Spiderwebs

According to National Geographic's website, "The Black Widow spiders are considered the most venomous spiders in North America" and can be found in several regions around the world. The Black Widow, also known as Latrodectus hesperus, is believed by most to be the most dangerous of her kind. A familiar region in which they inhabit is our very own town of Aiken, South Carolina. Growing up in the south, I had never actually had a personal experience with the southern Black Widow until recently getting caught in one's tangled web. In our region, these Black Widows are nicknamed "bitches" and these webs are usually spun with deceit, lies, and jealousy which makes for one sticky mess if you happen to get caught in it.

Once you are caught in her web, the Black Widow descends upon her prey to ingest her venom into you. This venom contains a pinch of envy, a drop of hatred, and a whole lot of doubt. Her bite is said to be 15 times stronger than that of a rattlesnake yet ironically her actions remain snakelike in nature. The venom from her bite affects the nervous system, according to Emedicinehealth.com. Many researchers claim these spiders are non-aggressive and only attack for self defense. I believe self preservation and cowardliness are strong motivators to the southern Black Widow. These researchers have obviously never done extensive study here regarding the treacherous species.

The Black Widows are nocturnal and prefer to be active at night. They say the Black Widow has distinctive marks to identify her by. The southern Black Widow can be recognized by her long blond hair, ice cold eyes, and affinity for menthol cigarettes. She can be quite charming upon your initial meeting which is perhaps how you ended up in this web to start with. She had you believing she was like all the other spiders...you know, the ones the researchers say only attack in self defense. Except you didn't attack her. So, why would she come after you? Because the southern Black Widows aren't like the other spiders. They are only concerned with their own survival. They don't realize that the large web they have spun will one day ensnare them. The tangled web they have weaved will be responsible for their own downfall.

A common misconception is that the bite of the Black Widow is always lethal. In reality, it can be fatal to small children or the elderly; however the rest of us can survive the bite without any lasting damage. We cannot however escape the initial damage caused by the Black Widow. Her venom isn't deadly to us but it still contains all the necessary ingredients to shake things up in our little worlds. The pain will go away but leaves confusion and doubt in its place.

The one who should be most afraid of the Black Widow is her mate. The Black Widow spider got her namesake from the very act of killing her counterpart after mating. A creature that has no remorse for destroying her partner is not to be taken lightly. So, careful before you allow the Black Widow to sink her fangs into you. Before you lose your heart to this little spider, be sure you aren't about to lose your head as well. The Black Widow spiders are known for being solitary creatures (except during mating season) and if she continues to spin webs of lies, her solitary status won't be voluntary.