The unwelcome widow

The hot summer is upon us and since our recent (rare) storm, there’s been a stronger presence of bugs around the home.  I’m usually not phased by the usual insects and spiders, but this kind is a bit unsettling when found outside the front porch:

The front railing has lot of buggy hideout spots under the top rail between the vertical slats

The front railing has lots of buggy hideout spots under the top rail between the vertical slats

The front porch has been a popular place for stringing webs.  Only recently have I found out who the popular slingers have been, once I started spraying around all edges and crevices of the front porch and railing with our standby Ortho Home Defense MAX before sweeping off the webs:

...as she lays dying.

…as she lays dying.

A black widow spider with her trademark “I’m not that kind of girl” red hourglass marking.  She’s the second one I found today in the front, and the third all together in the past week in the front porch.  Add that to the one I sprayed in the back yard.

I recently did a broadcast lawn/landscape spray with Spectracide Triazicide but I thinks a second and/or third application won’t hurt.


I don’t really think I have to try very hard to nudge you to take action (and appropriate precautions with children and pets) on preventive pest control.  General Pest Control is a layered approach:

  1. Make your home the least attractive as possible for bugs: keep all floors clean and areas free of debris.
  2. Barrier spray inside (minimum in wet area like bathrooms and kitchens) and outside home perimeter spray.  A solution such as Ortho Home Defense MAX is a good affordable product for Spot, Inside and Outside Perimeter applications.
  3. Outside barrier in the yard space surrounding the home. Spectracide Triazicide comes in a value sized package if you have your own hose-attached Hose-End Sprayer, or available with applicator built-in. (Spectracide Triazicide-Ready to Spray)
  4. For those that happen to get through open doors and windows, lay these Victor Poison-Free Insect Magnet Traps in strategic locations to attract those critters to check-in, but never check-out.

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