Black Widow Spiders - Do It Yourself Pest Control

Recommended Products for Black Widow Spider Control

1. Liquid Residual Concentrates to Get Rid of Black Widows

An effective method for how to get rid of black widows is to use a liquid insecticide. Onslaught FastCap, Avesta CS, Demand CS, Residential Spider Kit, Cyper WSP, or Onslaught are some of the best black widow control products on the market.

These are liquid residual concentrates that you mix with water and spray. Spray around the foundation perimeter to control black widow spiders. Spray about 1-2 feet up the exterior wall and 3-10 feet out from the exterior wall as a liquid barrier.

Also, spray around window frames, door frames, soffit areas, vent openings, exhaust areas, garages, basements, mounted lights, air conditioning areas, cable entry points, deck areas, stoops, and patio areas.

2. Use Dust to Kill Black Widows

Dusting is useful for getting rid of black widows if there are voids such as electric outlets, switch plate covers, or vent areas where black widow spiders are emerging.

Using a hand duster like Bellows duster would allow for easier dusting. Cimexa Dust and D-Fense Dust would are our top recommended insecticide dusts for black widow and spider infestation control.

Using D-Fense Dust dusted in the attic area would be a good measure if there is an infestation in the attic area. Delta Dust may be used in your crawl space; it is moisture-proof. Dustin Mizer makes dusting an attic easier, giving an even dust dispersion.

3. Aerosols Sprays for Black Widow Spiders

• PT 221L Residual Insecticide Aerosol is used for getting rid of black widows around the home and garden.

• Zenprox Aerosol - Botanical/Pyrethroid, quick kill and residual with 360-degree valve(for upside-down spraying), dries dry instead of oily.

• Stryker 54 Contact Spray - This pyrethrin aerosol spray is used for killing black widow spiders on contact and flushing them out of hiding places.

• Residential Spider Control Kit: We have a kit with Demand CS and PT 221L in one kit called the Residential Spider Kit. Use the Demand CS outside (it may be sprayed inside as well) and the PT221L Aerosol with its crack and crevice tip is used to spray into hiding places where the liquid can not reach the black widow spiders.

4. Monitoring with Spider Traps

Trapper LTD Insect Glue Boards will help get rid of black widow spiders and monitor the population. The Monterey Spider Trap will catch and kill black widow spiders, and serve as a monitoring tool.

How to Identify Black Widow Spiders

The first step in getting rid of black widows and preventing them from returning is to correctly identify them. Female black widow spiders are the most easily recognized, their shiny black body giving great contrast to their round abdomen's red hourglass marking.

Male Black Widow Spiders

Adult male black widow spiders are harmless, about half the of female black widows's size, and usually have yellow and red bands with spots on their backs.

The male's legs are much longer in proportion to his body than that of the female, with its body being about half the size.

Black Widow Distribution

The black widow spider's range is from Massachusetts to Florida and west to California, Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas.

Although they can be found in almost every state (and some portions of Canada), this spider is most common in the Southern areas of the United States.

Inspect

Black Widow Spider Habits

Black widow spiders can be found on the underside of window ledges, rocks, plants, and debris, wherever a web can be strung. Cold weather and drought may drive these spiders into crawl spaces, dark corners, and other floor-level areas in buildings.

Black widows can be found under stones, outside boards, along with foundational slabs, behind shrubs, and along siding that touches the ground.