The most common types of black widows in the United States are the southern, northern, and western black widow spiders.
Black widows have a red hourglass shape on their underside or on top of their abdomen. Depending on species and life stage, they have varying amounts of red spots or lines on their backs. Like other spiders, black widows have 8 legs. They tend to measure about 1.5 inches in length.
The southern black widow is primarily found in southeastern parts of the United States – ranging from Florida to Canada and west to Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona and Nevada. Northern black widows are commonly found from Canada through Middle Atlantic States like New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland. Western black widows typically live in Pacific Northwestern parts of the United States.
Black widow spiders can be found hanging upside-down in their webs around wood piles, sheds, garages and similar protected locations.
To prevent black widow spiders from bugging you, clean-up clutter in and around the home and move stacked lumber, wood piles and cut brush away from the structure.
Yes, the female black widow bites are particularly harmful to humans. If you experience a bite consult a medical professional immediately.