Fortunately, the amount of venom injected by the spider is relatively small. While there may be little initial pain associated with a black widow bite, severe localized pain usually occurs within 30 minutes and gradually spreads throughout the body. The most pronounced symptoms are severe abdominal and muscular pains. Other possible symptoms include profuse sweating, swollen eyelids, alternate salivation and dryness of the mouth, lack of localized swelling at the site of the bite, nausea, vomiting, development of a rash, and coma. Additional complications can occur due to infection of the bite.
Symptoms usually diminish in several hours and are gone after several days.
A specific antivenom and other medications are available to reduce the pain. It should be emphasized that black widow bites are uncommon, and that serious long-term complications or death resulting from them are rare. Only four deaths were officially attributed to black widow bites in the United States for the period of 1960-69. As the name implies, this spider is brown and rather shy. It weaves an irregular sheet-like web in sheltered locations outdoors and indoors in undisturbed dry areas such as basements, closets, farm buildings, and storage facilities.