While most spider species are harmless, the black widow is one of the few spiders that you should actually be afraid of. It’s a famous spider species, known for its black color and hourglass marking, and it has a very painful bite that can sometimes be fatal. As such, it’s not really recommended that you try to remove these spiders from your home by yourself. Your best bet if you are dealing with an infestation is to call over a pro. However, if that is out of the question, here is how you can remove a black widow infestation:
During the day, locate as many spider webs possible
Black widow spiders are active at night, which means that you can find their webs during the day, and then return at night to kill them. Indoors, look for webs under the bed, in closet corners, and in the clutter in your basement and attic. Outdoors, the webs are likely to be located under door frames and window ledges, piles of wood or stacked lumber, and close to growing vegetation. Black widow webs have a chaotic look and they are slightly funnel-shaped. The spiders will usually hide in this funnel. Make sure that you do not disturb the webs without protective clothing on.
Use liquid spot and dust treatments
Once you have identified the location of the webs there are several things you can do to get rid of the spiders. To start, you can spray or sprinkle the webs and the surrounding area with a liquid or dust insecticide. These insecticides will kill existing spiders and prevent new ones from coming in. You can find both dusts and liquid spot treatments at your local stores. Dusts are best for horizontal surfaces, and liquid spot treatments work well on vertical ones. While these products are very effective, they can be used in conjunction with other treatment methods for guaranteed results.
Killing the spiders directly
To make sure that you have removed all the spiders, you can return to the webs that you’ve identified at night, and then use non-residual spray insecticides to kill them. However, it’s very important that you wear protective clothing that will cover all your exposed skin, because you do not want any surprises. If you see any spider corpses, do not attempt to pick them up – vacuum them. Once you are done, take out the bag, seal it, and throw it away in the garbage outdoors.
As mentioned in the introduction, we do not recommend that you get rid of black widows yourself. It can be dangerous, and it can be difficult to remove the entire infestation if you miss a few spiders or nests. If you think you need some extra help with the removal, contact us today.
