Yes, there are black widows in South Carolina, and they live in every part of the state, from the Upstate to Charleston. South Carolina actually has three widow spiders: the southern black widow, the northern black widow and the brown widow. Bites are rare, and a death from a black widow bite hasn't been reported in decades, but a bite can be very painful and sometimes needs a doctor. This guide covers how to tell the three apart, where they live in South Carolina, how common bites really are, what to do if you're bitten, and how to keep them out of your garage and yard. It's based largely on Clemson Extension's 2026 fact sheet on South Carolina widow spiders and on national poison center data.
Black widows are found throughout South Carolina. Clemson Extension says the southern black widow lives statewide, the northern black widow mostly in the Piedmont and Upstate, and the non-native brown widow statewide, with the highest numbers on the coast. Adults of all three can be found year-round.
Bites are uncommon and usually happen when a spider is pressed against skin, for example in a shoe, a glove or a woodpile. US poison centers handle about 1,400 widow bites a year nationwide. Most cause minor problems, but a black widow bite can cause severe cramps and needs medical advice, especially for a child.
South Carolina's Three Widow Spiders
Clemson Extension entomologists Lindsey Stone and David Coyle describe three widow species in the state:
| Widow | What it looks like | Where in SC | Egg sac |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern black widow | Shiny black, round abdomen, full red hourglass underneath | Throughout the state | Round, tan to gray, with one small point |
| Northern black widow | Black, with two red spots or a "broken" hourglass underneath, and often red or orange spots and white marks on top | Mainly the Piedmont and Upstate | Round, tan to gray, with one small point |
| Brown widow | Gray, tan or dark brown with a patterned back, banded legs and an orange hourglass underneath | Statewide, highest numbers in coastal areas | Tan and covered in small spikes |
A few more details from Clemson help with identification. Adult females are the spiders people picture: up to 1½ inches including the legs, with an abdomen about the size of a large pea or small marble. Males are much smaller, with long legs and red and white markings on top. Young widows are orange, brown and white and get darker with each molt. Widow webs are messy tangles, not the neat wheels of garden spiders, and they're built low to the ground.
The brown widow: the one you'll see most on the coast
The brown widow isn't native to the US. Clemson reports it was first noticed in Charleston and Beaufort in the late 1990s, and it has since spread across the state, with the highest numbers on the coast. Clemson lists eaves, porch railings, outdoor chairs, unused flowerpots, firewood and abandoned cars among its favorite spots, more exposed places than black widows usually choose. Its spiky egg sac is the easiest giveaway.
The bigger story is that brown widows may be replacing black widows. Clemson's 2026 fact sheet says research shows brown widows "can outcompete and even kill the native black widow spiders," so South Carolina may see "an increase in brown widow spiders and a decrease in black widow spiders over time." A commenter from Florida under a widow video put it bluntly: "these brown widows are completely taking over."
Are Black Widows Common in Charleston?
Southern black widows live in the Charleston area, as they do throughout South Carolina. But around Charleston and the rest of the Lowcountry, the widow you're most likely to notice is the brown widow, because Clemson reports the highest brown widow numbers in coastal areas and brown widows build in more visible places. If you see a widow on a porch rail or under a patio chair in Charleston, Mount Pleasant or Summerville, check for the spiky egg sac before assuming it's a black widow.
Online, plenty of people agree they're everywhere. A top reply on a Reddit r/greenville thread (via Google search excerpts) told a family who had just moved to the Upstate: "Black widows are all over the place here. Might as well get used to seeing them."
Where Black Widows Hide Around Your Home
Clemson says widows prefer dark, sheltered spaces close to the ground. The common spots:
- Woodpiles
- Empty containers and unused flowerpots
- Utility and irrigation boxes
- Cracks and crevices outdoors
- Crawl spaces, basements, sheds, garages and old structures such as barns
Homeowners and tradespeople report the same places. A contractor described being bitten after pulling plastic wrap off a beam that had sat under a stack of lumber. An auto mechanic wrote that they find "more black widows under peoples cars than anywhere else." Another commenter remembered pulling up a cement block in a flower garden as a child and having a black widow crawl onto their hand.
How Dangerous Is a Black Widow Bite?
Widow bites are rare, and black widows aren't aggressive. Clemson describes them as timid. Bites usually happen when a spider is crushed against skin, such as in a shoe, or when someone reaches into a web.
- How many bites: A University of Virginia study of the National Poison Data System counted 15,299 widow spider exposures reported to US poison centers from 2012 to 2022, about 1,400 a year. They were more common in warm states and in summer.
- How serious: Almost half (48.6%) were managed at home without a visit to a healthcare facility. About 10% needed a hospital stay, and only 3.4% received antivenom. The authors concluded that most black widow exposures "result in minor consequences."
- Deaths: Clemson says a death from a black widow bite "has not been reported since 1983." Small children are most at risk of a severe reaction.
- Brown widows: Clemson says the brown widow's bite is much less severe, and the spider rarely injects enough venom to cause more than a minor reaction.
Black widow bite symptoms
The bite itself may go unnoticed. Clemson says intense pain around the bite usually starts within minutes, and other symptoms develop within 1 to 3 hours:
- Severe stomach pain, and muscle spasms and cramps
- Nausea, fever and chills
- Sweating, and a burning or tingling feeling in the skin
- Difficulty breathing and fatigue
One person who was bitten described "extreme cramps, sweating and heart palpitations," with stomach muscles that stayed rock-hard for about three days.
What to do if you think you've been bitten
- Stay calm, wash the bite with soap and water, and put a cool, wet cloth on it.
- Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. They'll tell you whether you need to be seen, and many cases can be managed at home.
- Get emergency care for severe cramps, chest pain, trouble breathing, or any bite on a young child.
- Take a photo of the spider if you can do it safely. Clemson advises against trying to catch it, which risks another bite, and notes that even a dead spider can still contain venom.
It's Probably Not a Brown Recluse
Widows are the venomous spiders to know in South Carolina. Brown recluses are not established here: only 44 have ever been verified in the state, all found inside buildings they were probably carried into. Most "recluses" people find are wolf spiders or male southern house spiders. See brown recluse vs. black widow in South Carolina for how to tell them apart.
How to Get Rid of Black Widows
Clemson says the best control is removing the places widows like to live:
- Bring shoes, gloves and clothing indoors, or shake them out before use.
- Clear clutter like empty pots, buckets, tarps and old boxes, or move it away from doors and play areas.
- Move firewood away from the house and wear gloves when you handle it.
- Wear gloves before reaching into utility or irrigation boxes, sheds and woodpiles.
- Seal cracks and gaps on the outside of the house and garage.
For spiders and egg sacs you find, Clemson recommends a vacuum. Vacuum them up, remove the bag right away, seal it in a plastic bag and put it in an outdoor trash can. For extra certainty, put the sealed bag in the freezer for several hours first, since the cold kills spiders and eggs. If widows keep appearing after cleanup, use an aerosol labeled for spiders directly on the spider, or an insecticide dust in cracks where they nest, following the label.
We don't recommend counting on peppermint oil or other scents to keep widows away. We haven't found research showing they work. For more on what does and doesn't keep spiders out, see plants that keep spiders away and where spiders hide.
When to Call a Professional
Call a pro if you keep finding widows or egg sacs in the garage, shed or crawl space, if children or pets play near where they're nesting, or if you'd rather not get close. Our spider control service treats widow nesting areas and clears webs and egg sacs around homes across South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia.
Key Takeaways
- Yes, South Carolina has black widows, plus northern black widows in the Upstate and brown widows statewide.
- On the coast, brown widows are the ones you'll see most, and they may be replacing black widows.
- Tell them apart by the hourglass and the egg sac: full red hourglass, two red spots, or an orange hourglass with a spiky sac.
- Bites are rare and rarely serious, with about 1,400 a year reported nationwide and no black widow death reported since 1983.
- Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 after a suspected bite, and get emergency care for severe symptoms or a bitten child.
- Clear clutter, wear gloves, and vacuum webs and egg sacs to keep them away.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Clemson Extension says South Carolina has three widow spiders: the southern black widow, found throughout the state; the northern black widow, mainly in the Piedmont and Upstate; and the non-native brown widow, found statewide with the highest numbers on the coast. Adults of all three can be found year-round.
Southern black widows live in the Charleston area, but the widow you're most likely to notice around Charleston is the brown widow. Clemson reports the highest brown widow numbers in coastal areas, and brown widows build in exposed spots like porch rails, eaves and outdoor chairs. Look for a spiky egg sac.
A southern black widow is shiny black with a red hourglass and a smooth, round egg sac with one small point. A brown widow is gray, tan or brown with a patterned back, banded legs, an orange hourglass and an egg sac covered in small spikes. The northern black widow has two red spots or a broken hourglass instead of a full one.
It's extremely rare. Clemson Extension says a death from a black widow bite has not been reported since 1983. A study of US poison center data from 2012 to 2022 found that most widow bites caused minor problems, about 10% needed a hospital stay, and only 3.4% received antivenom. Small children are most at risk of a severe reaction.
Intense pain near the bite usually starts within minutes. Within 1 to 3 hours, other symptoms can develop, including severe stomach pain, muscle spasms and cramps, nausea, fever, chills, sweating, tingling skin, difficulty breathing and fatigue. Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 and get emergency care for severe symptoms.
No. Clemson Extension says brown widow bites are much less severe; the spider rarely injects enough venom to cause more than a minor reaction. Brown widows are more often seen around homes on the coast, but their bites are generally less serious than black widow bites.
In dark, sheltered spots close to the ground: woodpiles, empty containers and flowerpots, utility and irrigation boxes, crevices, crawl spaces, sheds, garages and basements. Bites usually happen when someone reaches into one of these places or puts on a shoe or glove a spider is hiding in.
Remove the clutter and woodpiles they hide in, keep shoes and gloves indoors, wear gloves when reaching into dark spaces, and seal gaps around the house. Clemson recommends vacuuming spiders and egg sacs, then sealing the bag in plastic and putting it in an outdoor trash can. Use a product labeled for spiders if they keep coming back.
The black widow. The southern and northern black widows have the most medically significant bites of South Carolina's spiders, though bites are rare and seldom serious. Brown widow bites are milder, and brown recluses are not established in the state.
Sources: L. Stone & D. Coyle, "Widow Spiders in South Carolina", Clemson Cooperative Extension HGIC 2518 (September 2026); Clemson HGIC, "Brown Widow Spiders" (HGIC 2474); A. F. Kerns, E. T. Scheffel, R. Farah & C. P. Holstege, "Black Widow Spider Exposures: A Retrospective Review of the National Poison Data System 2012-2022," Wilderness & Environmental Medicine 36(2) (2025); American College of Medical Toxicology, spider bite FAQ; CDC/NIOSH, "Venomous Spiders"; S. Frithsen, R. Vetter & I. Stocks, "Reports of envenomation by brown recluse spiders exceed verified specimens of Loxosceles spiders in South Carolina," Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine 20 (2007); Reddit r/greenville (via Google search excerpts); YouTube comments under black widow videos.
Photo credits: James Gathany, CDC, public domain; Sam Droege, public domain; Karlamalie, public domain; via Wikimedia Commons.