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When is a black widow spider not a black widow spider?

ray french

Titanium
Joined
Jun 17, 2003
Location
climax,ga. 39834
I've had a black widow spider problem ever since I bought this property.In the last month or so this problem has gotten out of hand.Only thing is they're not black.These new ones are light tan to light brown with either a bright orange or bright yellow hour glass on the abdomine.The body size is the same as the black ones but the black ones seem to have disappeared.I've looked on the net all to no avail.Any experience or ideas?Sorry I tried to edit title to include OT but couldn't find a way to do it.
 
Contact your local country agricultural extension. They may not be spider experts, but they can tell you about known local pests and refer to you an appropriate specialist.
 
Male black widow. Only the female is solid black. The Males are smaller, and brown or tan with spots or irregular markings. We have them here but believe it or not, they friggin dominate the Recluse spiders. Every time I find a web with dead Recluse spiders in it, the male widow is the maker...
 
Sounds like an infestation of florida black widows....aka brown widow spiders.
They have a round, white, nest? with little spikes on it. They are everywhere in Florida.
I don't know how poisonous they are, as I've never heard of anyone who was bitten by one.
 
I've had a black widow spider problem ever since I bought this property.In the last month or so this problem has gotten out of hand.Only thing is they're not black.These new ones are light tan to light brown with either a bright orange or bright yellow hour glass on the abdomine.The body size is the same as the black ones but the black ones seem to have disappeared.I've looked on the net all to no avail.Any experience or ideas?Sorry I tried to edit title to include OT but couldn't find a way to do it.



Had trouble with the lighter ones taking over in South Africa for yrs, then about 25 yrs ago I guess they finally found a cure. Check with them...

Apartheid


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Think Snow Eh!
Ox
 
I'd check with the county extension office, they are likely familiar with these spiders ,and your probably not the only one with this dilemma. Your taxes are paying their wages, may as well try to get your money's worth.
 
Ray,

Look in the link that SAG 180 provided. There is a pic of the male black widow that Viper is describing. ( 7th pic down )

JAckal:cheers:
 
I had almost forgotten that there was such a thing as a BROWN widow spider. Not that I really like ANY kind of spider, but at least we don't have Funnel web spiders in the U.S.!

Jeff
 
Find out where they are getting their water. Spiders cannot survive in a dry environment. On a related note a machine shop should be a dry environment.
 
I had almost forgotten that there was such a thing as a BROWN widow spider. Not that I really like ANY kind of spider, but at least we don't have Funnel web spiders in the U.S.!

Jeff

I looked up the Sydney funnelweb online, I didn't know it can bite through shoes and fingernails, damn that is one nasty hardcore spider!!.
 
I looked up the Sydney funnelweb online, I didn't know it can bit through shoes and fingernails, damn that is one nasty hardcore spider!!.


Dang!

Kill'm all - let GOD sort'm out! :eek:


Mamma fusses about mice. But maybe she ought to read the front page in General this week? Snakes and Black widows!

Prolly 200 miles to the nearest bear in 3 directions, too far north for poisonous snakes and spiders, 1000 miles N of black panthers (other than the ones in Detroit of course). The county HAS supposedly released some 4 legged cougers to attempt at curtailing the deer population. Not sure at what altitude / lattitude a dear turns into a couger tho. ??? ;)

Pretty much the top of the food chain around here. Bggest thing you gotta worry aboot is hitting a black angus in the road at night. :Yawn:

Yeah - this aint a half bad locall to live. Save the rest for visits. ;)


--------------------

Think Snow Eh!
Ox
 
We have lots of black widows here in southern California. Of the ones I see in my shop, the males and younger females are two-tone brown. They have brown and tan stripes, with a tan hourglass on the belly. When the females grow to a certain size and age, they turn black with the red hourglass. The biggest I've seen them get is about 1 1/2" long. The egg sac is a smooth white sphere, about 1/4" to 3/8" diameter.

The good spiders to have around the shop are the "Daddy Long Legs"; I don't know the specific names. They look fragile, but they are the big bad dudes of the spider world. They will kill off and chase away all the other spiders, including Black Widows. If you see them around an area, there won't be any Black Widows within a couple of feet. They also catch and kill an amazing amount of house flys and other pesky flying insects. So, I let the Daddy Long Leggers make their webs around my machines and wood stacks and pretty much leave them alone.
 
Thank you guys for all the support.I believe johnnyd and metlmuchr have solved my mystery.I actually didn't know there was a brown widow until I read their posts.In responce to sfriedberg and others that suggested the county extension agency. I tried that and they told me I was color blind (I'm not) but then again the state of Georgia is still 200 years behind the times.Now the extermination will be stepped up.Again thanks guys.
 
Thank you guys for all the support.I believe johnnyd and metlmuchr have solved my mystery.I actually didn't know there was a brown widow until I read their posts.In responce to sfriedberg and others that suggested the county extension agency. I tried that and they told me I was color blind (I'm not) but then again the state of Georgia is still 200 years behind the times.Now the extermination will be stepped up.Again thanks guys.


Turns out we have those same brown widows here in Australia and over in Africa too.
 








 
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