Red back (Black Widow) Spiders …highly venomous – can be deadly

Venom toxicity – the Black Widow Spider can inflict a painful bite which can be fatal, especially to the young and elderly. An effective anti-venom was developed in 1956.
Only a small amount of venom can cause serious illness, as the poison attacks the nervous system. Systemic envenomisation usually results in headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, pyrexia and hypertension. The pain around the bite area can be excruciating or it may go unnoticed. First aid and medical attention should be sought as soon as possible, if bitten. If you have heart condition or other heart problem, you may need hospitalization.

Spider Identification:
– the body of an adult black widow is about 1/2 inch long. The female black widow is normally shiny black, with a red hourglass marking on the underside of the abdomen. The marking may range in color from yellowish orange to red and its shape may range from an hourglass to a dot.

Habitat:
– prefers woodpiles, rubble piles, under stones, in hollow stumps, sheds and garages. Indoors it can be found in undisturbed, cluttered areas in basements and crawl spaces.

Control Methods:
Our spider treatments are carried out in 3 stages.
Stage 1:
An ultra low volume misting of all external areas such as eaves, gutter lines, pergolas, outdoor furniture and fence lines.
Stage 2:
Misting of internal areas such as cornices and skirtings.
Stage 3:
Dusting of ceiling voids.
All of the products we use are synthetic pyrethroids and have been through extensive testing and approved by the appropriate authorities. All material safety data sheets are carried by our technicians and can be supplied upon request.