Black widow spiders are black spiders, with large abdomens, with a red hourglass shaped red mark on their abdomen. They often build their nests near ground level in protected areas, such as in boxes and firewood.
Black widow spiders do not instinctively bite humans, however, their bites are extremely painful, and can cause extreme reactions in the young and elderly.
It is recommended that protective gloves are worn when moving items that have been stored for long periods of time, and caution is used before putting hands or feet in and area around visible spider webs.
