It can happen, but they’re not very common in northern New Jersey. The northern black widow occurs in the state and can turn up in residential yards, typically in undisturbed protected spots like woodpiles, sheds, crawl spaces, and under stored items.
Most spiders people find in Bergen and Passaic yards are harmless look-alikes. Black widows aren’t, though, so you still need to be careful. They do live in New Jersey. The species is the northern black widow and it’s more common in the southern and coastal parts of the state than in Bergen and Passaic Counties. But you can still run into them.
To identify a mature female black widow, look for a red or orange hourglass on the underside of the abdomen on an otherwise black body. A lot of the time, the hourglass will be split into two separate marks, but that still counts. Body length is about half an inch. They tend to hang upside down in tangled, irregular webs that look messy rather than neat like other types of spiders. Males and juveniles look different and are not a health concern.
Black widows hang out in dark, protected spaces. They stay close to the ground. You’re most likely to run into them around woodpiles or to find them under stones and landscape timbers. Sometimes, you can run into them in crawl spaces, in sheds and garages, and under decks or porch steps.
Bites are rare. They mostly happen because someone puts a hand where they can’t see. The venom is medically significant and can lead to pain, cramping, and sweating. But luckily, they are seldom life-threatening in healthy adults and are treatable. Even so, if you're bitten by a black widow, you need to go to the doctor.
To avoid black widows, take the following actions. Wear gloves when moving firewood, stones, and stored items. Shake out gloves and boots kept in a garage. Keep storage up off the ground and in sealed bins. Clear clutter along foundations and under decks. Knock down webs regularly, since a rebuilt web tells you something is living there.
If spiders are a recurring problem around your property, Mosquito Squad Bergen Passaic can help. Mosquito Squad's home and yard coverage treats the foundation, storage areas, and entry points where spiders shelter. This will help you protect the parts of your property your family uses.
