Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: The characteristics of a Black Widow
• Method 2 of 3: Hunting and killing Black Widows
• Method 3 of 3: Preventive measures
• Tips
• Warnings
• Necessities

Spiders are useful animals because they eat the harmful insects in your garden, but unfortunately the Black Widow is a poisonous spider with a bite that can kill a human! Black Widows are therefore not spiders that you want to have in your garden. To ensure that these deadly spiders leave your garden and stay away, you can take certain measures. Just make sure you follow the instructions below strictly and proceed very carefully.

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Method 1 of 3: The characteristics of a Black Widow

1. You must be able to recognize a Black Widow. This spider is mainly found in the US and Canada, but also in other areas of the world with a temperate climate such as Western and Central Europe. The Black Widow is the most poisonous spider species in North America. The female is the easiest to recognize and is also the most dangerous. The females are black in color with a bulbous lower body and a red hourglass-shaped mark on the abdomen. The body is about 1.3 cm long with a total length of 3.8 cm.
   • The male is half the size of the female and has a brown or gray color. The male often has a number of red dots on the lower abdomen and may have a yellow or red stripe on his back. Incidentally, the male is not poisonous.
   • Young spiders are white or yellow and white and darken as they age. These young spiders can have yellow and red patches on their back. During this period the males and females cannot be distinguished from each other, these young spiders (both males and females) are not dangerous for humans.
2. The Black Widow has certain habits, if you know these you can avoid and drive away the spider. The Black Widow is a spider that prefers to find a dark place, such as: boxes, under ledges or between the firewood, and stays there. The Black Widow is a nocturnal animal and therefore only hunts at night.
   • The web that the spider spans usually hangs low to the ground and looks a bit unusual. However, the web is stronger than most normal spider webs. The spider uses the web to lay eggs and to catch prey.
   • Black Widows are often found in dark corners of the house or on the edge of your garage or yard where their webs are less frequently removed. Sometimes the spider will web under a car or motorcycle, near the wheels and engine, especially if it is not used very often.
   • Black Widows are very territorial and thus spin multiple webs that hang close together.
3. Recognize the danger. Females have venom that is 15 times harder to control than that of a rattlesnake. This poison is a neurotoxin and causes symptoms such as: muscle pain, stomach pain, breathing problems and nausea. In most cases, these bites can be treated without causing permanent damage, but they cannot always be treated equally and can lead to death.
   • Black Widows are not aggressive and only bite when attacked, disturbed or injured and feel threatened.
   • Small children and old people have stronger reactions to the Black Widow's bite. If a parent has bitten someone or a child, you should immediately take them to a doctor.
4. You must be able to identify a brown recluse spider. This spider is slightly more common than the Black Widow and is more difficult to spot because they look more like other species, with their dark color, than the Black Widow. They are about the same size as the Black Widow but with a large violin-shaped mark on their back.
   • The venom of the brown recluse spider is less poisonous than that of the Black Widow, but in rare cases can also be deadly.
   • You can also use the approach you use to scare away Black Widows to scare back violin spiders.

Method 2 of 3: Hunting and killing Black Widows

1. If you are looking for spider webs, you should do as much as possible during the day because they are easier to see then. Because Black Widows are nocturnal you will not find them during the day. So it is best to search the webs during the day and kill the spiders at night. Locate the webs in areas that are dark, covered and usually not disturbed.
   • Indoors, look for a web in a dark corner of the closet, under the bed, in the basement, or in the attic. Outdoors, you can find webs under windowsills, in door frames, in firewood, and in densely growing vegetation on and around your home and garden.
   • A Black Widow's web often looks a bit strange and has a funnel shape, which gives the female a place to hide. Never break a web without wearing protective gear and never break a web to kill a spider.
   • Pay attention to where the webs hang so you can check later whether they are still hanging there or not.
2. Once you know where the webs are, you can do a number of things to get rid of the spiders without having to kill them yourself. If you have a liquid insecticide spray or a dust spray, you can spray it on the web and the surrounding area. This will keep new spiders from entering that area and the existing spiders to die.
   • Means such as Delta Dust Insecticide and Drione Dust can be used to clean places where nobody normally goes, such as: attics, crawl spaces and basements. This can also be done with a petty thief.
   • You can usually buy these types of remedies in powder form, which you then have to mix with water to get a spray. The spray works best under and behind furniture, under beds, in places where items are stored such as garages and attics, and in other dark places. Products such as Demon WP Insecticide and Cynoff EC are recommended.
   • Although these products are effective, they do not necessarily cause all spiders to die. They are best used in conjunction with other methods to kill the spiders in your home and keep them away too.
3. Go back to the web in the evening to kill the spiders. The most efficient way to kill Black Widows is to approach them at night and kill them yourself. You don't necessarily have to do this at night, but you should at least wait until the sun has set. Bring a flashlight and wear protective clothing, such as high boots, so the spiders can't bite you. These are the best methods to kill spiders:
   • Insecticide. The easiest way to kill a spider is with a spray. The spray hits the spider, paralyzes it, and then the spider dies. These types of sprays are safe to use and do not leave any harmful substances.
   • Crushing. A simple way to kill spiders is to hit them yourself with a newspaper or magazine. This is not very elegant, but it is very effective. Just make sure to keep a distance so the spider can't bite you in case you don't hit all at once. Black Widows sometimes run towards their attackers instead of fleeing.
   • The vacuum cleaner. A vacuum cleaner can be used to vacuum up spiders. The advantage of this method is that you don't have to get close to the spider because of the long rod. This method works best indoors where there is always electricity and is good for vacuuming up spiders that are hiding in hard-to-reach places. When you have vacuumed up the spiders, you should immediately remove the vacuum cleaner bag and put it in a garbage bag and then put it in a container.
4. Destroy the egg sacs (also called egg sac). Once you have removed the spiders, you will also need to find and remove the egg sacs. The egg sacks hang from the web and are white-gray in color, due to the fact that they are made of the same material as the web.
   • The best way to get rid of egg sacs is to spray or vacuum them with insecticide. If you crush an egg bag, a lot of little spiders come out that you can never get all of them and then you are even further away from home.
5. Know what to do if you get bitten. If you're not careful enough, or if you're unlucky and get bitten by a Black Widow, don't panic. The bite does not hurt immediately, but the symptoms such as: abdominal pain, muscle pain, nausea, a dry mouth, an elevated temperature, breathing problems and swollen eyelids cause discomfort within a few hours after the bite. If you or someone you know needs to provide first aid after a bite, follow these steps:
   • Clean the area around the wound and immediately put ice on it. If the bite is on your arm or leg, you have to raise it in relation to the heart. These measures ensure that the poison spreads more slowly.
   • Get medical help right away. A bite does not have to cause major problems, but it must be treated equally. Victims usually receive a calcium injection. In severe cases, victims are given an antidote.
   • If possible, you should catch the spider that bit you, alive or dead, and put it in a mason jar or plastic bag and take it with you to your doctor. The type of spider can then be determined by an expert so that your doctor (s) can determine the best treatment for your bite.
   • You can also call the organization behind the Gifwijzer for further information.
6. Call a professional exterminator to deal with bigger infestations. If you see a large number of Black Widows in your garden, you should get a professional to eradicate them as effectively and efficiently as possible. This is especially important for young families, older people and those with pets as these groups can develop many health problems from a bite.
   • If you are bothered by a major infestation or if the spiders are nesting in hard-to-reach places, you should also call in a professional exterminator with specialist equipment to clean up the spiders. They are also allowed to use chemicals and insecticides that citizens are not allowed to use.
   • If you want to engage an exterminator, you should call some of these companies to make sure they have experience with these types of animals. They should also be able to give you a quote based on the severity of the situation and the area affected.

Method 3 of 3: Preventive measures

1. Clean your house regularly. Black Widows don't want to be disturbed, that's why they live in dark, forgotten places. You can make your home unattractive by cleaning your home regularly. Make sure that all closed spots are dry and that there is no mold anywhere, because Black Widows love moisture.
   • Black Widows usually hide under window frames and door frames. You can get rid of these spiders by spraying the outside of your home with a pressure washer. With such a syringe you remove all spiders that are hiding in hard to reach places.
2. Make sure there is not much clutter around and in your house. Spiders come to rubbish, which also explains why many people are bitten when they clean again after a long time, such as cleaning the garage / shed or cleaning a cupboard. Make sure there are no places left for the spiders to hide. Indoors, this means that you should throw away all old clothes and newspapers that a spider could hide in.
   • Remove firewood and other debris that may be around your house. These are popular nesting places for Black Widows because they are warm, dark and covered places. Also be careful when stacking firewood next to your house, this can be used by spiders to jump into your house. If possible, keep these items away from your home. Also, always wear gloves when carrying firewood inside to avoid spider bites.
   • Prune shrubs, ivy and other types of plants that grow around your house or right next to it. Spiders often enter your home through these types of plants, through the windows or the roof. Remove all ivy and shrubs near your home's foundation and don't let the grass in your yard grow too tall.
3. Make sure your doors and windows are properly closed. Black Widows are quite large spiders, but they can also squeeze through small cracks / holes. Make your home as spin-unfriendly as possible by filling in all the gaps.
   • Before filling in cracks, put some insecticide in this area so that spiders don't come over if these cracks reappear in the future.
   • Use a caulking gun to seal the cracks in your walls. Pay particular attention to the areas where wires, cables, taps and sockets are located.
   • Make sure the screens for your doors and windows do not have holes or tears. Make sure that nothing can come in through your ventilation system.
   • Use draft strips so that nothing can get under your doors.
4. Consider changing your outdoor lights. Incandescent bulbs attract many insects, which in turn attract Black Widows. You should consider replacing these types of lamps with sodium lamps that attract fewer insects and therefore fewer spiders.
   • You can take away the Black Widows' food supply by placing sticky traps around your house to catch the small insects and flies around your house. You can also use pesticides. The less food the spider can find around your house, the less likely the spider will want to move into or around your house.
   • It is better to leave other spider species, such as the brown recluse spider, alone. The other spider species compete for food, while the Black Widow prefers to be the only spider in a garden.
5. Use natural remedies to get rid of spiders. Some people are reluctant to use chemicals because they have small children or pets. However, there are also natural remedies to deter Black Widows:
   • Try to make sure there are wrens living in your yard. Wren eat spiders and other pests. You can attract these birds by placing birdhouses in your garden and by luring them with food (apple, peanut butter, breadcrumbs) in your garden.
   • Sprinkle some horse chestnuts around your house. According to some people this helps against spiders. It is said that the chestnut contains a certain chemical (saponin) that spiders dislike. This has not been proven, but some people swear by it.
6. Make sure your whole house smells of stuff the Black Widow hates. You can scare all spiders with smells they don't like. This has not been scientifically proven, but it is worth a try!
   • Use lemon oil or lemon water. It is said that Black Widows do not like the scent of lemons. Use cleaning products with lemon in them or make your own lemon mixture by mixing some lemon oil with water. Then spray this on dark places in your house and around the windows.
   • Use peppermint or mint oil. The scent of mint deters spiders. Place some mint leaves or a few oil drops around your house.
   • Plant eucalyptus around your home.According to some people, the scent of this shrub deters certain spider species, including the Black Widow.

Tips

• You shouldn't poke a Black Widow
• You should not touch the egg bags. Some eggs can burst spontaneously, and if that happens, you won't be able to get hold of all the little spiders.
• Many spiders you encounter in your garden are not dangerous, so you can choose to leave them alone. An advantage of these spiders is that they eat insects in your garden.
• You can also encounter other all-black spider species such as the Wolf Spider.
• Spiders have a function in your garden, which is to eat as many insects as possible.
• The presence of a few Black Widows in areas of your garden that you don't visit often doesn't matter, and you can choose to keep a few spiders alive, especially if you have a lot of insects in your yard.

Warnings

• Black Widows are very dangerous and should be approached with caution.
• Brown Widows are spiders that resemble Black Widows in appearance. This species has the same shape with an hourglass shape on their back only in orange. They also have patterns on their body that look like tattoos. This species has venom twice as strong as that of the Black Widow. The egg sacs of this species work more or less the same as those of the Black Widow, but with spines coming out of the bag. The Brown Widow is more common and often makes multiple webs in multiple locations and at more different heights than the Black Widow. Some webs even hang at the eye level of an adult human. Webs are also sometimes found under garden chairs, between chain-link fencing, and under the handles of trash and / or containers. These webs should be handled just as gently as those of the Black Widow. This species does not attack when the egg sac is attacked but instead pretends to be dead. The Brown Widow also makes more egg bags than the Black Widow. If you see an egg sac with spines in your garden, you know that there are Brown Widows in your garden. You can find and delete them in the way described above.

Necessities

• A flashlight
• A bottle of insecticide
• Lots of patience and a good plan