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.
The extent of temperature rise and duration of heat production in hay depends on moisture content. A relative humidity of 90 to 100 percent, which favors mold development, can develop in 20 percent moisture hay that is stored inside. The heat generated by the metabolic activity of the microorganisms and plant respiration increase the temperature of hay (Figure 3).