Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
Black widow spiders can be dangerous animals. They have a poisionous venom that is fifteen times as toxic as a rattlesnake. When a spider bites, only a little bit of the venom is injected into the prey. Rattlesnakes are considered more dangerous becuase when they bite, more of the venom is injected into their victim. However, it is important to note that if a large amount of the venom created by the black widow were to get into a human, that person would most likely die. In spite of this, most bites are not fatal. The bite of the black widow is more likely to be painful, and it can cause internal problems. Such side effects include abdominal pain as well as swelling of the muscles in the feet. The more mild symptoms include dry mouth, increased sweating, and swollen eyelids. If a person younger than 16 or older than 60 is bitten, he/she might have to go to the hospital. Most times death from black widow bites results in people between these age ranges because of lung or heart failure. Healthy people who are bitten usually recover in two to five days with the proper care. When a person is first bitten, soap and water works well to clean the area, and one should also apply a cold compress on the bitten area.
Negative Impacts: injures humans (bites or stings, venomous ); household pest