I'm not a spider person....

About two weeks ago, my friend at work was at his desk talking to one of his employees. There was a black widow spider on her shoulder and she didn't know it! My friend knocked the spider off and killed it. I have been kind of anxious about going in his office since then. I look around on the floor, inspect the chairs for spiders before I sit down, etc. I try to tell myself that the spider was on her shoulder when she came in. Or that the spider was somehow indigenous to his office, even though he just works right down the hall from me. However....

DH found a black widow in our mailbox this morning! I guess this is just the time of the year when spiders are moving around? Maybe the cold weather will kill them? I am really afraid of spiders! This is not good!

I don't like spiders either, and a Black Widow is nothing to mess around with! Are you sure it was a black widow (as in red hour glass on it's belly)? I think the cold does kill them (or send them into hibernation)...however, it's been my experience that more spiders get INSIDE when it starts getting cold out because they need to stay warm to survive. In our house, we find more spiders inside in fall and early winter than we do any other time of the year.

Last fall, I was making chili and had a wood spider (about 2" diameter with legs) drop down from the hood of the stove....right into the pot! Needless to say, after some screaming and jumping around, I threw that pot in the woods and started again. EWWWWWW.....

Widows do hibernate, many arachnids do. So do several insects - like butterflies.

I question too that it was a widow. They're secretive and don't like to be out in the light. You typically come across them when moving things that haven't been disturbed in a while - such as when cleaning out a shed or garage. The good thing is that they're really not that aggressive and are not as deadly as made out to be. Like with other creatures that have venomous bites or stings, it is if you are allergic to the venom that it becomes a life or death situation. Otherwise it just really hurts.

I'm guessing the spider was some sort of hunting spider. They're more likely to wander about looking for food and mates (if they're male). And unless you're in South America or Australia, there's not really any type of wandering hunting spider that's dangerous.

Even if you don't like spiders, some knowledge about them can help reduce fear. If they are bad in your area, though, you could try putting down a barrier type spray around your home and do some basic clean up to make sure you don't have them in closets or around the home.

Originally Posted by calico2222

Last fall, I was making chili and had a wood spider (about 2" diameter with legs) drop down from the hood of the stove....right into the pot! Needless to say, after some screaming and jumping around, I threw that pot in the woods and started again. EWWWWWW.....

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I would have just scooped it out. There's a certain amount of "other" allowed into all processed foods, plus we all eat a certain number of spiders in our lifetime. In some countries spiders are food...

Originally Posted by strange_wings

I would have just scooped it out.

There's a certain amount of "other" allowed into all processed foods

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I agree! As much as spiders freak me out, I would have done the same.

I'm so glad I live in northern Ohio! no really bad creepy crawlies

Originally Posted by strange_wings

I would have just scooped it out.

There's a certain amount of "other" allowed into all processed foods, plus we all eat a certain number of spiders in our lifetime. In some countries spiders are food...

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Ok, I know that everyone eats insects (or by products of animals) at one point or another, but I really don't know what is mixed into my peanutbutter, and I don't care to know! But the thought that a spider (BIG ONE) fell into my chili..I just couldn't continue. A big hairy spider is NOT on my list on ingredients and I just can't see me explaining to my hubby "oh, that big hairy thing that looks like a spider's leg? Oh, I just picked that up at the herb store...it's supposed to give flavor".

One question....if you would have just scooped it out (since it was basically boiling at the point) would you have tried to save it or put it out of it's misery? I honestly want to know...can spiders survive 3rd degree burns? I know they can survive hurricanes so nothing will surprise me now.

I hate hate hate spiders!

Several years ago, I was in bed and a big spider dropped from the ceiling on top of me! I screamed waking DH and he had to kill it.

I don't mind handling snakes or lizards, but spiders just gives me the creeps

Originally Posted by calico2222

One question....if you would have just scooped it out (since it was basically boiling at the point) would you have tried to save it or put it out of it's misery? I honestly want to know...can spiders survive 3rd degree burns? I know they can survive hurricanes so nothing will surprise me now.

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It depends on how quickly I could get it out and how it reacted after being rinsed and dried off. If ok - it'd go outside. If bad, I'd have to go ahead and kill it.


BTW: I'd rather find a spider leg in my food than a roach leg...

Originally Posted by Catkiki

Several years ago, I was in bed and a big spider dropped from the ceiling on top of me! I screamed waking DH and he had to kill it.

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I really don't have a problem with spiders, but I have to admit this is my one fear! I don't want anything dropping down from the ceiling and walking on me in the middle of the night! Especially on my face!

Originally Posted by BABZ

I really don't have a problem with spiders, but I have to admit this is my one fear! I don't want anything dropping down from the ceiling and walking on me in the middle of the night!

Especially on my face!

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O/T but many years ago I stayed at a friends house. Her older brother was away and she slept in his bed (and rummaged through his stuff... ) with another friend staying over. I stayed in her bed. She had glow in the dark stars and little cardboard cutout planets stuck to the ceiling above her bed. Shortly after turning the lights out something fell on me. I turned on the lights, found it in the covers - it was one of the planets. I couldn't resist the perfect set up - I went to the door of the other bedroom and told her "Uranus fell on me".

It's much funnier when you haven't had any sleep.

Originally Posted by strange_wings

BTW: I'd rather find a spider leg in my food than a roach leg...

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*shudder* I'd rather not have to get close enough to try and figure out if it were spider or roach.

Originally Posted by strange_wings

I would have just scooped it out.

There's a certain amount of "other" allowed into all processed foods, plus we all eat a certain number of spiders in our lifetime. In some countries spiders are food...

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The funny thing is, I asked DH last night what I should have done and he said "scoop it out! You wasted $30" . Ok...so now I know insects are ok for his diet. Still...ewwwwww.....

Originally Posted by strange_wings

I went to the door of the other bedroom and told her "Uranus fell on me".

It's much funnier when you haven't had any sleep.

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Fear not. "Uranus" jokes are timeless.

EEEEEEW Spiders give me the heebie jeebies!! infact, any bug does! Roaches are my number one and then I would say spiders! The other day, I was poulling weeds from around my Azalea's and a black widow crawled out!! Scared me so bad....I made the kids come in the house.

My son ( who will be 12 on the 23rd) is fascinated with spiders (all bugs really) He can name every bug he sees, and tell you if it is poisonous.

Monday as the kids were coming in the house from school there was a black widow on the porch! So two in one week. I called an exterminator to spray the property.

I hate spiders!!

Again, I have to ask if this was actually a black widow spider, or just a black spider (as in...did you pick her up and look at her underbelly?) The males and juvenilles can't hurt human's, just the females. Either way, I don't blame you for putting a barrier around you house to keep them out!

But, here is a link to black widows:
http://www.desertusa.com/july97/du_bwindow.html

Looks like they mainly are in hot, dry climates although I'm sure some could have migrated up in luggage, etc. There are "false" black widows of the same type but not as poisonous. And, I was surprised to read that a black widow bite will only really kill someone that is allergic to the venom (kind of like a bee sting). How about a brown recluse? That is what we have around here. I know they won't kill you, but they will kill the skin around the bite, right?

Originally Posted by calico2222

Again, I have to ask if this was actually a black widow spider, or just a black spider (as in...did you pick her up and look at her underbelly?) The males and juvenilles can't hurt human's, just the females. Either way, I don't blame you for putting a barrier around you house to keep them out!

But, here is a link to black widows:
http://www.desertusa.com/july97/du_bwindow.html

Looks like they mainly are in hot, dry climates although I'm sure some could have migrated up in luggage, etc. There are "false" black widows of the same type but not as poisonous. And, I was surprised to read that a black widow bite will only really kill someone that is allergic to the venom (kind of like a bee sting). How about a brown recluse? That is what we have around here. I know they won't kill you, but they will kill the skin around the bite, right?

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Yes these were most def black widows! We have had a problem with them before here. I live in Eastern NC (Outer Banks) Other than the black widows, the only other spiders we see A LOT is the wolf spider, Orb weavers and funnel web spiders! Again I hate spiders!! eeeeeeeeew. Now I keep thinking something is crawling on me

I read food inspector rules allow for an amount of insect content. It was gross. Avearage person eats 8 spiders in their life time, and all the such.
I once opend a pack of ramen type noodles and a dried out cockroach floated to the top. I was scarred for life!

As for the Black Widows, I think you are in the area for them If I remember right.

Originally Posted by calico2222

Last fall, I was making chili and had a wood spider (about 2" diameter with legs) drop down from the hood of the stove....right into the pot! Needless to say, after some screaming and jumping around, I threw that pot in the woods and started again. EWWWWWW.....

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I would have done the same thing. Spiders are so gross. I once had a spider crawl into my drink and when I went to drink it, it was dead floating on top.

When I lived with my in laws, they had this spider outside their house that came out every evening. It was like a tarantula. It was the biggest spider I have ever seen. It got to the point where I made my husband kill it because it was so big I was scared of it coming inside.

No matter how long I lived out in the country, the one thing I could not get used to was the centipedes. There was these really gross ones with huge legs that moved so fast.

Originally Posted by proudmamiof4

Again I hate spiders!! eeeeeeeeew. Now I keep thinking something is crawling on me

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Maybe you should stay away from this thread then, for your own peace of mind!

I don't think we have black widows up here (I didn't realize you were that far south), at least I haven't seen any. We DO have brown recluse and I have some friends that have been bitten by them and still have the scars. The sad thing is I wouldn't know one if it came right up to me and shook my hand. I REALLY have to brush up on my insect knowledge now that I'm living in the middle of the woods. It was only last year that I realized there actually was an insect called a Bald Faced Hornet (of course, I always call them "bald a** things").

Originally Posted by catlover19

No matter how long I lived out in the country, the one thing I could not get used to was the centipedes. There was these really gross ones with huge legs that moved so fast.

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OMG....you said the "C" word!! I'm DEATHLY terrified of centipedes....*shudders*. Now I'VE got the creapy crawlies!! Those things are like aliens. They can not be natural!

I don't see too many out here, but when I lived in town they would crawl up the drains (thank you, city sewer system ) and MAN did they have an attitude! First, they looked like little hair balls running around, then if you got close to them to stomp on them, they would rear back and take on an "attack" position which always made me run! Yeah, I know, they're 3 inches and I'm 5 feet tall, but they scared me!!

Yeah, I'll take spiders over centipedes any day!