A black widow spider with an egg sac. The spider can be found in every state other than Alaska. Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images "And unlike bees and wasps, they do not leave their dwelling to ...

Editor’s note: This article was updated at 5:35 p.m. Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, to correct that the red hourglass shape is on black widow spider’s abdomens. Originally Published: November 17, 2023 ...

The black widow possesses venom 15 times as powerful as that of a rattlesnake. Though that sounds scary, human deaths following a bite are exceedingly rare, with none reported in the U.S. since 1983 .

Black widow spiders are active in California. Here’s what the arachnids look like, where to find the pests and what to do if you’re bitten.