that in bible when God’s Mother with child Christ hided under the bridge, spiders made web and so soldiers decided that there can’t be anyone and didn’t find them.
    Somebody said me, that spiders are our dead relatives :)

  23. web hosting on Wed, 24th Jun 2009 3:50 am

    24. A beautiful snap!!

  24. Totally Crazy on Tue, 7th Jul 2009 10:20 pm

    25. I do not know how you like that spider. I hated that spider after i learned about it in elementary school.

  25. bill fawcett on Wed, 20th Jan 2010 3:53 pm

    26. You think this spider is bad, a few years ago I came across a “camel spider” man those things are massive and ugly.

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