Help!!! Black widow infestation...

a reply to: Boadicea

Yeah, the recluse bite is nasty, I've been bitten by one before.
I do logging and timber framing, amongst being in the woods alot up here.
Lost a big ball of tissue on my forearm from one, nasty stuff.

Been bitten by damn near everything up here, but spiders are something else.

My python has given me a few shots over the years, but not being poisonous, it's more of a warning that he isn't ready to be disturbed after feeding yet.

Anywho- be careful, and I'm sure everything will work out.

P.s. after its cleaned/debugged, maybe lube everything that needs it, and then use some undercoating that stays soft.

Just might trap the buggers till they aren't a threat anymore.

a reply to: Archivalist

Driving this thing into a freezer or a place so hot they die.

We're expecting 98° on Monday... I might take it for a long drive during the peak of the heat...

I wish this had happened when we were still over 110°!

originally posted by: Muninn
Chickens, they love widows...

Chickens, eh? I don't have any but my neighbor does... maybe I go over with some fresh baked brownies...

...or if you are sick like me you can introduce a bark scorpion or a giant hairy scorpion and watch it destroy the widows, just use a strong uv light and a grabber.

Good times.👍

I haven't seen a barker for years, actually. We have a lot of feral cats in the 'hood though, so I'm pretty sure they take care of them. And lizards -- tons of lizards!

originally posted by: Boadicea
a reply to: Archivalist

Driving this thing into a freezer or a place so hot they die.

We're expecting 98° on Monday... I might take it for a long drive during the peak of the heat...

I wish this had happened when we were still over 110°!

You in AZ?

a reply to: Muninn

You in AZ?

Yup! We just cooled down a week or two ago, wouldn't ya know it?

originally posted by: Boadicea
We're expecting 98° on Monday... I might take it for a long drive during the peak of the heat...

I wish this had happened when we were still over 110°!

Oh crap! We really must be neighbors? Haha! Irony is pretty funny sometimes, right? I'm in the big city east valley area.


I'm totally loving the cooler nights. I'm so looking forward to my A/C bill going down too.

a reply to: Boadicea

Yea I hear ya, my pool is too cold now.

I would just take the jeep to the local rinse and ride and get the undercarriage blasted, might help.

originally posted by: Kalamitous

Oh crap! We really must be neighbors? Haha! Irony is pretty funny sometimes, right? I'm in the big city east valley area.

Oh dear... must be indeed...

I'm totally loving the cooler nights. I'm so looking forward to my A/C bill going down too.

The night's have been amazing. I've been sitting outside too. The lazy red moon a couple nights ago was pretty special. I love this time of year. I won't even complain that mornings are even a little chilly these days.

I just got my new bill... down $75 already. Woohoo!!!

a reply to: Boadicea

Do you have a garage?

Maybe trying bombing it over night, using several bombs. Not *inside* the car, of course, but windows up, garage sealed and off go the bombs.

Just hope they don't get in through the vents. I've had mice get in the vents and give birth on the cabin air filter.

originally posted by: Liquesence
a reply to: Boadicea

Do you have a garage?

Maybe trying bombing it over night, using several bombs. Not *inside* the car, of course, but windows up, garage sealed and off go the bombs.

No, unfortunately, we don't. It's parked under a free standing open carport. My son has a garage. If we have to, we'll ask him if we can use his garage.

Just hope they don't get in through the vents. I've had mice get in the vents and give birth on the cabin air filter.

Me too. I've got them closed now. Haven't found any spiders or webs inside yet... just knocked on wood of course!

I did not see anyone posting this...
Call a freakin professional exterminator .
Problem resolved.

originally posted by: Gothmog
I did not see anyone posting this...
Call a freakin professional exterminator .
Problem resolved.

Actually, I did... they couldn't guarantee their results because it requires actual contact with the spider for the product to work. I was told it would require multiple applications and may never be complete.

This was a local place -- not Orkin -- so I might have better luck with someone else. Or maybe a more specialized place? I don't know.

I didn't question it because I've called to have bee swarms on my olive tree removed before, and they've told me it's not worth the trouble. Just give them a couple days and they'll move on -- and they always have.

originally posted by: Boadicea

originally posted by: Gothmog
I did not see anyone posting this...
Call a freakin professional exterminator .
Problem resolved.

Actually, I did... they couldn't guarantee their results because it requires actual contact with the spider for the product to work. I was told it would require multiple applications and may never be complete.

This was a local place -- not Orkin -- so I might have better luck with someone else. Or maybe a more specialized place? I don't know.

I didn't question it because I've called to have bee swarms on my olive tree removed before, and they've told me it's not worth the trouble. Just give them a couple days and they'll move on -- and they always have.

Black Widows are bad.
Do not fool around with em.
I once was outside picking up sticks out of the yard .
Felt something crawling on the back of my hand .
Turned out to be one about the size of a large marble.
Without thinking , I just "blew it off of my hand"
Then went into full panic mode.

a reply to: Gothmog

You just had to say marble, didn't you?

That's exactly what they remind me of! So slick and shiny with their long well-defined legs... You know even before you see the red spot.

If I actually found one on me, I'd probably go into panic mode too! For now, I'm still keeping my cool (kinda sorta...)

Thank you all for the great -- really excellent! -- advice.

When my hubby got home last night, I was showing him just how extensive the webs have become. And told him what I'd learned from all of you and elsewhere.

He's going to take it into his shop this weekend, put it up on a lift, and use a STEAM power washer with detergent. I'm also going out before sunrise and spray those darn webs again, when the spiders will hopefully be down and out of their hiding spaces to hunt. I dabbed some lemon eucalyptus essential oils on the vents too, hoping to repel the little buggers from getting inside the vehicle. And I intend to take it on a few nice long drives during the heat. (I won't be opening those vents either. No A/C for me!)

I guess the test will be next week, when we see if the webs come back. I usually don't drive much during the week, so it sits for a few days.

And I'll share any of our misadventures in the process...

If you're using vinegar as a deterrent, be sure to use white vinegar, as it's higher in he stuff that you're after (I can't remember what it's called and I'm just rushing through at the moment, but it's in there!)

We had a false-widow and tube-web infestation around our place (neither are native to the island), and I can attest to its effectiveness.

Holes where there used to be plenty of them have been vacant since last year,

Good luck! 🤓 🤜

Tucson here. I nuke my property a few times a year. I’ll probably end up with a third ear but there won’t be any critters.

originally posted by: PilSungMtnMan
Tucson here. I nuke my property a few times a year. I’ll probably end up with a third ear but there won’t be any critters.

LOL! It could be worse. I would think a third ear might come in handy

I've heard Tucson gets more critters than us up here in Phx metro area. I think those of us on the outskirts still see a few more. My in-laws are just a little north of Nogales. And oh my goodness the critters they get down there!!! Centipedes and children of the earth and others I don't even know

Update: So Hubby put it on the lift and powerwashed the underside. When he got it home, I wiped it down with white vinegar, and then I sprayed the underside real good with the lemon eucalyptus repellent. Swabbed all the vents with a lemon eucalyptus essential oil. (The inside sure smells good!) And we moved all the yard debris piled behind it -- so that's gone!

So far so good. We haven't driven it since Sunday morning. No new webs underneath or reaching to the ground. Still no sign of any spiders or webs inside the vehicle. Haven't seen any new dead spiders under or around it either.

We'll see what happens in the next couple of days.