I was out behind our Koi pond this afternoon and lo and behold what do I see? Three Brown Widow spider webs. When people think of Widow spiders they pretty much think of the ubiquitous Black Widow. But the truth is that there are also Brown and Red Widow spiders as well. We do not have any Red Widows here, at least none that I have ever found but we have no shortage of the Black and Brown kind. Brown Widows are a little smaller than Black Widows but their venom is more powerful so I guess it is a wash. I was bitten on the leg by one three years ago, it is not an experience I recommend. I spent 6 hours in the ED being monitored for any signs of a bad reaction, there was none, but I am here to tell you, even Demerol only takes the edge off of it. With the exception of the Brown Recluse, which I invariably stomp into a pile of goo every time I see one, I pretty much live and let live when it comes to all other breeds of spiders. I will leave these "Reds" alone too but I made my wife aware of them and told her to be very careful around the Koi pond. I "inoculated" our back yard with Preying Mantis babies 3 years ago and they will keep the spider and other bug populations down. They are pretty bad dudes actually.
When I was doing Industrial Water Treatment I had a Chemical Plant in Pascagoula MS, about an hour and a half west of here and in their RO (Reverse Osmosis) shed there were literally dozens of them. You would get rid of them and three days later they would be back. I always looked twice before I stuck my hand anywhere.
This is one by our pond. I put a piece of white paper behind it because with the background they pretty much disappear. That is kind of the point. Unlike Black Widows, which prefer dark and secluded areas, Brown Widows often build webs right out in the open.
That is the thing about living in FL, if you don't like critters of all descriptions from insects (and arachnids) to both venomous and nonvenomous snakes to 12' (and even bigger) alligators, this is not the place for you.
When I was doing Industrial Water Treatment I had a Chemical Plant in Pascagoula MS, about an hour and a half west of here and in their RO (Reverse Osmosis) shed there were literally dozens of them. You would get rid of them and three days later they would be back. I always looked twice before I stuck my hand anywhere.
This is one by our pond. I put a piece of white paper behind it because with the background they pretty much disappear. That is kind of the point. Unlike Black Widows, which prefer dark and secluded areas, Brown Widows often build webs right out in the open.
That is the thing about living in FL, if you don't like critters of all descriptions from insects (and arachnids) to both venomous and nonvenomous snakes to 12' (and even bigger) alligators, this is not the place for you.
