Black Widow(s)

[Haffner]

Hey everyone. I'm trying to get some advice on how to deal with black widows. I live on base at Camp Pendleton and I'm having a little bit of a predicament with these little guys (and girls).

I've had housing maintenance come more than once to spray the outside of my house, back yard, garage and inside for a whole array of pests. The inside of the house, outer sides of the house, front porch and garage are just fine, save for ear wigs and crap like that (not that I care so much about that; those are your everyday normal kind've pests, ya know).

For some reason my backyard continues to be problematic with black widows. It's not that we have a tonne of them, it's just every week or so I have to kill about 3-5 of them. I have some of those spider-control aerosol sprays, IE Spot On, that will kill them on contact, about 10 seconds or so after being sprayed, but I'm trying to find tips and advice on how to better deal with them that doesn't involve direct contact.

My main reasoning is I have a chocolate lab, and as the breed goes, it's very curious and playful, and I don't want it to decide that it wants to play fetch with a poisonous spider and get bit. Aside from that, I enjoy bbq'ing in my backyard and having people over on the weekends, knocking back some brews.

So if any of you have any experience with these kind've issues and could offer me some good temporary, if not better long lasting solutions to this, I would be very obliged.

Thank you and have a nice day. Semper Fi.

[Achped]

PCS to Hawaii? :)

Do you have any trees or thick brush in the area? Maybe a shed or anything where they could have a "home"? 3-5 a ewek is alot.

[DOWORK1]

I am in Alabama and we have a lot of those guys. these guys will live in the cracks of your porch, shutters, or any solid area that provides darkness during the day. what you can do is go to home depot and get some sealant. seal those spots and most of the time they die or relocate away to another yard.

[Haffner]

PCS TO Hawaii? Yes, please.

No my backyard is bare; it hardly even has grass. There's no elongated vegetation, it's not full of weeds because I pull 'em every week. The back of my house is an inlaid patio about 8 by 4 feet of concrete and then something like 6 feet by 18 feet of for the most part bare land.

[Mikewebe]

As far as I know this is a wives tale but my Grandmother would plant tomato plants in her yard to keep spiders out. She swore it worked.

[SupChf]

I had a couple of "banana spiders" living in my tomato plants....unless it is just certain types of spiders, I don't think that works.

[HN Mullins]

Try going to Lowes or Home Depot and buy some Demon pesticide that is the only thing I have heard of that is not a direct contact pesticide that will kill spiders. Everyone I have talked to about this said it does kill and or run them off.

Doc Mullins

[yellowwing]

Spraying is just a start. Not a magic solution. Take the time to talk to the sprayers, usually they really know their ****. Get their no bull assessment. Even if you have to go to their office and chat.

You may have to keep the Lab in doors for a bit.

[Osotogary]

Common House Spider (Steatoda)

Steatoda grossa, the false black widow spider (pictured) is the most well known of the Steatoda spiders. Found in cosmopolitan areas around the world, and on both coasts of the United States, grossa is a larger (9 mm) Steatoda which, as its common name suggests, may resemble a black widow spider (with no hourglass). Specimens can be reddish to purplish brown in color, with pale yellow markings on the dorsal abdomen, but many specimens are so dark that these pale markings cannot be distinguished. Steatoda grossa is a common and well known "house spider" in many areas, constructing its webs in and around buildings, rock walls, and other structures. It has long been known that the "false black widow" will ensnare, kill and prey upon actual black widow spiders in its natural habitat. Steatoda grossa has been observed to ensnare and prey upon hobo spiders.

[SlingerDun]

I shake blankets for spiders and such every evening and boots pants shirt hat in the morning, gloves when i wear them. Long time habit. Dogs usually eat insects before they get bit or stung and often seem immune or they puke it up. Put up a bird feeder, turn loose a box of garter snakes or construct a bat house....

Don't let your weener and testicles hang below an outhouse toilet bench, widows may camp under the rim

[Osotogary]

Don't let your weener and testicles hang below an outhouse toilet bench, widows may camp under the rim.
Now, this is what I call ...cartoon material! Almost right up my alley. (no pun intended.) LOL

[montana]

lol lol lol @ the Slinger

[Osotogary]

Cartoon on the way.

[Haffner]

LMAO. Hey there are many posts with some good advice, thank you.

As far as the spray goes, I understand that it's temporary but with the amount they soaked and how hyped up it was I was told it should've lasted for months. Oh well, that's not the problem, of course, the problem is that they're still there.

Osotogary: I'm positive they're real black widows. Red hourglass and all. After I killed a couple with some direct contact spray, I examined the dead lil f'ers and they were definite red hour glassed females.

Thanks for all the responses, everyone, and if you have anything to add keep 'em comin.

[ecfree]

Hey Haff,if you keep killin them female spiders,you shouldn't have a problem to much longer.
I used Raid on the ones I saw,no more black wedows,but the corn spiders keep comin back.


I'll tell you one thing,I aint ever going to sit in an outhouse again......:scared:

[sdk87to91]

First I would sweep out and re-organize any hiding places, like behind the BBQ, under the LP tank, debris piles like lumber. recycle collectionbins, etc...
Spiders eat bugs so find out why the bugs are there.
You mentioned earwigs. At my house the spiders prey on earwigs and when I sweep and reorganize I disturb the spiders and earwigs.

Then I use DIAZININE. In fact I dont spray, I SLOSH diazinine around the crawlspace entrance where the earwigs hide, around the door farmes of my house (to do double duty for ants), then around the kids sandbox frame, etc....
There are two mixing formulations on the bottle, one is for heavier treatments and the other is for lighter work. I use the heavy formula (less water) and really pour it around. I use an old Carolann's liqueur bottle to mix in. Usually I get it all over the place so I would recommend gloves, etc....
Everything dies and for a while anything that comes around later also dies. It seems to work for weeks which in my climate is long enoughf or the bug cycle to be disrupted.

And always remember, it is illegal to use an insecticide in such a fashion that is not in accordance with the label. (my way is actually on the label)

I think Diazinine is a trade name, not a common name so you will have to read the ingredients.

[SlingerDun]

9 days after being popped by the PacNW's lesser version of the Brown Recluse. Didn't feel like much more than skeeter bites until a few hours later when it resembled a kick in the ribs along with a few days of mild flu like symptoms: achy muscles, fatigue, nausea. The site stayed moist for a week and remains itchy with the occasional stabbing sensation.

Tough little ****er gave me it's best shot, but my immune system is hittin on all cylinders from daily produce juicing:cool:

--->Davehttp://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/131/l_fcd9036db11e4e0d96295481ba8ba2e6.jpg

[sparkie]

One thing that works best on all bugs but hard to find 'cause it works. Boric acid powder. Best concentration was found in Roach Proof, long ago. Not a poison, you could eat the stuff. Also used in eye washes. It gets on em and burnes holes in em and they dehydrate. If you can find the stuff, you don't need anything else.

[Hanzo]

I grew up in San Diego and am very used to what you're talking about. The bad news is, there's not much you can really do. If it was an infestation in the garage or something, thats a bit different, but outdoors...well, thats their habitat. You kill them, more will move in.

After awhile, you just learn to live with them. Sure, kill them when you see them, but don't drive yourself insane. Their bite is nasty, but most of the time they keep to themselves. Watch where you put your hands and shake off things that are left outside. I rarely hear about dogs getting hurt for whatever reason, so you're probably ok even though I know you'd like something a little more concrete than that. What you really need to look out for are kids. Widows are pretty shy, but kids like to reach into places without looking and if the spider is trapped, it'll bite.

I don't think you're going to be able to get rid of them, but keep killing the ones you see and watch your step and you'll be ok.

[Deduke]

20 Mule Team Borax. It is in the laundry detergent section of some stores.

[montana]

father inlaw lost one of his fingers dew to a brown reclues spider bite....was not a prety sight....i just step on um...kills um every time

[FistFu68]

:evilgrin: Use a Rubber and the Duct tape Big O Sent Me Slinger then let Your chit hang especially in an outhouse the little Critters might just feel so good you'll enjoy going too take a Crap then when you take it off the balloon of P**S will wash Your Balls off and drown those Spiders in Marine Chit ;)