Q&A for How to Get Rid of Black Widow Spiders

Unfortunately, the color itself will not discourage black widow spiders. White bags, however, will make it easier for you to spot them.

Whatever you do, do not crush it. Hundreds of baby black widows will emerge and roam free, and you will have a much bigger problem on your hands. Instead, get some gloves and try applying a safe pesticide onto the egg sac. Drop it into a container or an airtight bag and throw it out once you're done.

You might have to kill, because the babies from prior will stay where their mom set them up.

Have you thought of covering all the areas? For example, instead of just covering the window frame, cover the whole window sill. Also, check your traps for effectiveness, the spiders may have just freed themselves.

You should always assume there are more if you find one. Check your home thoroughly, including all the dark corners and crevices, and keep a lookout for disorderly webs (as that is a good indication they are still around). There are things you can do to prevent them from coming back in the guide above.

It depends on whether or not you have a reaction to the venom, but most people recover within a 24-hour period with treatment. If you are bit, seek medical attention immediately and you shouldn't have anything to worry about.

Call an exterminator. It may not seem nice, but it definitely is the best option. If the spiders get older, they can be dangerous enough to hurt you and anyone else in your home.

They hatch in roughly 15 to 30 days, but it is better to exterminate them immediately.

It varies. If one is expecting to be bitten, the bite can feel like anything from a momentary scratch to a pinprick. If not expected, the bite will, more than likely, go unnoticed. In any case, the spider can determine whether to inject venom or deliver a "dry bite," as well as how much venom to inject.

Yes! I use this all the time, especially the foaming ones, to kill black widows. Wasp spray goes 20 - 30', so you can kill them from a long (safe) distance. Also, the foamy spray sticks to the egg sacs. Don't just spray the web, though; come back at night and kill the spider, otherwise you will just cause it to move to another (perhaps more dangerous) area.

No, it could not. A black widow's venom is too powerful against a daddy longlegs.

Yes, it can be dangerous for cats.

Male black widows do not have the notorious red hourglass, and they also have red spots on their tops.

False black widows are basically harmless, so you can just capture them and take them outside.

Spider bites can cause a huge headache, but the black widow and brown recluse are rarely deadly. They only become critical if left untreated. There is no antivenom for the recluse, but there is one for the widow. The only time venomous spiders can cause critical health issues are for very young children, the elderly or someone with numerous health problems.

You don't really need to do anything beyond wash the clothes.

The .22 round is more painful by pretty much any measure. It causes significantly more tissue and muscle damage.

You have plenty of time to get yourself to the hospital.

Normally if you see more than 3 within a 30-50 foot radius. You know you have an infestation at that point. Once a mother has its kids, then it’s safe to say it's started.