Black Widow Spiders

How to identify black widow spiders

The mature female is shiny jet-black with a rounded abdomen and a distinctive red hourglass on the underside; she's about 1/2 inch in body, larger with legs spread. Males and juveniles are smaller and less distinctly marked. The web is a strong, irregular, tangled mesh — often low to the ground in a corner, under a ledge, or inside stored items.

Behavior & biology

Black widows prefer dark, protected, low-traffic spots: under eaves and outdoor furniture, in woodpiles, garages, sheds, meter boxes, and around foundation gaps. They're not aggressive and bite mainly when pressed or disturbed in their web. Females guard tan, papery egg sacs, each capable of producing many spiderlings, so an undisturbed corner can host several generations.

Why black widow spiders matter

The black widow's venom is a neurotoxin, and a bite can cause intense muscle pain, cramping, sweating, and other systemic symptoms requiring medical care, particularly in children and older adults. The practical risk for homeowners is the spider's habit of nesting exactly where people reach without looking — under chairs, in storage bins, around firewood, and inside gloves or shoes left in the garage.

DIY vs. professional control

Knocking down a single web doesn't address the egg sacs or the other widows sheltering nearby in voids and clutter. Professional control means inspecting and treating harborage around the foundation, eaves, and outbuildings, removing webs and egg sacs, dusting voids, and sealing entry points so the exterior stays less hospitable.

How Definity treats black widow spiders

Definity controls black widows by inspecting and treating exterior harborage — eaves, foundation gaps, garages, sheds, and woodpiles — removing webs and egg sacs and dusting voids where they hide. Johnny Lockridge advises homeowners to wear gloves around stored firewood and garage clutter and to keep storage off the ground, since those low, dark spots are exactly where widows set up.