I live in Southern California. I also do not like to spread chemicals around my house. due to having a dog and also liking to have crickets for the lizards that run around to eat

Black widows like to build tri-angles with a height of about 8-10" They tend to like to do this around outdoor furniture, fence posts gates,mail boxes and pool fixtures

Every Spring time since I've lived in my home I go out once it's dark with a flashlight and a Burns-o-matic propane torch.

I've been lax this year on this duty. I try to do it once or so a month.

Tonight I got 2 under the chair my wife sits on to play ball with the dog. 1 each on the other 2 chairs 2 under the picnic table 1 each under each bench. 4 in the pool equipment area 4 in the rv area the two by the gas meeter got stomped on 1 really big azz mama by the mail box 2 allong the south fence in front and one near a front pillar near our door.

Hahahaha, I used to do the same thing when I lived in Central California.  I used the grill lighter though.  I don't miss the Black Widow roundup.  I did however find a big ass Brown Recluse in my sump pump hole the other day, I need to go back and burn him out too.  lol



 

I like black widows, they keep their distance.

The brown recluse is another story.

Chicken them from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.

My two chickens keep the area around my house black widow free.

Of course killing it with fire is fun too.

I collect them into Gatorade bottles.  Several weeks later, you have a bumper crop of tiny black widows.  



They can survive and hatch their babies even without any water or air-holes. They are much better parents then the average American liberal.





I'm thinking of selling them online.  Anybody want to buy some?        Not as cute as a baby giraffe, but a good substitute if you don't have Billions to spare.

Our property is loaded with them

I have always had a strange  thing with spiders.  I like them.  Wife freaks out when I use a piece of paper to scrape them into my hand and put them out the front door.  She really hates them and me when I chase her around the house with them in my hand to give her a close look.  We will leave the domestic violence charge I could have pressed when I dropped a harmless but inch leg spread wolf spider on her one night when she was being mean to me  out of the equation.

Check your water meter pit.  I've killed 50 - 100 in a day before mapping water meters.

You need to clarify:  



Are we talking venomous spiders, or just garden variety scary looking spiders?





This is a BW thread.  Go drop a BW on her and get back to us)



(a Brown recluse is an acceptable substitute if BW's are not indigenous to your area)



 

Wester black widows will give you abdominal cramps.  Might kill a smaller animal or human child.  

That said, I use WD40 and a lighter.

I use the chemicals... and it's time to go hunting...

 Of course i am talking about harmless spiders.  IE the the harmless wolf spider.  No i will not drop a black widow on my wife.  Course only the females are dangerous to humans.  Kinda like misquitos in that regard.

Most people don't even know what a male looks like.  I'd probably just kill it without even thinking it was a black widow.

Bad cramps, muscle aches throughout the body, and even a little trouble breathing on the way to the hospital.

I don't think I've ever seen one.  If I have, I didn't recognize it for what it was.   I usually ignore spiders unless they just happen to be underfoot.