# black widows



## kaisa (Apr 21, 2010)

are black widow spiders common around here? In the last 2 days i've come across 5 in my house. If I only found one or two it woulnd't be a problem but 5 in 2 days seems bad... it worries me because I think their pretty dangorous to have around?? maybe we have or had a nest in the house 

Today was the final straw when I lifted up a rag on the floor in bathroom and a widow landed on my foot. I don't think I've EVER screamed that loud in my life! I've also caught my cats playing with one so it worries me that them or the dogs could get poisoned or killed...


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## littlereefer (Apr 23, 2010)

I see them all the time, but then again I'm in Maple Ridge and I live on 1 acre so for some reason they might be common around here, but I usually find just wolf spiders (shiver.....) and black widows outside, so I don't know but my kitten plays with the wolf spider and It's huge! But I don't know have too research!


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## alym (Apr 21, 2010)

At least we don't get brown recluse spiders here!


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## kaisa (Apr 21, 2010)

i've never seeen them here before. it really scares me that i've found 5 in the house in two days  I hope we don't have a nest or something.

I't doesn't help that im absolutly terrified of spiders. im scared to go to sleep now  I just looked it up and looks like if the cats eat one or play with them they should be fine but it doesn't help that they can still hurt me


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## littlereefer (Apr 23, 2010)

trust me I hate spiders also lol theres 2 huge wolf spiders downstairs right now!!!!!!! scary!


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## petlaur (Apr 21, 2010)

All I can say is eewwwh! I just hate spiders and I either whap them with my slipper or wash them down the drain if I find them in my bathtub. Can't say I've seen black widows in my apartment here in south Burnaby, just the occasional wolf spider. Perhaps we're seeing more of these critters around because we've had such a mild winter.


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## littlereefer (Apr 23, 2010)

Ya lol maybe.......................................................................hope so if not we have too find out what it is


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## petlaur (Apr 21, 2010)

Hey littlereefer, you know this question begs to be asked. How big are those suckers that live downstairs? Are they big enough that you can put licence plates on them? Can you put leashes on them and take them out for walks?


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## Colin475 (Apr 21, 2010)

What happens if you get bite by a local black widow? I've never seen one around here


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## Tanks 4 Tots (Apr 21, 2010)

Black Widow Spiders do live around here, they normally habitate older structures in mostly undisterbed areas...Even with an infestation it is highly unlikely to be bitten, as they will only attack when threatened, there is also the False Black Widow Spider (AKA) Cupboard Spider that live in our area...Here is a link that may help you a little...

http://www.geog.ubc.ca/biodiversity/efauna/spiders.html

Dean


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## fish dork (Apr 21, 2010)

I have black widows out here too. It's strange to see them unless you look in their hiding spots though. I've never seen one out in the open. They like it cool and damp and usually hide in old tires, woodpiles, crawlspaces, etc. I haven't been bit by one but it is supposed to be quite painful and not usually fatal.


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## kelly528 (Apr 21, 2010)

EEEW Another spider thread!!! Oh well... the weather's getting nicer out so all those nasties can scuttle out now and play in the sun


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## JUICE (Jan 4, 2020)

alym said:


> At least we don't get brown recluse spiders here!


yup those are something to fear !!


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## littlereefer (Apr 23, 2010)

PETLAUR: Its a bout 3 inches across both ways, few more days I could start walking them, and if one bites me I don't care I'll smoosh it with the license plate then It WILL be the size of the license plate, loll


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## O.C.D Fishies (Apr 21, 2010)

I grew up in Lillooet and we had many many, to many of them up there. I have never been bitten nor have any of my pets, so like Dean stated the chances of them bitting you are pretty slim. Just keep an eye out and you will be fine.


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## petlaur (Apr 21, 2010)

littlereefer said:


> PETLAUR: Its a bout 3 inches across both ways, few more days I could start walking them, and if one bites me I don't care I'll smoosh it with the license plate then It WILL be the size of the license plate, loll[/
> 
> LMAO! Ookay, I will definitely not want to visit your downstairs & you can put up a sign "BEWARE! GUARD SPIDERS ON DUTY!"
> 
> Thought that black widows preferred drier climes and that hobo spiders' bites were the ones to fear here in southwest BC.


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## littlereefer (Apr 23, 2010)

ewww don't wanna hear that lol


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## Longimanus (Apr 21, 2010)

I really doubt they are black widows. Did you get a good look at the underside and see a red hourglass? If not, I would agree with Dean that they are very likely a _Steatoda sp_. I have seen these in my house and they look exactly like a black widow, except they are a bit larger and have no hourglass. How big were they? Black widows are really quite small, usually no larger than your fingernail.
_Steatoda grossa_
http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/4566/scan0015tz6.jpg

We also don't really have wolf spiders in our area, what you are seeing are common house spiders or _Tegenaria duellica_.
http://www.sfu.ca/~roitberg/lab/people/maxence/tduellica.jpg

Black Widows tend to stick to the drier places like Litton, Okanagan etc.
Hobo spiders aren't too common here yet, though I'm sure they are coming.


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## carlinraine (Apr 30, 2010)

Just be careful when you buy grapes, they are dormant in your fridge till you take them out, we had a black widow in our grapes we got from costco, just as my little girl wanted grapes and seen it crawling around in the container omg......


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## Hammer (Apr 22, 2010)

Tanks for Tots,

That's a good read. I used to a lot of widows in the interior. I have seen some that look similar to widows in Burnaby but I will have to look closer next time. Maybe false widows..


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## Tanks 4 Tots (Apr 21, 2010)

NP I've come across a Black Widow in the old woodshed in Bby years ago but have never seen one since...

Dean


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## kaisa (Apr 21, 2010)

i diddnt check for the red hour glass...i didn't knpw tthey had one but there was no way i could flip one over to check anyways. they were all small and when I had them trapped under clear glasses until my boyfriend got home to deal with them they had all curled up into little balls half way up the glass. 

4 were found when i was sorting through our camping gear which hasn't been touched for a year and the other one was hiding in the bathroom under a rag. I'll NEVER be able to go through the camping gear again and im still scared to pick anything up off the floor


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## L!$A (Apr 21, 2010)

After reading this, I can't help but feel like there's a spider on me.... haha


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## Longimanus (Apr 21, 2010)

kaisa said:


> i diddnt check for the red hour glass...i didn't knpw tthey had one but there was no way i could flip one over to check anyways. they were all small and when I had them trapped under clear glasses until my boyfriend got home to deal with them they had all curled up into little balls half way up the glass.
> 
> 4 were found when i was sorting through our camping gear which hasn't been touched for a year and the other one was hiding in the bathroom under a rag. I'll NEVER be able to go through the camping gear again and im still scared to pick anything up off the floor


I really wouldn't worry, the chances that they were black widows are very slim. _Steatoda sp_. are harmless, and don't really like to bite. If you just forget they are there they will do a good job keeping other pest bugs to a minimum for you.

We had a pipe burst in a basement wall a few years ago, and up in the ceiliing behind the wall there were a few glossy black beauties, my dad was quite worried that they were black widows. He was pretty positive of their ID because they were glossy round and black just like a black widow. He asked me to take a look and sure enough, they were _Steatoda sp_. They rarely leave their webs, they are very reclusive. Although I did have a young one bunk in with one of my tarantulas for a few months, I fed it baby crickets, it was pretty neat.


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## effox (Apr 21, 2010)

I've found one in a VCR, many in a couch. The one in the VCR ran cross my hand and jumped off it to the floor, I didn't get bit even though I put my hand in its nest.

There are just as good odds of finding a black widow as the false positive, I've seen 10 widows, and only one of the other.

In reality you should be more worried about wolf spiders, they're more likely to bite you, I've been bitten twice by those buggers.


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## Atom (Apr 21, 2010)

Great. Now I am going to be paranoid. 

I had no clue they lived here.


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## Nicklfire (Apr 21, 2010)

god i hate spiders..

I remember when i lived in chilliwack and we had this lower level basement suite and the entrance went down this concreate steps to the door, we saw the odd spider once in a while.

Then the landlord put boards over the concreate for some reason to make it look nicer, but then the spiders started hiding and living Behind the pieces of board and this one night me and my now fiance were going to walk in and 4 HUGE brown spiders ... JUST MASSIVE , never ever seen anything that big before start skiddering around (when the sensor light turned on).

Was the creepiest thing in my life, she started crying cause she's scared shitless of them..


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## petlaur (Apr 21, 2010)

@Nicklfire. Aww man, you just made my skin crawl with that creepy story! LOL. Bet your now fiancé said "Let's MOVE NOW!!!"


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## Nicklfire (Apr 21, 2010)

petlaur said:


> @Nicklfire. Aww man, you just made my skin crawl with that creepy story! LOL. Bet your now fiancé said "Let's MOVE NOW!!!"


We moved shortly after lol


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## NewGuy (Apr 22, 2010)

Never seen any black widows here but there are tons in the Okanagan. The best way to catch spiders and other bugs in the house is to put down glue traps in the corners on the lower floors of the house. Its shocking how many spiders get caught even in a "clean" newer home.


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## kaisa (Apr 21, 2010)

my scariest spider expeirence was when i fell asleep with a empty bowl beside my head on the bed and woke up with a massive wolf spider trapped in the bowl! 

they probably crawl all over us while we sleep all the time


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## veng68 (Apr 30, 2010)

I had one in my garage (formerly a carport). Never really saw it move. was there for about 6 months...... then I never saw it again.

Cheers,
Vic


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