The venom of the black widow spider contains poisonous chemicals that make people sick. Black widows are found throughout the United States, mostly in the South and West. They are usually found in barns, sheds, stone walls, fences, woodpiles, porch furniture, and other outdoor structures.
Some types of grass hay, in dry weather conditions or on dry ground, will be much too dry when baled as small bales using the eight to 15 percent moisture (the traditional rule of thumb) as a guide. Some of this grass hay produces the best quality bales when baled at 24 to 30 percent moisture.
Internal temperatures of 110 F in the first five days after baling are quite common in our region and are not a concern. Hay bale temperatures of 120 to 130 F will likely result in mold growth and will make the protein in the hay less available to the animals. But at those temperatures, there still is not a danger of fire. The concern is if mold growth causes the temperature to go even higher.