Comments on: Brown Widow

By: Kolby

Kolby — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:13:42 +0000

Hey Al,

Sounds like you're living a 1950s horror film! I picture you running around scorching your yard with your soldering torch, frying spiders which blanket everything in sight! Try to keep in mind that spiders are beneficial to yards and gardens by feeding on harmful insects. Having a couple spiders around isn't a bad thing.

I think the major difference between the brown widow and the black widow, in my opinion, is that the brown widow is more docile and less likely to bite when bothered. I find them very easy to catch since their first reaction when approached is to play possum. However, when I've approached a black widow, they move violently, sometimes towards the catching jar or stick, holding up their front legs with their fangs exposed.

Another way I look at it is that the black widow is like a wild panther while the brown widow is a house cat. They might be related genetically, but act much differently.

Al, if you want to share your specimens for scientific research, contact the Arachnid department at Georgia Southern University.

By: Al

Al — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 23:08:54 +0000

jhbfgsjkg, I got you beat! I have killed hundreds this last week. And have a jar of egg sacs! (in paint thinner) I too am tempted to flame thrower my back yard. As it is I use my soldering torch at night. Problem is the torch can blow the sacs away out of sight. So I use a stick to grab the sacs and put them in a jar of whatever is lethal. I cannot believe the numbers! It's ridiculous.
Here's the problem for me, the Brown Widow info is so varied. They are all over the US now. Infestation level. Most of the info seems to be cut and paste from Black Widow facts. That's not workin' for me. If they are "almost" as poisonous as Black Widow, with the Brown Widow sky high numbers why aren't there tons of hospital reports? Makes me think (and I want to think) that they are not near as poisonous as their cousins, not just because they aren't aggressive and don't bite. Why and how are there not concrete facts on the Brown Widows? Blows my mind.

Kahunna do you still need specimens?

By: Kolby

Kolby — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:13:42 +0000

By: Al

Al — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:08:54 +0000

By: ljhbfgsjkg

ljhbfgsjkg — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 02:50:21 +0000

I have killed 12 of these spiders and a lot of egg sacks in the last week. Im half tempted to just flamer thrower my backyard.

By: sarah

sarah — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 19:32:31 +0000

I live in oregon and today I rescued a beautifiully and boldly striped widow with a orange hour glass , I never knew we had brown widows plan on taking photos.

By: Tracy

Tracy — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:36:44 +0000

I'm in the Baldwin Hills near LAX. We had never seen Browns before this year. First spotted tell-tale egg sacs a few months ago (we quickly disposed of them). Spotted our first adult just a few weeks ago. Since then, we're finding them on almost a daily basis. The Black Widows are still around – haven't seen any depletion on their part (just an explosion by the Browns). Also, found a large Black in the bottom of our beehive. She was sitting next to a Brown egg sac. Assuming they dine on one another — true?

By: gordonandrew

gordonandrew — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 23:38:58 +0000

I have a specimen of what I thought was a black widow. It is totally black with black legs not striped like the brown widow. It seems to be much larger than the brown widow. The one thing I did notice was a yellow pattern on her back. Red Hour glass (not orange like the dozens of other brown widows). Could the species be interbreeding creating a new type of spider. It is dead now I spayed it with some bug spray because it was under a chair I sit on. Anyone else see this. I am pretty sure its not the brown widow because of all the pictures I have see and what I have read always show the legs as striped not completely black.

By: kpalmal

kpalmal — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 03:27:31 +0000

OMG – we have “eradicated” hundreds (and I do mean hundreds) over the course of several years. We thought they were just immature and/or mutated black widows (which we also still see). Although, like other anecdotal stories, the black widows seem fewer. Have also seen dozens of their distinctive egg sacs. Live in Sierra Madre.

By: calicougar

calicougar — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 18:09:08 +0000

Southern California, L.A. county~ I just killed a brown widow spider and disposed of her EIGHT eggs today! I recognised the familiar tangle of widow spider web on my trash can handle, but was surprised when I saw the unfamiliar, spiked egg sacks. I sprayed the entire mess, and was further surprised when a brown spider with an orange hourglass on the abdomen emerged. Some internet investigation confirmed that the spiked egg sacks were those of the brown widow spider. Southern California is loaded with black widow spiders, but the brown is apparently a recent import. ICK!!! One more poisonous pest to watch for around the house.