There is a spider living on my porch, is it poisonous?

Question

It's black and has a rather large abdomen and kind of short and skinny legs. It also has a red dot on it's butt.

Answer 1

Could it be a Black Widow?
Black widows are poisonous. They will bite if provoked. The bite feels like a sharp pain ,like a needle puncture. After 15 minutes to an hour there will be muscular cramps. Bites are rarely fatal, but you should seek medical attention.
Does it look like that? http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:uCj5BN4LlFoIfM:www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/images/ency/fullsize/19582.jpg
If it does serve it an eviction notice

and do it

with extreme prejudice.

1. Recommended products for spiders are DEMON WP, or CYNOFF WP sprayed around all entry points like doors and windows, sprayed along baseboards, in the basements and garages, and sprayed in the upper corners where they may web.

2. Also recommended is an aerosol such as D-Force HPX with a crack and crevice tip , applied along baseboards, to window and door frames, corners, pipes and other areas where spiders may crawl.

Answer 2

If it has a red dot, I'd be suspicious. If it has what they call a red hourglass type of marking,
than it's probably a black widow spider which can be dangerous. You can get very sick if you are bitten and/or allergic to the venom. Adults
and chidren can get sick, little children can die!
There is an anti-venom at the hospital. I would show it to several adults and get their opinion. The color red is the international signal for "don't touch me, I'm dangerous and I could kill you and eat you! Some species like butterflies have evolved to have red marks, so that birds of prey will leave them alone. The coral snake is red, yellow and black. If the red and yellow are touching, it can kill you. If the red and black are touching it's a non-lethal snake imitated a coral snake. Even though it is harmless, all creatures will stay away from it, because they see the red. If your spider just has a red dot, nature has done that on purpose, so preditors will think it's a black widow and they will leave it alone. Get a book about spiders from your library and get a picture of the black widow. Hourglass=yes,
red dot=no. I'd stay away from it, until I was sure. Always remember, if you see one spider,
there are sure to be other similiar ones around
also! if you want to be a "meany", just squash it.
If you're positive it's ok, leave it alone. God made all creatures "big and small" for a reason!

Answer 3

I have not heard of a spider with a red dot on it's rear before, but if it resembles an hourglass shape and it's on the abdomen, it is probably a Black Widow, which is poisonous. Try this website for further research:

Answer 4

Don't like the sound of the red dot - but redback spiders and black widows normally have longer legs with a very round body.......might be harmless, but I wouldn't pick him up for a cuddle

Answer 5

Okay, I went through a LOT of "heebie-jeebies" to get you this site, so I hope it helps some. If not, just search the term "spiders" or "spider species" until you find your culprit. Either way, you'd be better off squashing his will to live.

Answer 6

Very carefully trap it in a glass jar and twist on the lid very tightly.There,spider problem solved.

Answer 7

Black Widow. Yes, it is poisonous. Kill it with something you don't have to use to be close to it.

Answer 8

Yes it is....it's a Black Widow !!! A Female one

Answer 9

Don't take chances. Kill it anyways. I kill every spider I see. A spider bit me one time and I don't trust them anymore. That spider ruined it for all spiders.

Answer 10

if the red dot is in the shape of an hourglass-- kill it!! that is a black widow!!