Handling a Female Black Widow Spider ( Latrodectus mactans)

A few words of caution: although spiders rarely bite unless startled, agitated, or trapped against skin I would advise against handling this species unless familiar with handling arachnids due to the sheer toxicity of the venom. If you must, let them crawl onto you and move about carefully. Never trap or apply pressure to the spider. This video is intended to calm some of the many misconceptions and fears regarding venomous spiders. In short be careful with them, and they should be careful with you.