black widow

black widow

Kimberly Warner was chatting on the phone and washing the red grapes she had just purchased from the Orem Costco on Monday afternoon when she spotted it: a big, black spider.

"I thought it was just a big, monster grape spider," the Provo homemaker and mother of three said.

Then Warner saw the hourglass shape on the spider's back.

She ran to tell her husband, who didn't believe her at first. But after looking it up on the Internet, he determined it was a female black widow.

"I called my family and a bunch of my friends and told them to check their containers," Warner said. "I normally just grab one grape after another."

Warner trapped the spider in a jam container, along with a grape for the spider to eat, while she and her husband decided what to do with it. She described the spider as "shiny and pokey with long front legs." It was a little larger than a quarter, with a body about the size of two peas put together, Warner said.

She called Costco on Monday night, and by Tuesday morning, a manager from Costco called her to apologize. He then went to her house to retrieve the spider and information on the container about where the grapes were grown

On Tuesday night, Warner got a call from the grower based in Bakersfield, Calif., who apologized and wanted to make sure Warner wasn't bitten or harmed in any way.

Jeff Warner, manager of the Orem Costco, said if another customer reports finding a black widow, the warehouse wholesaler will take further action.

"Costco is one of the best for pulling product if there is any concern," said Jeff Warner (no relation to Kimberly Warner). "This is just an isolated case right now. Insects are just about everywhere you go. That's why it's so important to clean your produce."

Growers use pesticides, he said, but they don't want to overdo it.

If bitten by a black widow, a person should go to the hospital to be treated, said Shawn Clark, insect collections manager at the Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum at BYU.

Usually, bite victims are treated and then released, Clark said, though some bites can land a person in the hospital for a few days.

The level of danger of a black widow bite depends on a person's health, sensitivity to the venom and how much venom the spider releases, he said. The venom is a toxin that affects the functioning of the nervous system, Clark said. The worst symptom to have after a bite is trouble breathing, he said.

"There is lots of folklore on black widow spiders," Clark said. "Yes, it could be life-threatening in some situations, but it's not as dangerous as some people make out a bite to be."

Kimberly Warner said finding the spider will not stop her from buying grapes from Costco or any other store. But she'll be sure to check for spiders before popping a grape into her mouth in the future — and she cautions others to do the same.

"As long as you are watching, there is no worry," she said. "Just be aware you might find a little buddy in your container."