You put on your shoes
and feel a burning pain
in your foot right away.
Your whole leg starts feeling stiff.
The room spins as your vision blurs,
and your stomach clenches in pain.
What could've caused this agony?
Black widows are venomous spiders
located in many warm areas.
The most common species in the U.S.
are the southern black widow,
which has a red hourglass shape
on its black, shiny body.
And the northern black widow,
which has a row of spots
and red, yellow or white lines.
Only female black widows
are dangerous to humans.
They got their name from sometimes
killing and eating males after mating.
Black widows measure about
4 cm (1.5 in) long
and weigh about 1 gram (0.04 oz).
Their male counterparts
tend to be brown and smaller.
A black widow bite
can cause muscle spasms,
abdominal or chest pain.
Other common symptoms include
difficulty breathing,
nausea and fever.
Black widow's venom
is 15 times stronger than a rattlesnake's.
But the little spiders' bites inject
less venom into our bodies,
so they're less toxic.
But it will be painful.
So how can you stop these nasty biters
from getting into your home?
The first sign of a black widow infestation
would be the spiderweb.
Look for a messy web
with an irregular shape
located close to the floor or ground.
You could also find a silken sac
containing 50 to 100 eggs.
They hatch every 30 days.
And despite their name,
newly hatched black widow spiderlings
are all white.
If you suspect your home
or property is infested,
double-check your shoes and clothes
before wearing them,
especially if they've been in a dark closet.
Vacuum your house
to get rid of the spiders,
webs and eggs.
Use strong scents
to keep black widows away.
Mix water with eucalyptus,
tea tree oil
or peppermint
and spray it outside
your windows and doors,
and below furniture.
If you come across a black widow,
your options are to kill it or trap it.
You can kill it by using a broom
or other item that lets you attack
from a distance.
If you don't like to kill living creatures,
you can trap the spider by using a jar
or catch it with bug traps.
Then remove it from your property.
But be careful.
Black widows are reclusive
and want to be left alone.
They get aggressive
and will attack if you disturb them.
If you can't get rid of the spiders,
consult a professional exterminator.
Black widows love a messy place
where they can hide in the dark all day
and look for food during the night.
Start by sealing entryways,
removing moisture
and cleaning dark, hidden spaces.
Pay special attention to basements,
attics,
crawlspaces,
and the underside of furniture.
To prevent black widow spiders
from collecting in outdoor areas,
remove lumber piles and old boxes.
Remove any trash,
and always wear gloves
when handling outdoor garbage.
If you suspect a black widow bit you,
your first priority would be to get
medical treatment as soon as possible.
If a doctor prescribes a painkiller,
take all of it as prescribed
and not only when you feel pain.
If you can't get to a hospital right away,
wash the bite area thoroughly
with soap and water.
Then apply a cold compress.
If you get bitten on your arm or leg,
keep it elevated to prevent inflammation.
Apply a topical antibiotic to the bite,
and take a non-prescription pain reliever.
In 2020, in Bolivia,
three young boys
found a black widow spider
while herding goats.
They took turns
poking the spider with a stick
to coax it into biting them.
They believed the spider
would give them superpowers
like Spider-Man.
As they began suffering from fevers,
tremors and muscle pains,
their mother rushed them
to a hospital in La Paz.
The boys needed a full week of treatment
and monitoring.
They learned the hard way
that black widow spiders are no joke.
But this is not the only venomous spider
in the world.
And it's certainly not the deadliest.
Which spiders could harm
and even kill you?
We've got a video about that too.