While there are loads of venomous species of spiders in the world, fortunately most of them do not reside in the United States, and even fewer call Illinois home. In fact, there are only two venomous spiders that Chicago residents and businesses may come across: black widows and brown recluse.

Black widows are very solitary creatures that are all black save for a large red mark on their abdomens. They can be found in various areas throughout the United States and like to find dark, semi-sheltered areas to spin their webs. Black widows aren’t just solitary, they’re also territorial, antagonistic, and even cannibalistic. Unlike other arachnid bites, the bite of a black widow appears as two clear puncture marks. Black widows have very strong fangs and are easily able to stab through human skin to inject venom into their victims. Depending on the amount of venom released, and the health of the individual bitten, these bites can cause extreme health complications and even death.

Similar to black widows, brown recluse prefer to remain solitary and hidden. Their bites are very painful and originally develop into a blister before eventually splitting into a lesion and, in severe cases, can cause skin necrosis – destruction of the skin tissue.

In the case of both the black widow and brown recluse, it is recommended that you seek medical treatment immediately as both bites can be fatal in extreme cases. If you find that your home has unwelcome venomous visitors, we recommend that you call in the professionals right away. Dealing with these types of arachnids can be dangerous and should only be handled by trained technicians with experience with these types of pests so that the issue can be treated quickly and effectively.