APPEARANCE
Brown Widow Spider
Because they vary from light tan to dark brown or almost black, with variable markings of black, white, yellow, orange, or brown on the back of their abdomens, brown widows are not as easy to recognize. The underside of the abdomen, if you can see it, contains the characteristic hourglass marking. Unlike the black widow, the hourglass is orange to yellow orange in color.
EGG SAC
With the brown widow, however, there is another way to detect its presence. Its egg sac is very different from those of the other widow spiders. Instead of the smooth white to tan surface, the outside of the egg sac is covered with pointed projections giving it the appearance of a globe with many pointed protuberances on its surface. It has also been described as tufted or fluffy looking.
BITE RISK
Although the bite of a widow spider is much feared, the widow spiders are generally non-aggressive and will retreat when disturbed. Bites usually occur when a spider becomes accidentally pressed against the skin of a person when putting on clothes or sticking their hands in recessed areas or dark corners. According to Dr. G.B. Edwards, an arachnologist with the Florida State Collection of Arthropods in Gainesville, the brown widow venom is twice as potent as black widow venom. However, they do not inject as much venom as a black widow, are very timid, and do not defend their web. The brown widow is also slightly smaller than the black widow.
HABITAT
The brown widow builds its web in secluded, protected sites around our homes, often very near our presence. It has a fondness for buildings but will construct its web in all kinds of man-made structures, and even vegetation. Some typical sites include inside old tires, empty containers such as buckets and nursery pots, mail boxes, entry way corners, under eaves, stacked equipment, cluttered storage closets and garages, behind hurricane shutters, recessed hand grips of plastic garbage cans, undercarriages of motor homes, underneath outside chairs, branches of shrubs.
SANITATION (PREVENTIVE CONTROL)
Sanitation is the most important strategy in reducing widow spiders infestations around the home. Routine cleaning is the best way to eliminate spiders and discourage their return. Gloves should be worn if you suspect widow spiders to be present. Reducing clutter makes an area less attractive to spiders. Inside a home or garage, a thorough cleaning with a vacuum cleaner is an effective way to removes spiders, their egg sacs, and webbing. When vacuuming, the vacuum bag should be removed when you are finished and placed in a sealed plastic bag for disposal. This should be followed by regular inspections to insure they have not returned. Outside the home, potential hiding places such as firewood, building materials, and other debris lying on the ground should be moved away from the building or disposed of. Any cracks, holes, or spaces around windows and doors should be sealed or fitted with weather stripping.
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