[September 05, 2011] Oklahomans report seeing more black widow spiders this summer Tweet Sep 05, 2011 (The Oklahoman - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- A much-feared spider is invading many Oklahoma houses this summer, and the heat and drought are apparently to blame. The black widow, one of the most venomous spiders in the state, is being spotted around sheds, flower pots, well-watered gardens, on lawns, beneath children's toys and inside homes. The black widow is usually one of the least aggressive spiders, and no fatal bites have been reported this year to the state medical examiner's office. But more people are seeing the spiders than in recent years. "The black widows have just exploded," said Mark Lasater, an Edmond exterminator known as "The Bug Guy." "Different insects will cycle every year in numbers," Lasater said. "Why the black widow this year, I don't know." Lasater has been getting a half-dozen calls a day from people who want the spiders eliminated. Heat driving spiders closer to homes Usually hidden in the bottom of outdoor cinderblocks, abandoned rodent homes or other places people are not likely to disturb, the black widow is weaving a web to catch other spiders and bugs attracted to water or cooler temperatures. That might mean in a kitchen or elsewhere in an air-conditioned house. The numbers of black widows in Oklahoma may not be up, but other insect species are down because of the heat and drought. To find food, black widows are weaving their webs closer to homes and well-watered lawns, where the bugs they prey on are more easily found, said Tom Royer, an entomologist at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. Black widows typically are more numerous during late summer. The number of calls to the Oklahoma Poison Control Center about black widow bites is up, Managing Director Scott Schaeffer said. "We don't know about the numbers of black widows out there, but we deal with the end product," Schaeffer said. The Poison Control Center has taken 40 calls about black widow bites this year, compared with 22 last year, which was a typical year. The black widow bite rarely is fatal, but young children and older adults are more susceptible to major or life-threatening reactions to a bite. The black widow venom causes "extraordinary pain," Schaeffer said. People who are bitten may experience severe muscle cramps, fever and vomiting. If bitten, the best thing to do is to wash the bite with soap and water and not squeeze the area, Schaeffer said. "You can't do anything about the venom. It has either been injected by the spider, or it has not. When it's washed with soap and water, it will avoid any risk of infection that you might have from any bite or sting," Schaeffer said. Schaeffer said people who get bitten should call the Poison Control Center so that specialists can help talk victims through the event. "It's scary," Schaeffer said. "I was almost bitten by one taking wood out of a woodpile. They are not real aggressive, but you can get bitten when you disturb their habitat." Bite victims can call 911, and their calls will be forwarded to the Poison Control Center, or they can call the center directly at (800) 222-1222. ___ (c)2011 The Oklahoman Visit The Oklahoman at www.newsok.com Distributed by MCT Information Services [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]