# What's a home remedy for killing black widow spiders?



## Red Squirrel

Look at a product called Cyonara. I use it once or twice a year around the house and basement. It does not kill bugs right away (takes a few days) but it has the residual effect that pest control products have. Basically, the ones that do make it in your house are not going to be living very long. 

You'd have to double check on google but pretty sure this product works on black widows and fleas. It's a multi purpose killer.


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## wkearney99

sfombom said:


> The pest control costs so much.


Not as much as the risk of injury and death. Some things have a cost worth paying.


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## noquacks

Its well known that widows live outdoors, or garage. Hardly every get inside. Blacks are way worse than brown Widows. Under gabrage can rims, eves of house, under plastic patio chairs, etc. Look for their irregularly shaped webs. 
There is no effective "spray" product for spiders, period. Spiders are not insecs, therefore, do not have the same habits. Dusts are way better (silica based). Have recently battled spiders indoors........


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## ratherbefishin'

Brown widow sacs have spikes. Black widow sacs are smooth and oval to pear shaped. 
I was bitten by a black widow in New Mexico about 30 years ago and can tell you it's not a pleasant experience. I'd hate to see someone else go through that.


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## user1007

sfombom said:


> The pest control costs so much.


I have found pest control companies to be much more cost efficient than buying pretty packaged consumer products that do not do much. Pest control experts have licenses and access to things we do not. I have always found them to be well worth the money and you can call them back if problems persist. I guess if you just call them when you have problems rather than putting them on a schedule they could be pricey. 

You do not need to go with a national franchise. They are often more expensive since somebody has to pay for the marketing and advertising. Find the independents working your area. 

I would not loose sleep over spider bites but you should eradicate them if poisonous. In addition to black widows the brown recluse ones are more common and can do some real tissue damage. 

There are lots of reasons to wear work gloves. Preventing bug bites, plant rashes and so forth are just some of them. Picking up an infection on a piece of rusty metal or nail you didn't see is no fun either. 

Most spiders are actually good to have around if they do not creep you out too much. They eat other insects.

Boron can be mixed in water and sprayed on to discourage many insect populations. It is harmless to pets and humans. Borax is the main ingredient in roach powders and even laundry detergents. Diatomaceous earth, a common swimming pool filter material, can also be helpful.


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## noquacks

I believe you are right here, fishin. 

We all know widows are toxic.


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## Daniel Holzman

It might be worth rereading the OPS post. The OPS did not state that they had black widow spiders. The OPS merely asked what was a home remedy for getting rid of them, which for all we know the OPS may be interested in because they are doing a crossword puzzle where that is a clue. There seem to have been two relevant posts, one related to a product called Cyanora, which I am totally unfamilar with, and one recommending not using home remedies.


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## Daniel Rogers

To my knowledge there are really no home remedies, however there are behaviors and certain things you can do to prevent them. 

1.Vacuum any webs you see inside your home to discourage spiders from rebuilding their home.

2.Getting rid of other pests, such as flies and gnats, prevent spiders from spinning webs when there is no food.

3. Install sodium light bulbs as porch lights that repel other bugs and thus spiders from creating their webs.

4. Keep rooms clutter-free and well-organized to avoid spiders who love making a home in small hiding spots.

If this doesnt help i would suggest contacting a professional

Dan


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## Red Squirrel

Another option is to move in a place that does not have bugs that can kill you.


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## shadytrake

Actually there are a few items that will help control spiders and fleas. I have an orchid shadehouse which is a haven for spiders, ants, and all kinds of insects. They just love the cool humidity to get away from the hot sun. Here are a few controls that I use (I had a few black widows this year). 

If you can still find it, Malathion is an excellent flea control (but you must make sure to keep your pets away for a short time). I spray Malathion around the exterior and interior border of the shadehouse twice per year. I keep the dog away for a full day but you should read the package instructions to make sure. My bottle is several years old. A nice sized concentrate will last you a long time. I think I paid $25 for a 36 oz bottle. I use 1 cap full to 1 gallon.

It does stink like sulfur so be prepared. It can knock you back. The benefit is that it will also kill cockroaches, aphids, and a lot of other pests.

For a spray shot spider killer, just use a bleach solution or if that is too toxic for you get some Neem Oil or Volck Oil. These solutions will suffocate spiders. They breathe using a book lung. 

I see a lot of spiders in the shadehouse. I use a mild bleach solution if they are on the floor. If they are on the orchids, I use Neem or Volck oil in a spray bottle. 1 cap full to a 1/2 gallon.

These options are cheap, easy to apply, and they work. 

FYI - if you have cats, one of the best flea controls is to put the spot on treatment regularly. The cat, not the dog, is the major flea factory. If I control the fleas on my cat, I have very few fleas on the dog. This advice came from my vet and after 5 blissful flea free years, I'm a happy person.


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## gobug

I owned and operated a CO pest control company. Spiders were 25% of the business.

Black widows are one of the most common CO spiders. There are 5 species. One is the brown widow with red lightning bolt shaped markings on the sides.

Black widows usually live 3 years. Their new babies hatch in the spring. That is usually when people see them.

I have seen them move into outdoor mouse bait stations in the middle of the winter.

They prefer to stay in their web in an isolated spot. They do not like busy thoroughfares. Indoors this means behind doors, under cabinets or furniture, crawl spaces, or up in corners of the garage, etc.

My normal approach and recommendation for dealing with black widows would be to spray a long life pyrethroid on the outside around doors, windows, and foundation edges in early fall. These products are available at the big box for about $7/gal. The repellancy keeps them outdoors.

I would not recommend using Malathion indoors, nor aerosols, or bombs. 

For indoors I would use the vacuum. If you find a web suck it and the spider up. Spray a quick squirt of an aerosol into the hose while the vacuum is on. You could suck up a tsp of boric acid, instead.

Spiders are our friends in the garden, but not in the house.
Gary


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## shadytrake

FYI I didn't say spray Malathion inside your house. I use it on the interior of a shadehouse for orchids. A shadehouse is a screened in house much like a screen porch but not attached to a home.


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## gobug

Interesting, orchids and malathion. I recently began growing a few orchids. What does the malathion do? Don't the screens keep out the pests?


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## shadytrake

Malathion keeps out so many pests. Cockroaches especially love to munch on orchids. If you see half-moons or semi-circles in your foliage or on the petals, cockroaches have been lunching.

The main pests you will control that affect orchids are mealybugs, thrips, spider mites, aphids, white flies, and scale.

For spraying on orchids, I recommend a systemic and dunking with Bayer Advanced Complete in the liquid concentrate. It kills grasshoppers too. Make sure to get the concentrate because it will last several years for the money. I'm still on my first bottle from 3 years ago and I have over 200 orchids.


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