Brown Widow Spiders

When the subject of dangerous spiders comes up, the average person usually thinks about the black widow spider. Their shiny black body with a prominent red hourglass marking on the underside of the abdomen is an image that readily comes to mind.

DISTRIBUTION
In Florida, however, there are three other venomous widow spiders (Southern black widow, northern black widow, and, the red widow) in addition to the brown widow. The most commonly encountered species of the group that people are finding around their homes and work place in Sarasota County is the brown widow spider, Latrodectus geometricus. In the mid to late nineties there seems to have been an outbreak of brown widow spiders. Since this article was first written in 2000, this spider has spread throughout Florida and people have reported sightings of it from Southern California, Colorado, Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina. Complaints about its occurrence in cars and RVs indicate this spider will make it home in these sites. Cars, trucks, and RVs have probably helped to distribute this spider far and wide. It rapid expansion in Florida in the late 90s may have been the result of the milder winters. However, the most important factor in its expansion has probably been transportation by vehicles. The Extension Office continues to receive complaints asking how to rid them from in and under cars.

http://sarasota.extension.ufl.edu/IPM/BrownWidow.htm

The wife would be crawling out of her skin if she seen them pictures, even i don't like the things at all but can deal with them better than she can by far. We have them here because of all the migrant's that come up here from down south to work the beet fields, they bring many unwanted critters to the state including them selves. in my life time i have seen many of those spiders and even scorpions yep scorpions and after a summer of truckloads of migrant's coming up here the cockroaches are awe-full.

As kids we had to really watch out for rattlesnakes and black widows...this is the first I've heard of brown widows...My dad thinks all the hurricane evacuees scattered the spiders over thepast few yrs.

That's great info Greg!