Black Widow

[Sun City Linda]

I was REAL glad I had on gloves one day a few years ago when I flipped the contents of a small potbound minirose into my hand and out erupted Fire Ants as only they can! I still ended up with some bites on my arms and even legs, those buggars are fast. Could have been much worse, gloves are good.

[4season]

Twice I have found a black widow in the lumpy bottom of an heirloom tomato I have picked. If my son knew about it, he would never pick another tomato. He hates all spiders.

[dmforcier]

Don't let him see The Lord of the Rings. (I think the Shelob parts in the book are even creepier).

[beetkvass]

*shudder* Years ago I found at least a half dozen black widows under my children's wading pool! They were nesting under the rim of it that if I recall correctly went all the way to ground level. But there were holes in the plastic. I thought I was going to die when I flipped that pool over and kept finding another web with a black widow in it.

It's been years since I saw any in the back yard but if we found them (other than the pool) we'd always find them in the vegetable garden. I wonder if the chickens and ducks finally eradicated them?

[My Foot Smells]

Does anybody know somebody who has been punctured? Got bunches found here but have never been stabbed.

[clkeiper]

Originally Posted by beetkvass

*shudder* Years ago I found at least a half dozen black widows under my children's wading pool! They were nesting under the rim of it that if I recall correctly went all the way to ground level. But there were holes in the plastic. I thought I was going to die when I flipped that pool over and kept finding another web with a black widow in it.

It's been years since I saw any in the back yard but if we found them (other than the pool) we'd always find them in the vegetable garden. I wonder if the chickens and ducks finally eradicated them?

yes yes yes! chickens have kept my yard pretty much flea/tick and spider free for
years. if there are spider webs it is usually out of reach for them.I have never treated the dog or cats for fleas. never seen a tick since we got them either. but it is hardly safe to walk after the chickens have been on the loose for a few hours either...or until the next good hard rain.

[AlittleSalt]

I have never heard anyone saying that they got bit by a black widow. We had a friend in the 1980s/90s who got bit on her leg by a brown recluse. She said it left an area of rotted skin/meat on her leg, but I didn't ask her to show me.

My brother made our children a toy parking building out of plywood for their Tonka trucks. He did a good job on it, but it also proved to become a home for black widows. Our grandchildren still play with the Tonka trucks, but the toy parking building is long gone.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by My Foot Smells

Does anybody know somebody who has been punctured? Got bunches found here but have never been stabbed.

Yes I do but first a link for you

https://www.google.com/search?q=blac...&bih=815&dpr=1

I knew her in high school but forgot her name,her father worked at a wharehouse where incoming fruits and vegetables arrived for distribution to various grocery stores.


There were Black Widow spiders in a large shipment of bananas,he got bitten,but I don't remember if he lived,or if they had an anti-toxin at that time.

I checked and yes there is an anti toxin.

https://www.google.com/search?q=blac...&bih=815&dpr=1

Carolyn, who now remembers that her name was Barbara.

[GoDawgs]

Glad you found her before she found you! Your post is a reminder for me to start watching as the weather's getting warmer.

I never wear gloves in the garden unless what I'm doing involves moving rocks, pieces of old rotted logs, stacks of old pots, etc or stuff that hasn't been moved in a while. But I sure do keep an eye out for widow webs as they're very identifiable around here. Only one or two times have I ever found one in among the veggies and it was because I saw that web first.

Last fall I righted a small plastic garden cart that had been stored outside upside down. The whole interior was filled with widow web including the web maker.

[AlittleSalt]

In the next few weeks, we will be cleaning out that building I found the Black Widow in. We will be wearing gloves.

Three days ago, my son was trying a product called "Garden Safe" on fire ant beds near our house when he found the first copperhead snake this year. It was less than a foot long - just a baby. It is that time of the year here. The 'Garden Safe' worked on killing the ants it came in contact with, but there are still fire ants in those beds. The only reason why we tried it was because I bought some on clearance for a dollar. It was worth a try.

[GoDawgs]

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

In the next few weeks, we will be cleaning out that building I found the Black Widow in. We will be wearing gloves.

Three days ago, my son was trying a product called "Garden Safe" on fire ant beds near our house when he found the first copperhead snake this year. It was less than a foot long - just a baby. It is that time of the year here. The 'Garden Safe' worked on killing the ants it came in contact with, but there are still fire ants in those beds. The only reason why we tried it was because I bought some on clearance for a dollar. It was worth a try.

You can try the soap water treatment on the fire ants. It doesn't kill the queen but it kills a ton of them and makes the survivors move. I patrol my veg raised beds regularly, jug in hand.

Put 1/4 cup of dishwashing liquid in a gallon jug of water and mix well. From about 4' above the mound, slowly pour the whole thing into it. You want that slow stream to pound down into the mound everywhere you see them pouring out of holes. The whole gallon. The next day there will be piles of dead ants on top of the mound. Some larger mounds will need a second treatment if you see signs of rebuilding. Don't wait too long to drown the rebuild. Get 'em while the numbers are small.

From experimentation I've learned that this will not affect stuff growing in the bed. Drowning a mound 6" from bean plants had no effect on the beans. Most all dish washing liquids are now free of phosphates. Check the label. It doesn't matter what brand or color you use. I use the in-house pink stuff from Sam's, "Member's something." $5-something for a gallon.

Ants have a waxy coating enabling them to float. The soap negates that and they drown down in the mound.