The idea of the black widow is almost cliché these days. Hearing the term for many people might bring to mind the Marvel super heroine. Or perhaps a woman who repeatedly marries men who mysteriously die, leaving her their wealth as featured in a Lifetime movie. And then they might recall the spider with the red hourglass on its back.

Now that we have indoor plumbing, you’re far less likely to hear about people being bitten by black widow spiders. It’s true – the number one place to get bitten by a black widow was in the outhouse. They still pop up from time to time – usually by accident. They generally hide.

Brown widows are far more common in the Sunshine state – and they really only show up in Southern states and a few out west. Thankfully, the bite of the brown widow spider isn’t as deadly as their darker cousins, but it can be painful and cause muscle spasms.

Identifying the Brown Widow

Brown widow spiders are similar in appearance to black widows, about 1 ½ – 2 inches long. Instead of the bright red hourglass, they have a dull yellowish brown or sometimes reddish orange hourglass. Their abdomens are more brown-toned than the stark black of the black widow or the explosion of color that signifies the red widow spider.

The Latrodectus geometricus isn’t native to Florida, but that’s where they first infiltrated the United States, and they are very common now. Brown widows are also sometimes referred to as cobweb spiders since their three-dimensional webs tend to be more erratic and irregular.

The males do not bite, but the females inject a neurotoxic venom when they bite.

Brown widows usually prefer to stay outdoors in secluded woody vegetation with branches to spin their webs from. For those of us with more detritus in our backyards, that is one way they enter our houses. They are partial to buckets, flower pots, and mailboxes. Oftentimes, we can bring them inside our garages or porches without realizing it.

Brown widow spiders – all widow spiders – are also nocturnal, so you may not see them moving about, except if you encounter a hatching egg sac.

Egg-cellent Breeders

One of the signs of a brown widow spider you might have spotted without realizing it is their egg sac. They are yellow, roundish balls, with little silk spikes sticking out, similar to undersea mines or, more recently, artist renderings of the Covid virus.

You might have even cleared a bunch of egg sacs out with cobwebs not even thinking about it.

You should definitely be careful though. One egg sac can contain 120-150 eggs. When they’re born – picture dozens of tiny spiders, like a wave of moving black outward and then into the obscure areas of your garage. You don’t want that on your hands. Literally.

It should also be noted that each female brown widow spider can produce 20 egg sacs in their lifetime. That’s a lot of spiders for one home or backyard.

We have it on good authority that very few people like spiders. Arachnophobia, especially in a mild form, is one of the top fears shared by many humans. And while, if you’re careful, you won’t get bitten by a brown widow spider, most folks don’t want them in their homes.

We can relate. Thankfully, we have a solution for that. Our Go Green Perimeter Plus is an effective, periodic treatment of your home and yard that handles all the annoying insects – and arachnids – we encounter on the Gulf Coast of Florida.

It’s affordable and safe for your family and the environment. And it’s usually enough to eliminate brown widows. But we’re always happy to do what it takes to make sure your home is spider-free. For more details, or to schedule your first inspection appointment, please give us a call!