This is an analogy of the eating cycle of the Black Widow Spider. As someone who has been in the pest control industry for a quarter of a century, and is an associate entomologist, I can verify that this story is sort of true.

After watching the female Black Widow spider satiate herself on a cricket, the male Black Widow was wise enough to realize that she would not be hungry for another four to five days. This gave him the opportunity to sneak into her web, to mate with her, and then to leave safely without being a meal himself.

Within three weeks, the female was ready to discharge her hundred young ones. Having just eaten, she was content to roll up into a ball and sleep for a few days. Many of the young ones either fell to the ground or were eaten by their siblings. Out of the twenty or so remaining, one young male was rambunctious and bounced up and down upon the web. It awoke his mother who simply glared at him. He got the message though, and was quiet for a day before acting up again. This time, awakened and fully annoyed, the mother Black Widow swooped over and devoured the young imp. Aghast, two of his sisters, Teresa and Jane, froze in their tracks, shook, and wailed, “Mommy! You just ate Johnny!” Their mother replied, “Shut up or you will be next.” She then went on to devour two other of her children who were a nuisance to her.

The mother Black Widow slept for another four days and upon awakening she made a meal of another of her offspring. Afterward, she went dormant for another four days. However, during these days of resting and digesting, her children were growing larger. All who were not eaten, except for Teresa and Jane, had left the web to pursue their own new adventures. The two young females then set up a conspiracy to extract revenge for the loss of their siblings to their mother’s appetite. They waited until the next time their mother had eaten and became dormant, and they set out and made a meal out of her.

The two sisters took over the web but grew weary of each other. Finally, one night after Teresa had contented herself with a fly, Jane sprung into action and had her sister for dinner. A few days later, a male Black Widow, apparently not as bright as Jane’s father, sneaked in and mated with her. Exhausted after his encounter, he relaxed. Jane had not yet eaten, so he then became her next meal. She then went on to live happily ever after.

And so the world turns, even with little arthropods. And remember, before dating a Black Widow take her out to dinner first.

It is now time for me to write a couple of children’s books.

On a more serious note, all spiders contain venom with the Brown Recluse, Black Widow, and the Yellow Sac spiders having the most potent here in the United States. To allay some of the fears, it is interesting to note that people bitten by these spiders, by snakes, and being stung by scorpions, only for or five people succumb to bites yearly throughout the country. In actuality, people with weak immune systems and who are prone to anaphylactic shock should have more concern for hymenopteras, that includes ants, bees, hornets and wasps, all of which eject formidicide in their stings, can cause an allergic reaction to people with allergy conditions.

Originally written in 2006 by Alexander Wisniewski