If you’re anything like me, just thinking that I need to get rid of black widow spiders in the garden freaks me out a bit.
I don’t know what it is about them, but I’m fascinated and freaked out simultaneously.
It could be because they are stunning, can be deadly, and are IN MY YARD.
I was raised in the country, and as a kid, my dad made sure to share everything he knew about black widows.
He told me about them as far back as I can remember: where they liked to build their webs, how to avoid them, etc.
I thought everyone was taught this for a long time. I realize now that many people just don’t know what they don’t know.
And with more people moving out into the country, it’s a good idea to share the knowledge I took for granted.
I have a strawberry patch in my garden, and my 7-year-old will soon be picking fresh ripe strawberries.
I don’t want her to be bitten, so I need to make sure that the garden areas are free of debris and that a black widow’s favorite places are cleaned up!
In the audit, I’ll look around the garden to find a black widow’s favorite hiding places and get rid of them, so my daughter can pick strawberries without me worrying about her safety.
In this post, I’ll explain why you’d want to get rid of black widow spiders in the garden and how to do it without spraying chemicals.
Then, I’ll take you along on that garden audit to try to find some black widows.
Did we find any black widows?
Let’s say you’ll see precisely where black widows like to hang out all from the comfort of your couch.
This post is all about how to get rid of black widow spiders in the garden.
Why Should You Try to Get Rid of Black Widow Spiders?
Black widow spiders are some of the most feared spiders in the United States. They are easily recognizable by their shiny black bodies and distinctive red hourglass mark on their abdomen.
Black widow spiders are found in every state in the country.
They are most commonly seen in shaded, out-of-the-way areas that are low to the ground.
Although these spiders are not aggressive, their venom is extremely potent.
A black widow spider bite can cause severe pain, cramping, sweating, and nausea. In some cases, the venom can be fatal to small children or the elderly.
If you suspect that you have been bitten by a black widow spider, it is important to seek medical attention immediately.
The Black Widow Web is Messy and Disorganized
The web of the black widow has a distinctly disorganized, messy look. It makes a crackling sound when touched.
It is definitely not a striking, beautiful orb web.
The web is as messy and unattractive as the brush piles and clutter that it likes to live in.
I don’t describe it that way to be mean; rather, I want to give you as many descriptors as possible so you’ll know the web when you see it.
See how haphazard and messy this web is? It is the hallmark example of how a black widow’s web looks, and it’s very distinctive.
Female Black Widow Spiders are the Ones to Watch Out For
The female black widow spider is the one that packs a nasty bite. While male black widow spiders do have venom, they are not able to inject it into prey.
Male spiders are about half the size of females. They don’t watch over the egg sack the way females do. There is a really good chance you’ll never see a male black widow.
When Should You Try to Get Rid of Black Widow Spiders in the Garden?
The best time to get rid of black widow spiders in the garden is in the springtime. This is right after they have started to move around when the temperature warms past 50 degrees Farenheit.
Don't Black Widows Die in the Winter?
Black widow spiders can overwinter and live up to 3 years in the wild.
While technically they are not hibernating, their bodily systems slow down when it gets cold. Their need for food at that time is basically non-existent. They also shield themselves from the cold as much as possible by pulling their legs close to their bodies. In this way, they can overwinter.
Then, as soon as temperatures are above 50 degrees, they get active and begin building webs, eating, and looking for mates.
When Do Females Lay Eggs?
After mating, the female may or may not kill and eat the male, depending on how hungry she is. While the black widow is named for their habit of killing their menfolk after mating, it has been theorized that they only do that around 5-10% of the time.
After mating, the female lays her eggs on a spot in her web and lays down more and more silk on and around them until she has created an egg sack.
When Do the Eggs Hatch?
Female black widows hang upside down in their web so that the red hourglass shape on their abdomen is clearly seen. They guard their egg sack for weeks until the eggs hatch.
Just thinking about black widow eggs hatching into baby black widows gives me the creepy crawlies.
Do the Parents Help the Venomous Little Beasties?
Nope. They are on their own after they are born.
How Are You Suppose to Function Knowing Black Widows are Basically Everywhere?
Look at this beautiful garden. There are probably many black widows in this garden!
The thought of black widows being all over the place is enough to give you heart palpitations, but it doesn’t have to bother you.
The fact is black widows are extremely docile. They don’t want ANYTHING to do with you. They want less to do with you than you do with them if that’s even possible.
This means that while yes, your garden may technically be full of them, you’ll likely never cross paths with black widow spiders.
If A Black Widow Spider Doesn't WANT to Bite Then Why Does It?
We’ve established that black widows don’t like us and would love to stay away from us FOR-EVAH.
So then why do people get bitten?
People get bitten by black widows because they insert themselves (sometimes literally) into a black widow’s web by accident.
This can happen when you brush into the spider’s web, press a spider and its web against you when picking up a load of firewood off of a wood pile, or any other similar situation where you encroach on its space and it has nowhere to go.
When this happens, the black widow will drop off their web, curl into a ball, and play dead hoping to be left alone.
But if their web was in a glove that you just shoved your hand into, the spider has nowhere to go and will bite you in defense.
What Happens After a Black Widow Bite?
When the black widow bites you, you may or may not feel much at the time of the bite.
In about 30-45 minutes after a black widow’s bite, you’ll probably feel intense abdominal pain and cramping, muscle pain, tremors, nausea, and/or vomiting. While these are dangerous venomous spiders, a black widow’s bite is not usually fatal. Improvement in symptoms can be felt as quickly as 12-24 hours after a bite.
To Get Rid of Them, Think Like a Black Widow
If you want to get rid of black widows, you need to get rid of their favorite places. I kill black widows when I see them in an area that people frequent. But I’d rather eliminate their favorite hiding places instead of having to kill them.
What are some of a black widow's favorite hiding places?
Black widows like shady, small, out-of-the-way places that don’t get disturbed often.
Black Widows Love These Places
- Dark Corners
- Storage Areas
- Crawl Spaces
- Basements
- Garages
- Undisturbed Leaf Litter Piles
- Under Edges of Landscape Fabric
- Along Exterior Walls
- Wood Piles
- Exterior Window Ledges
- Door Frames
- Window Sills
Black Widows Love Cool Shady Spots in the Middle of Hotter Places
They need the temperature to warm up past 50 degrees to be active enough to look around for a mate, but they hate the direct sun and hot temperatures.
In addition to the list I mentioned above, look for them anywhere there is a dark, cool place close to the ground that is out of the way and relatively undisturbed.
In your yard, these places include inside empty plant containers, under undisturbed tarps low to the ground, and in bushes near the ground.
Example: How We Create Black Widow Hangouts
This scenario plays out over and over again, especially in the spring and summer.
It goes like this: it rains a ton, and rainwater fills up all the containers laying around the garden.
You don’t want mosquitoes to lay eggs in the water, so you empty them out and turn the containers upside down so they don’t hold water next time.
Then you forget about the containers for a few months because they’re “sorta between the garage and the shed and no one really goes back there that often”.
BINGO.
You’ve just created one of the black widow’s favorite hangout spots.
What Do Black Widows HATE?
- Any direct sunlight
- High temperatures
- Repetitive activity or disruptions near them
Issues with Common Black Widow Control Methods
Since this post is about getting rid of black widows, I could tell you to spray something like Ortho Home Defense along the openings to your house for spider control and call it a day.
Or, I could suggest you douse spiders you find with wasp killer or some other insecticide to kill black widow spiders.
But if you’re like me, you make an effort to not spray chemicals in your garden.
All that care and effort is undone if you spray chemicals to kill black widows. I prefer natural methods to chemical ones, at least on the first attempt.
How to Get Rid of Black Widows
My approach is less about getting rid of them and more about the elimination of their favorite places.
Here are some things I can control:
- The amount of leaf litter that I let pile up in the corners of the garden along the deer fence
- Whether I leave containers out instead of storing them in bins or securely enclosed in a plastic trash bag that I put in my storage building.
- The stacks of random items next to my house in the garage
- Where I put my gloves, boots, and other clothing items when I’m not using them.
Looking for Black Widow Spiders in the Garden
I looked around my garden the other day to document the places that black widows would like to build their webs.
By documenting, I’m able to share with you what these places look like so you can look for them in YOUR garden.
I can also take time to eliminate their favorite places before those strawberries ripen and my daughter has her hands all over strawberry plants that have been undisturbed for a year.
I should note that I wear gloves when I do something like this, as you always should when you are near areas that could have black widows.
I Found a Black Widow in the First Place I Looked
We have a raised bed in the garden that has been in place for at least 6 months.
There are concrete connectors in the corners of the raised bed with slight gaps in them because the wooden boards shrank after the raised bed was completed.
Immediately those gaps looked like fabulous places for a black widow. They are snug and dark places that are cool and shaded. They also are completely undisturbed, even though they are right next to the very high-traffic, high-activity area of the raised bed.
Once I leaned down and took a closer look past the spider web at the entrance…there she was.
The first thing I noticed is the messy web. It’s exactly what I’d expect to find with a black widow spider. Once I looked more closely, she was unmistakable.
I have to say, I felt a chill come over me when I found a black widow THE FIRST PLACE I LOOKED. I wasn’t sure what this meant for the rest of my quest.
That wooden board was quickly slid into her web to cause her fast, painless demise. I still feel bad about her dying not because she was on something I needed, but because I was looking for her. Kinda not cool on my part.
The Black Widow Spider I Just Found Would Likely Have Never Harmed Anyone
That black widow spider would probably never have harmed anyone, even though she was literally a few feet from us every day.
But her egg sack could have held hundreds of babies that would disperse through the garden. What if THOSE spiders hurt someone? We couldn’t take the chance of leaving her.
The Goal for This Audit Isn't Killing Black Widow Spiders, It's to Eliminate Their Favorite Places Inside the Deer Fence
There’s no way I could kill all the black widow spiders in my garden or yard, nor would I want to do that. I just want to remove all of their favorite places so it isn’t as attractive for them to be in my garden.
More Places in My Garden that a Black Widow Spider Would Love
I did not find another black widow spider in my garden even though I spent about 45 minutes looking for some.
But I did document and clean up the areas in my garden that black widows would love and that’s the important part.
This landscape fabric stays on the garden all winter, and these cattle panel trellises stay in the ground. The spot where the landscape fabric and trellis post meet is a perfect spot for black widows.
Since this irrigation pipe and the deer fence are both permanent structures that don’t get dismantled and don’t have high human traffic and disturbance, this area of dead grass is perfect for a black widow web.
I removed this black plastic cover from some landscape fabric and I left it in the corner where the wind blew it and it has been there now for at least 3-4 months. Black widows would love it.
We’ve taken a break from getting the greenhouse up because it’s just not the highest priority.
These boards are relatively new, but they have been lying on these cinder blocks for several months now.
This makes the crevices and holes in the blocks under the boards the perfect black widow habitat.
One saving grace about this area is that we have been using the boards to hold down row cover when we’ve had cold overnight conditions.
The constant moving of the boards keeps black widows from being interested. Remember, they prefer undisturbed areas.
More permanent landscape fabric + trellis post intersections means more potential black widow habitats. I can’t really change this because I don’t intend to take this up every year, but I will be sure to regularly inspect these.
These bricks are the PERFECT place for black widows. If this pile stayed put for months and was in a lower traffic corner of the garden, I’d say “look out”.
But we move these bricks constantly because we use them to hold down row cover during cold nights, so I’m not too worried about them. A detailed search confirmed no black widows.
If you’re anything like me, just thinking that I need to get rid of black widow spiders in the garden freaks me out a bit.
I don’t know what it is about them, but I’m fascinated and freaked out simultaneously.
It could be because they are stunning, can be deadly, and are IN MY YARD.
I was raised in the country, and as a kid, my dad made sure to share everything he knew about black widows.
He told me about them as far back as I can remember: where they liked to build their webs, how to avoid them, etc.
I thought everyone was taught this for a long time. I realize now that many people just don’t know what they don’t know.
And with more people moving out into the country, it’s a good idea to share the knowledge I took for granted.
I have a strawberry patch in my garden, and my 7-year-old will soon be picking fresh ripe strawberries.
I don’t want her to be bitten, so I need to make sure that the garden areas are free of debris and that a black widow’s favorite places are cleaned up!
In the audit, I’ll look around the garden to find a black widow’s favorite hiding places and get rid of them, so my daughter can pick strawberries without me worrying about her safety.
In this post, I’ll explain why you’d want to get rid of black widow spiders in the garden and how to do it without spraying chemicals.
Then, I’ll take you along on that garden audit to try to find some black widows.
Did we find any black widows?
Let’s say you’ll see precisely where black widows like to hang out all from the comfort of your couch.
This post is all about how to get rid of black widow spiders in the garden.
Why Should You Try to Get Rid of Black Widow Spiders?
Black widow spiders are some of the most feared spiders in the United States. They are easily recognizable by their shiny black bodies and distinctive red hourglass mark on their abdomen.
Black widow spiders are found in every state in the country.
They are most commonly seen in shaded, out-of-the-way areas that are low to the ground.
Although these spiders are not aggressive, their venom is extremely potent.
A black widow spider bite can cause severe pain, cramping, sweating, and nausea. In some cases, the venom can be fatal to small children or the elderly.
If you suspect that you have been bitten by a black widow spider, it is important to seek medical attention immediately.
The Black Widow Web is Messy and Disorganized
The web of the black widow has a distinctly disorganized, messy look. It makes a crackling sound when touched.
It is definitely not a striking, beautiful orb web.
The web is as messy and unattractive as the brush piles and clutter that it likes to live in.
I don’t describe it that way to be mean; rather, I want to give you as many descriptors as possible so you’ll know the web when you see it.
See how haphazard and messy this web is? It is the hallmark example of how a black widow’s web looks, and it’s very distinctive.
Female Black Widow Spiders are the Ones to Watch Out For
The female black widow spider is the one that packs a nasty bite. While male black widow spiders do have venom, they are not able to inject it into prey.
Male spiders are about half the size of females. They don’t watch over the egg sack the way females do. There is a really good chance you’ll never see a male black widow.
When Should You Try to Get Rid of Black Widow Spiders in the Garden?
The best time to get rid of black widow spiders in the garden is in the springtime. This is right after they have started to move around when the temperature warms past 50 degrees Farenheit.
Don’t Black Widows Die in the Winter?
Black widow spiders can overwinter and live up to 3 years in the wild.
While technically they are not hibernating, their bodily systems slow down when it gets cold. Their need for food at that time is basically non-existent. They also shield themselves from the cold as much as possible by pulling their legs close to their bodies. In this way, they can overwinter.
Then, as soon as temperatures are above 50 degrees, they get active and begin building webs, eating, and looking for mates.
When Do Females Lay Eggs?
After mating, the female may or may not kill and eat the male, depending on how hungry she is. While the black widow is named for their habit of killing their menfolk after mating, it has been theorized that they only do that around 5-10% of the time.
After mating, the female lays her eggs on a spot in her web and lays down more and more silk on and around them until she has created an egg sack.
When Do the Eggs Hatch?
Female black widows hang upside down in their web so that the red hourglass shape on their abdomen is clearly seen. They guard their egg sack for weeks until the eggs hatch.
Just thinking about black widow eggs hatching into baby black widows gives me the creepy crawlies.
Do the Parents Help the Venomous Little Beasties?
Nope. They are on their own after they are born.
How Are You Suppose to Function Knowing Black Widows are Basically Everywhere?
Look at this beautiful garden. There are probably many black widows in this garden!
The thought of black widows being all over the place is enough to give you heart palpitations, but it doesn’t have to bother you.
The fact is black widows are extremely docile. They don’t want ANYTHING to do with you. They want less to do with you than you do with them if that’s even possible.
This means that while yes, your garden may technically be full of them, you’ll likely never cross paths with black widow spiders.
If A Black Widow Spider Doesn’t WANT to Bite Then Why Does It?
We’ve established that black widows don’t like us and would love to stay away from us FOR-EVAH.
So then why do people get bitten?
People get bitten by black widows because they insert themselves (sometimes literally) into a black widow’s web by accident.
This can happen when you brush into the spider’s web, press a spider and its web against you when picking up a load of firewood off of a wood pile, or any other similar situation where you encroach on its space and it has nowhere to go.
When this happens, the black widow will drop off their web, curl into a ball, and play dead hoping to be left alone.
But if their web was in a glove that you just shoved your hand into, the spider has nowhere to go and will bite you in defense.
What Happens After a Black Widow Bite?
When the black widow bites you, you may or may not feel much at the time of the bite.
In about 30-45 minutes after a black widow’s bite, you’ll probably feel intense abdominal pain and cramping, muscle pain, tremors, nausea, and/or vomiting. While these are dangerous venomous spiders, a black widow’s bite is not usually fatal. Improvement in symptoms can be felt as quickly as 12-24 hours after a bite.
To Get Rid of Them, Think Like a Black Widow
If you want to get rid of black widows, you need to get rid of their favorite places. I kill black widows when I see them in an area that people frequent. But I’d rather eliminate their favorite hiding places instead of having to kill them.
What are some of a black widow’s favorite hiding places?
Black widows like shady, small, out-of-the-way places that don’t get disturbed often.
Black Widows Love These Places
- Dark Corners
- Storage Areas
- Crawl Spaces
- Basements
- Garages
- Undisturbed Leaf Litter Piles
- Under Edges of Landscape Fabric
- Along Exterior Walls
- Wood Piles
- Exterior Window Ledges
- Door Frames
- Window Sills
Black Widows Love Cool Shady Spots in the Middle of Hotter Places
They need the temperature to warm up past 50 degrees to be active enough to look around for a mate, but they hate the direct sun and hot temperatures.
In addition to the list I mentioned above, look for them anywhere there is a dark, cool place close to the ground that is out of the way and relatively undisturbed.
In your yard, these places include inside empty plant containers, under undisturbed tarps low to the ground, and in bushes near the ground.
Example: How We Create Black Widow Hangouts
This scenario plays out over and over again, especially in the spring and summer.
It goes like this: it rains a ton, and rainwater fills up all the containers laying around the garden.
You don’t want mosquitoes to lay eggs in the water, so you empty them out and turn the containers upside down so they don’t hold water next time.
Then you forget about the containers for a few months because they’re “sorta between the garage and the shed and no one really goes back there that often”.
BINGO.
You’ve just created one of the black widow’s favorite hangout spots.
What Do Black Widows HATE?
- Any direct sunlight
- High temperatures
- Repetitive activity or disruptions near them
Issues with Common Black Widow Control Methods
Since this post is about getting rid of black widows, I could tell you to spray something like Ortho Home Defense along the openings to your house for spider control and call it a day.
Or, I could suggest you douse spiders you find with wasp killer or some other insecticide to kill black widow spiders.
But if you’re like me, you make an effort to not spray chemicals in your garden.
All that care and effort is undone if you spray chemicals to kill black widows. I prefer natural methods to chemical ones, at least on the first attempt.
How to Get Rid of Black Widows
My approach is less about getting rid of them and more about the elimination of their favorite places.
Here are some things I can control:
- The amount of leaf litter that I let pile up in the corners of the garden along the deer fence
- Whether I leave containers out instead of storing them in bins or securely enclosed in a plastic trash bag that I put in my storage building.
- The stacks of random items next to my house in the garage
- Where I put my gloves, boots, and other clothing items when I’m not using them.
Looking for Black Widow Spiders in the Garden
I looked around my garden the other day to document the places that black widows would like to build their webs.
By documenting, I’m able to share with you what these places look like so you can look for them in YOUR garden.
I can also take time to eliminate their favorite places before those strawberries ripen and my daughter has her hands all over strawberry plants that have been undisturbed for a year.
I should note that I wear gloves when I do something like this, as you always should when you are near areas that could have black widows.
I Found a Black Widow in the First Place I Looked
We have a raised bed in the garden that has been in place for at least 6 months.
There are concrete connectors in the corners of the raised bed with slight gaps in them because the wooden boards shrank after the raised bed was completed.
Immediately those gaps looked like fabulous places for a black widow. They are snug and dark places that are cool and shaded. They also are completely undisturbed, even though they are right next to the very high-traffic, high-activity area of the raised bed.
Once I leaned down and took a closer look past the spider web at the entrance…there she was.
The first thing I noticed is the messy web. It’s exactly what I’d expect to find with a black widow spider. Once I looked more closely, she was unmistakable.
I have to say, I felt a chill come over me when I found a black widow THE FIRST PLACE I LOOKED. I wasn’t sure what this meant for the rest of my quest.
That wooden board was quickly slid into her web to cause her fast, painless demise. I still feel bad about her dying not because she was on something I needed, but because I was looking for her. Kinda not cool on my part.
The Black Widow Spider I Just Found Would Likely Have Never Harmed Anyone
That black widow spider would probably never have harmed anyone, even though she was literally a few feet from us every day.
But her egg sack could have held hundreds of babies that would disperse through the garden. What if THOSE spiders hurt someone? We couldn’t take the chance of leaving her.
The Goal for This Audit Isn’t Killing Black Widow Spiders, It’s to Eliminate Their Favorite Places Inside the Deer Fence
There’s no way I could kill all the black widow spiders in my garden or yard, nor would I want to do that. I just want to remove all of their favorite places so it isn’t as attractive for them to be in my garden.
More Places in My Garden that a Black Widow Spider Would Love
I did not find another black widow spider in my garden even though I spent about 45 minutes looking for some.
But I did document and clean up the areas in my garden that black widows would love and that’s the important part.
This landscape fabric stays on the garden all winter, and these cattle panel trellises stay in the ground. The spot where the landscape fabric and trellis post meet is a perfect spot for black widows.
Since this irrigation pipe and the deer fence are both permanent structures that don’t get dismantled and don’t have high human traffic and disturbance, this area of dead grass is perfect for a black widow web.
I removed this black plastic cover from some landscape fabric and I left it in the corner where the wind blew it and it has been there now for at least 3-4 months. Black widows would love it.
We’ve taken a break from getting the greenhouse up because it’s just not the highest priority.
These boards are relatively new, but they have been lying on these cinder blocks for several months now.
This makes the crevices and holes in the blocks under the boards the perfect black widow habitat.
One saving grace about this area is that we have been using the boards to hold down row cover when we’ve had cold overnight conditions.
The constant moving of the boards keeps black widows from being interested. Remember, they prefer undisturbed areas.
More permanent landscape fabric + trellis post intersections means more potential black widow habitats. I can’t really change this because I don’t intend to take this up every year, but I will be sure to regularly inspect these.
These bricks are the PERFECT place for black widows. If this pile stayed put for months and was in a lower traffic corner of the garden, I’d say “look out”.
But we move these bricks constantly because we use them to hold down row cover during cold nights, so I’m not too worried about them. A detailed search confirmed no black widows.
This is the edge of our fabric walkway. There is a gap that would be attractive to black widows, but it is in an extremely high-traffic area of the garden. We walk over that spot multiple times per day, so it’s not a good candidate for black widows.
HOWEVER…
This picture shows the opposite side of the garden, and THIS edge of the fabric is the PERFECT place for black widows. It is cool, low to the ground, snug, and completely undisturbed.
My dad found a black widow on a wooden post that was lying only a few feet away from this spot about a week ago.
Here is the strawberry patch I was worried about. Why do I think there could be black widows here?
- there are no walkways within the rows so they are undisturbed, and have been for over a year
- the cups that are stapled down to help the suckers take root have now created the perfect crevices for black widows
- The berries are full of insects and any black widow would have an easy time getting lots of food
We looked all in the patch and found no spiders. Our next step is to put gloves on and cut all those cups loose to take them out.
Again…we are removing the black widow’s favorite places instead of spraying chemicals everywhere.
After 45 minutes of searching, I didn’t find another black widow. I’m sure there are more in the garden but I’m satisfied that I’ve eliminated a ton of their favorite spots and that’s a win.
Conclusion
Black widow spiders are one of the most feared spiders in the United States. These spiders are known for their deadly venom, which can cause serious health problems in humans.
However, black widows are actually not aggressive creatures and will only bite if they feel threatened.
By eliminating their favorite hiding places as much as you can, you can successfully share space with them in your garden. However, if you have a full-blown infestation of several black widows in one area or see black widows inside your house, you should call a professional exterminator to get rid of them.
I hope you found this information helpful in assessing and eliminating black widow habitats in your garden. Let me know in the comments below: have you ever seen a black widow spider?
This is the edge of our fabric walkway. There is a gap that would be attractive to black widows, but it is in an extremely high-traffic area of the garden. We walk over that spot multiple times per day, so it’s not a good candidate for black widows.
HOWEVER…
This picture shows the opposite side of the garden, and THIS edge of the fabric is the PERFECT place for black widows. It is cool, low to the ground, snug, and completely undisturbed.
My dad found a black widow on a wooden post that was lying only a few feet away from this spot about a week ago.
Here is the strawberry patch I was worried about. Why do I think there could be black widows here?
- there are no walkways within the rows so they are undisturbed, and have been for over a year
- the cups that are stapled down to help the suckers take root have now created the perfect crevices for black widows
- The berries are full of insects and any black widow would have an easy time getting lots of food
We looked all in the patch and found no spiders. Our next step is to put gloves on and cut all those cups loose to take them out.
Again…we are removing the black widow’s favorite places instead of spraying chemicals everywhere.
After 45 minutes of searching, I didn’t find another black widow. I’m sure there are more in the garden but I’m satisfied that I’ve eliminated a ton of their favorite spots and that’s a win.
Conclusion
Black widow spiders are one of the most feared spiders in the United States. These spiders are known for their deadly venom, which can cause serious health problems in humans.
However, black widows are actually not aggressive creatures and will only bite if they feel threatened.
By eliminating their favorite hiding places as much as you can, you can successfully share space with them in your garden. However, if you have a full-blown infestation of several black widows in one area or see black widows inside your house, you should call a professional exterminator to get rid of them.
I hope you found this information helpful in assessing and eliminating black widow habitats in your garden. Let me know in the comments below: have you ever seen a black widow spider?
