All spiders produce venom that is poisonous to their normal prey of insects, mites and other small arthropods. Venom is injected through the hollow fangs to immobilize the prey. Since spiders can only ingest liquids, digestive fluids are either injected or regurgitated into the prey. A female spider can produce as many as 3,000 eggs in a series of several egg sacs which are either left in its web or carried on the mother's back. Eggs may hatch a few weeks later or wait until the following spring, and spiders reach adulthood in one year.
Most spiders can live one or two years.
Black Widows live in wood piles, stone walls, outside toilets and similar hiding places. The Brown Recluse, also known as the Violin or Fiddle back Spider because of the distinctive violin-shaped marking on its back, can also deliver a painless bite or a bite that merely itches and burns at first. Later the surrounding tissue turns red, or black and blue, and begins to disintegrate from the venom which is designed to digest the victim's flesh. A crusted wound forms and, after the crust falls off, continues to deepen, forming a crater that may take months to heal. Brown Recluse bites are often not diagnosed until considerable tissue damage has taken place, so it's important to inform the doctor if you suspect a bite.