# This will bite instinctively when touched!



## Joe Tedesco (Mar 25, 2007)

*Black Widow Spider*

"Araneae: Theridiidae, _Latrodectus mactans_ 







 
SIZE: About 1 1/2 inches (38mm) long, 1/4 inch (6.4mm) in diameter 
COLOR: Usually shiny black 

*DESCRIPTION:* The female is usually black with a red spot or hourglass- shaped mark on its round abdomen. The male usually has light streaks on its abdomen. 

*HABITAT:* Black widow spiders are common around wood piles, and are frequently encountered when homeowners carry firewood into the house. Also found under eaves, in boxes, outdoor toilets, meter boxes, and other unbothered places. 

*LIFE CYCLE:* Egg sacs are brown, papery, about ½ inch long and oval. They hold from 25 to 900 or more eggs, which have an incubation period of 20 days. Growth requires two to three months, with older females dying in autumn after egg laying. 

*TYPE OF DAMAGE:* The black widow is not aggressive. It will, however, bite instinctively when touched or pressed. 

*CONTROL:* Be very careful when working around areas where black widow spiders may be established. Take proper precautions-wear gloves and pay attention to where you are working. Black widow bites are sharp and painful, and the victim should go to the doctor immediately for treatment. To control the black widow, carefully remove all materials where they might hide. They can be cleaned out of an area simply by knocking down the webs, spiders, and round tan egg sacs with a stick and crushing them underfoot. 
*INTERESTING FACTS:* The female eats the male after mating. She hangs belly upward and rarely leaves the web." 

Question: Do you wear gloves when opening the cover of the cabinet enclosing a panelboard?

I am hoping that my editor will let me submit the rest of this story when I write a future article.

I have tried in the past and sent in the dead rat, cat, frog, and opossum, he said Yuk! nothing doing! Does this site object to these pictures?


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

Joe Tedesco said:


> Question: Do you wear gloves when opening the cover of the cabinet enclosing a panelboard?
> 
> I am hoping that my editor will let me submit the rest of this story when I write a future article.
> 
> I have tried in the past and sent in the dead rat, cat, frog, and opossum, he said Yuk! nothing doing! Does this site object to these pictures?


Are you saying some electrician got bit by something inside a panel? I've found dead stuff in panels a few times. I think gloves are a good idea, vermin and insects notwithstanding, because covers are sheet metal and many are quite heavy. Sheet metal can cut you up real good.


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

One time I was in a questionable apartment building surveying panels when I let out a blood curdling scream the guys thought I had been hurt. WORSE I was covered in 1000's and 1000's of roaches. When I removed the panel cover they swarmed over me.


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## JohnJ0906 (Jan 22, 2007)

brian john said:


> One time I was in a questionable apartment building surveying panels when I let out a blood curdling scream the guys thought I had been hurt. WORSE I was covered in 1000's and 1000's of roaches. When I removed the panel cover they swarmed over me.


Would make me scream too! 

Just READING that made me shudder!


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## NC_Electrician (Mar 7, 2007)

The freakiest things I've seen while working was with my last "moonlighting" contractor/buddy.

We were working in some hunting camps, and had to replace the service to upgrade it to 200A and do some interior work to bring it up to code.

I was going to go up in the attic and luckilly looked up and seen a rather large snake (I'm thinking rattlesnake) looking at me....he slowly slithered away into the darkness of the attic. I hastilly left the camp and was waiting outside for the owner to return. I told him what was up, and that I was NOT going in the attic full of insulation and debris where Mr (or Mrs) snake could hide and be stepped on etc.

I told him he could fire me, fine....no biggie...I'm not dealing with a known snake in a area I can't verify its location. He agreed with me, and wouldn't go up there either. We ended up using non-metallic wiremold for the upgraded smokes:thumbup: 

Another house was a rewire...it had the X bracing in the 2X6 exterior walls, and we had to remove sections of the plaster lathe to gain access and drill for our NM cable. There was another (thankfully) very much dead/skeletized snake in the bottom of the wall, with ironically a rat skeleton with it. To this day, I don't know how he got in there:no:  

You see a theme here?? I HATE snakes!!! The only good snake is a pair of boots or a guitar strap:laughing:


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## K&R (Jan 22, 2007)

We have a couple of black widows in our front flower bed. I just use the I wont bother you if you don't bother me attitude. It's worked for the past 2 years. I'm just careful when weeding.


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## HCECalaska (Mar 21, 2007)

not snakes, or poisonous spiders native to Alaska


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