Black widow spiders live primarily in warm climates and are found throughout the United States, with higher concentrations in the southern and western regions. They prefer dark, secluded places both indoors and outdoors such as basements, attics, garages, crawl spaces, woodpiles, boxes, corners of windows and garages, under eaves, and hollow stumps or logs. They tend to avoid human activity and choose locations that provide shelter and protection. Black widows are also found near human dwellings where insect prey is attracted by lights, making places like stacks of wood, brush piles, sheds, rocks, and rarely disturbed areas common habitats. They are absent in Alaska due to its harsh cold climate but can be found as far north as Canada in some regions. Their webs are irregular, tangled, and found near ground level in dark and protected environments.