LUFKIN, Texas (KTRE) - A few reports of black widow spiders across East Texas are bringing with them a warning to be careful. “Black widow spiders, they’re kind of a solitary type of spider.

“The southern black widow, Latrodectus mactans, lives in the southeastern U.S. west to Texas, south into eastern Mexico, and tapers off about halfway north to Canada,” Crawford says.

“The southern black widow, Latrodectus mactans, lives in the southeastern U.S. west to Texas, south into eastern Mexico, and tapers off about halfway north to Canada,” Crawford says.

Black Widow spiders are found throughout the U.S. and prefer sheltered outdoor spaces, such as portable toilets, abandoned sheds, cellars, and other undisturbed areas.

“Black widow spiders, they’re kind of a solitary type of spider. They don’t necessarily like to be around people,” Daniel Shank, the owner of Broken Arrow Pest Control said.

A black widow spider bite is not likely to be fatal. Instead, a bite may be painful for 1-3 hours, and symptoms in humans may include fever, increased blood pressure, sweating and nausea.

The Black Widow spider has a glossy, black body with a distinct, red hourglass marking on the underside of the abdomen. Black Widows prefer concealed spaces like woodpiles and sheds.

Black widow spiders are typically between 1 to 1.5 inches across. Male black widow spiders tend to be a little smaller and have three light colored streaks on their abdomen.

According to the Indiana Department of National Resources, Indiana has about 400 known species of spiders, but only two can seriously injure humans: The Black Widow and the Brown Recluse.