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The black widow is one of the creepiest spiders in the animal kingdom.

Although it has a reputation for being one of the deadliest, this is not all true. It is true that the spider does have venom. And it is true that if bitten, it does not tickle, it can even make you quite sick. And it is true that 1 out of every 100 people bitten can die. But, the vast majority of bites are just painful reminders to keep your distance and give this spider the respect it deserves.

The black widow female is easily recognized by its shiny black body and red hour-glass shape on the underside of its abdomen. Females range in size from 0.20 to 0.50 inches. Males are slightly larger, completely black, and are seldom seen.

The web of the black widow spider is an irregular, tangled mesh of threads when compared with the symmetrical webs of the orb-weaving spiders commonly seen around homes and gardens. Like all web making spiders, the black widow female is alerted when ensnared prey causes the web threads to vibrate.

The average egg sac contains an average of 255 eggs. The black widow female often produces several egg sacs and has been observed to construct up to 9 eggs sacs under laboratory conditions. The young spiders, or spiderlings, emerge after about 26 to 30 days, usually during the spring. Spiderlings are then dispersed to different geographic areas through “ballooning.”

Adult females usually only live for one year while males live for about 4 months. So they are not really around long enough to make good pets.

Outdoors, black widows live under rocks, in wood piles, and under debris. In man-made habitats, they can be found in barns, cellars, garages, storage sheds, crawl spaces, rain spouts, weep holes, furniture, park benches, and in water, gas, and electrical boxes.

Black widow spiders are not really aggressive. If you disturb them, they typically will retreat to a corner of their web. However, these spiders are more aggressive if they are protecting an egg sac and usually can be induced to bite only if pressed against the skin.

If you are bitten:

• Use an ice pack to reduce the swelling in the area surrounding the bite.
• Sanitize the area with hydrogen peroxide or alcohol to prevent infection.
• Seek medical attention immediately. If two red spots appear at the site of the bite, point them out to the physician so he or she can confirm that the bite was inflicted by a spider.
• If possible, carefully attempt to collect the spider for proper identification. Take the spider with you to the emergency room.

But in general, let the little critter be. They are just trying to keep other bugs and insects out of our lives.