# Black Widow **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 13, 2011, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-widow/596115 "2011-09-13T00:14:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Booshki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@Booshki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Booshki)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2011, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-widow/596115/1 "2011-09-13T00:14:52Z")
I just found a black widow in an old metal air conditioning unit in my backyard. I currently have it in a jar and 2 questions have come to mind. 1. Should I kill it or bring it to some kind of vet/research area? 2. If there’s one there, are there probably more? (No egg sac found) I have lived at my home for 5 years and have ever seen one before… ---
**Author:** ![Booshki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@Booshki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Booshki)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2011, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-widow/596115/2 "2011-09-13T00:22:27Z")
Bump ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2011, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-widow/596115/3 "2011-09-13T00:28:01Z")
Unless you have a local insect zoo interested in taking it, your choice is to either release it somewhere away from people, or to kill it. If you have found a safe place for them to live there are likely others around. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2011, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-widow/596115/4 "2011-09-13T00:31:57Z")
There are sure to be more around. They aren’t threatened or endangered, but they can possibly endanger you or yours. Feel free to kill them with no guilt. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2011, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-widow/596115/5 "2011-09-13T05:33:08Z")
You waited a whole 8 minutes before bumping this thread? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2011, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-widow/596115/6 "2011-09-13T05:54:15Z")
The spider needs an answer fast. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Onimous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea5d25/32.png) [@Ann\_Onimous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Onimous)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2011, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-widow/596115/7 "2011-09-13T06:24:46Z")
Kill it. Then nuke your house from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure you got them all. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2011, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-widow/596115/8 "2011-09-13T07:06:51Z")
Squish. It. Now. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2011, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-widow/596115/9 "2011-09-13T07:16:36Z")
Yes, if you’re looking for votes, I vote DEATH. If you release it, it could conceivably get to my house and bite me. ---
**Author:** ![brocks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7feea3/32.png) [@brocks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brocks)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2011, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-widow/596115/10 "2011-09-13T07:24:03Z")
Oh, let it alone. They’re really not that dangerous. I’ve had a bunch of them in my garage for years, and nothing bad has happ ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2011, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-widow/596115/11 "2011-09-13T07:37:19Z")
You’re harboring terrorist spiders!! You will destroy them or we will do it for you! ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2011, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-widow/596115/12 "2011-09-13T08:06:15Z")
> [@brocks](#): > > Oh, let it alone. They’re really not that dangerous. I’ve had a bunch of them in my garage for years, and nothing bad has happ Actually, abdominal cramping is the more common symptom of a latrodectus envenomation ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2011, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-widow/596115/13 "2011-09-13T09:20:59Z")
> [@Booshki](#): > > 1. Should I kill it or bring it to some kind of vet/research area? Why? Are they rare in your area? In the southwest, there are black widows in every dark corner and crevice. ---
**Author:** ![Marconi\_N.Cheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Marconi\_N.Cheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marconi_N.Cheese)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2011, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-widow/596115/14 "2011-09-13T12:45:12Z")
I had one in the garden for quite a while. She was quite shy and didn’t seem to bother anything. Then one night I noticed another, smaller one setting up shop near the first one. I sprayed the area. I’m not a big fan of killing stuff or pesticides, but I didn’t want them to get out of hand. Now I’ve been noticing a similar web in the house. I’m trying to trap it with duct tape but so far no luck. I don’t think there’s much for it to eat in the house so it may be moot. I’m sure there are more outside but I’m not going hunting for them. If I see any in the house I will kill them. ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2011, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-widow/596115/15 "2011-09-13T13:34:17Z")
I second the death vote. You might get lucky and never see another one if you decide to release it, but chances are she will mobilize her spider army and swarm your house. Then you’ll have a big problem. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2011, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-widow/596115/16 "2011-09-13T14:07:49Z")
Terminate with extreme prejudice. Crush it between your thumb and forefinger. ---
**Author:** ![T.Slothrop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3e96dc/32.png) [@T.Slothrop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/T.Slothrop)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2011, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-widow/596115/17 "2011-09-14T08:09:48Z")
It is pretty easy. It is a digitally answered question made up of ones (kill it) and zeros (don’t kill it). Is it a bug ? 1. kill it. Is it a spider 1. kill it Is it a black widow spider ? 1. KILL IT. See, I told you it was easy. There were no zeroes involved at all. Jon ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2011, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-widow/596115/18 "2011-09-14T15:14:58Z")
Release it outside and don’t worry about it. They’re very common and really not all that dangerous. We had zillions of them in and around our house when I lived in Arizona. ---
**Author:** ![Crazyhorse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazyhorse/32/31_2.png) [@Crazyhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazyhorse)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2011, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-widow/596115/19 "2011-09-14T15:42:22Z")
A lot more people die every year from mosquito bites than black widow bites. So if you kill the spider then all the mosquitoes she would have eaten will live. If you consider all the mosquitoes that all her future offspring and all their future offspring would have eaten, and at the same time all the new generations of mosquitoes that would be born, it might be adding millions of life-threatening parasites to the world just by killing that one, timid spider. ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2011, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-widow/596115/20 "2011-09-14T17:20:11Z")
I had, what I assume was the same black widow, build it’s web at the same spot every summer in front of my house. She did this for about 4 years but I’m guessing that about the extent of a black widow’s life span cause I didn’t see it this summer. ☹ They might not be harmless but what are the odds of them actually seriously hurting you? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-widow/596115.md?page=2)