Black widow???

Question

ok ive been reading about black widows for a while and im TERRIFIED!! i have a HUGE fear of spiders! i live in north carolina and we're moving into a new house, and im scared they're in my room or will appear in the backyard. well, the backyard is basically flowers and some grass lol. but im terrified, so give me some facts about where they live and how to kill them. thnxx

Answer 1

They are out there,but please don't smash the ones in your yard if they are not an immediate danger to you. They are found in dark areas, so check your closets or attic if the house has been vacant for long. Outside they have a love of nesting in water meter boxes, that's where I always find them or in holes. They can be killed with raid or another common insecticide. They are shiny black spiders with a distinctive red hourglass symbol on their abdomen.

Answer 2

Black widows occur commonly throughout the US. Usually, they live in cellars and wood piles that have not been disturbed in a long time. They are naturally very shy, and will drop from their web at the slightest disturbance(usually). However, they are very aggressive when cornered. A new house that was built recently does not give enough time for a black widow invasion. simply smashing them is enough to kill them. They will not bite even if they are on your skin unless you provoke them. Therefore if you find one on your skin do not panic and try to wait until it goes away, and use a stick to place in front of the spider(not too close) so the spider climbs on. As soon as it is on, move the stick away. DO NOT PANIC. If you flail, you will surprise the spider and it will bite. smashing it on your skin is the most idiotic thing possible, as you are additionally helping the black widow drive its fangs into your skin. This is very unlike spiderman, where the spider just comes down and bites for no reason. Hmmm.. North carolina? if there are brown recluses there, you better worry about them a hundredfold than about black widows.