Black widows are being slaughtered by their brown widow cousins, and we don't know why

Mar 14, 2023
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When we lived in Las Vegas, we lived a block from the strip in a glorious California style bungalow surrounded by high adobe walls. Working in my garden, I found a black widow, then more and more of them, the rough walls were home to endless numbers. They were everywhere. I called an exterminator who solved the problem. He told us that if I found 35 of them, that there were probably ten thousand. Since we began watering the desert black widows had exploded in numbers all across the desert Southwest. Since the bite of a black widow can result in nausea, vomiting, muscle rigidity and other assorted ghastliness, I am very happy about this invasive species! They can replace black widows in their biological niche, catch and eat insects and never send anyone to the hospital...
I was been bitten by a venomous snake at age ten. I bear no ill will in general about natural defenses used in times of perceived danger. But the vast numbers of black widows in the desert SW is not in any way normal, nor is our living there!