Best Time to See Black Widows in the US
September, August and July is the best time to see black widows in the United States. This is a national picture built from 66,349 verified iNaturalist observations across 50 states, showing when and where black widows are most active.
By Tim, founder of Easy Street Markets. I maintain the wildlife database and verify every animal and source myself.
66,349 verified observations of black widows in the US, recorded across 12 months of the year on iNaturalist.
When black widows are recorded in the US
Peak month
September
9,939 records (15% of the year)
| Month | Observations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,525 | 2.3% |
| February | 1,738 | 2.6% |
| March | 3,284 | 4.9% |
| April | 5,611 | 8.5% |
| May | 6,359 | 9.6% |
| June | 7,397 | 11.1% |
| Julypeak | 8,298 | 12.5% |
| Augustpeak | 8,444 | 12.7% |
| Septemberpeak | 9,939 | 15% |
| October | 7,858 | 11.8% |
| November | 3,980 | 6% |
| December | 1,916 | 2.9% |
Black Widows you are most likely to see
| Species | Verified observations |
|---|---|
| Western Black Widow | 25,543 |
| Brown Widow | 17,308 |
| Southern Black Widow | 11,726 |
| Northern Black Widow | 5,087 |
| Red Widow | 271 |
| Latrodectus occidentalis | 1 |
Across the country, black widows sightings peak in September, when 9,939 of the 66,349 annual observations are logged, about 15% of the national total. Nationwide activity stays high through September, August and July.
The best states to see black widows by recorded sightings are California (25,658), Texas (9,067), Florida (3,046), Arizona (2,733) and New Mexico (2,076). Each state page below breaks the year down month by month for that state.
The black widows you are most likely to encounter nationwide are Western Black Widow, Brown Widow and Southern Black Widow, the most-recorded species across all states combined.
Best states to see black widows
- black widows in California25,658 sightings, peak September
- black widows in Texas9,067 sightings, peak July
- black widows in Florida3,046 sightings, peak July
- black widows in Arizona2,733 sightings, peak September
- black widows in New Mexico2,076 sightings, peak September
- black widows in North Carolina2,058 sightings, peak September
- black widows in Colorado1,949 sightings, peak September
- black widows in Utah1,851 sightings, peak September
- black widows in Oklahoma1,795 sightings, peak July
- black widows in Virginia1,787 sightings, peak May
- black widows in Georgia1,300 sightings, peak September
- black widows in Arkansas1,111 sightings, peak September
- black widows in South Carolina1,076 sightings, peak August
- black widows in Alabama1,029 sightings, peak September
- black widows in Maryland962 sightings, peak June
Most-recorded black widows species nationwide
- Western Black Widow25,543 records
- Brown Widow17,308 records
- Southern Black Widow11,726 records
- Northern Black Widow5,087 records
- Red Widow271 records
- Latrodectus occidentalis1 records
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to see black widows in the US?+
September is the single best month nationwide, with the broader peak running through September, August and July, based on 66,349 verified observations across 50 states.
Which states are best for seeing black widows?+
By recorded sightings, the top states are California, Texas and Florida. California leads with 25,658 verified observations.
How many black widows sightings are recorded in the US each year?+
About 66,349 verified black widows observations are logged on iNaturalist across 50 states with enough data to chart a seasonal pattern.
What kinds of black widows live in the US?+
The most-recorded species nationwide are Western Black Widow, Brown Widow and Southern Black Widow, based on all-time iNaturalist counts.