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Tag: poisonous spiders

  • Black Widows Grapes: Poisonous Spiders Found in Grape Packages

    Produce just got scary (and lethal) again. Remember when we told you about the woman in London who had a Brazilian wandering spider egg, the most lethal spider in the world, hatch on her banana? Well, now consumers in the United States are reporting finding black widow spiders in packages of grapes.

    Reports of black widows in grape packages have been made in a few states, including Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Minnesota. One of these cases happened in Milwaukee when a woman found a black widow spider in a container of red grapes purchased from Aldi. Yvonne Duckhorn was shopping at Aldi with her 4-year-old on Thursday and picked up a container of grapes to inspect when she noticed the spider.

    “I saw the legs moving frantically,” Duckhorn said. “I’ve seen bugs on fruit before, and I thought, ‘That is a very big spider.’ Nothing I’d ever seen before.” Upon further inspection, Duckhorn saw that the spider was black and had red markings on it, which is the hallmark of the black widow spider.

    Check out a photo of a black widow spider below–they can grow up to around 1.5 inches long and are the most venomous spider in North America.

    (image)

    After Duckhorn realized that the spider was likely a black widow, she alerted an employee about the spider in the grapes. Aldi has since pulled all grape packages off their shelves in the Milwaukee area. “At Aldi, we are committed to providing high quality products,” the company said in a statement. “We sincerely regret any inconvenience or concern this situation may have caused.”

    A woman in York, Pennsylvania also reported finding a black widow in a container of grapes last week. Yvonne Whalen purchased a container of grapes from Giant Food Stores and was eating some at home when she noticed a spider leg.

    “The next thing I know, there was this leg coming up over a grape and needless to say I dropped by grapes in the sink,” Whalen said. She saved the spider and an expert confirmed that it was indeed a black widow. The expert, Ryan Bridge, also said that finding black widow spiders in grapes is not unusual.

    Will you hold off on purchasing grapes for a while or just be extra careful to inspect them before eating? Add your comments below. Judging from some posts on Twitter, it looks like a few people plan to swear off grapes for a while.

    [Images via YouTube and WikiMedia Commons]

  • Spiders in Bananas: Prepare to be Freaked Out

    Even though this story is based out of London, you’ll probably be a little wary when it comes to eating bananas for a while. A U.K. woman had an experience that sounds like something out of a horror movie when a spider egg began hatching on the banana she was eating. To make things worse, the particular species of spider the woman nearly munched on, the Brazilian wandering spider, just happens to be the most toxic in the world.

    Consi Taylor, 29, had purchased some Colombian Fairtrade bananas from her local supermarket and was halfway through her first banana she saw some spots on the skin. “I got halfway through the banana when I saw something white on the skin. I thought it was mold but when I had a closer look I saw some funny looking spots,” Taylor said.

    (image)

    “I had a closer look and was horrified to see they were spiders. They were hatching out on the table, scurrying around on my carpet. I was so scared I started crying. I hope I didn’t eat one but I can’t be sure.”

    After getting rid of the bananas and getting a refund from the supermarket, Taylor and her husband were advised by a pest control firm to take their two young children and get out. Per the email the firm sent Taylor, “The Brazilian Wandering Spider is venomous and should be considered dangerous. We have to take huge care and diligence.” The family ended up checking into a hotel while their home was fumigated.

    The Brazilian wandering spider is the most venomous spider in the world, according to Guinness World Records. The spider’s venom is so strong “that only 0.006 mg (0.00000021 oz) is sufficient to kill a mouse.” Even if the Brazilian wandering spider doesn’t bite you, its mere presence can cause a host of issues, including breathing problems.

    Check out the Brazilian wandering spider (which is mainly found in South America, hence the name) below. (Sorry, arachnophobics.)

    (image)

    Will this cause you to avoid bananas? Respond below. Apparently some Twitter users will be forgoing bananas for a while.

    [Images via The Sun and Wikimedia Commons]