Nature Note: the Black Widow Spider
By Seth Bishop

The black widow spider (Latrodectus mactans) is said to live in parts of the world where grapes grow. Unfortunately for us, grape vines are a common site throughout the state, meaning that these spiders are fairly common in woodpiles, rocky areas, and human dwellings across Kentucky. As a result of their close association with humans, many horror stories and fears have arisen from this uneasy relationship.

In the 1800’s, many unfortunate men were bitten while sitting in the outhouse, accounting for nearly 80% of all recorded black widow bites. Kind of gives you a new appreciation for indoor facilities, right guys? Besides the intense pain, the bite could cause the muscles to cramp and become rigid, as well as causing nausea, respiratory problems, and paralysis. Quite a few of the people in those days did die, mainly because there was no antivenin.

Antivenin is essentially the cure for a black widow bite. It is injected into the body and counteracts the venom’s destruction of the nervous system. Since antivenin, deaths from black widow bites are rare, provided the victim gets medical attention. However, this doesn’t mean that you should become Dale, Jr. on the way to the hospital! It takes hours for the full effects of the bite to occur, so stay calm to ensure you at least make it to the hospital, or just call 911.

I know none of this sounds very reassuring, but actually, your chances of getting bitten by a black widow are about the same as getting struck by lightning. Just be careful around areas that may contain spiders, such as basements, garages, and other dark, damp places, and you should be safe.

Once you get past the initial fear, the black widow is actually a pretty cool critter. The females are the only ones that normally bite, and can be identified by the red hourglass on the underside of the abdomen. Males are much smaller and typically avoid the females, except when mating. After mating, the male usually makes a fast get away, but not because he has commitment issues. If he hangs around, the female will often eat him, thus the name “black widow”. Now ladies, don’t get any ideas! Going “black widow” on your man can have some serious consequences in our world, but for the black widow spider, it’s just part of their everyday life.

Seth Bishop is a biologist with Kentucky’s Touchstone Energy Cooperatives