Our newest pets

[tracilicious]

A few weeks ago, as we were cleaning the bottom of the sandbox, we discovered a gorgeous female black widow spider and a few egg sacs. We all wanted to get a closer look, so Michael caught her in Indi's bug jar and we brought her inside. We destroyed the web and killed the egg sacs, and had every intention of doing the same thing to the spider after the kids were in bed, but after spending some time watching her spin her web and move her graceful legs, I couldn't bring myself to do it. So, we named her Ursula. She's in a very kid-proof jar. Indi could open it, I'm sure, but he knows how dangerous she is and he has utmost respect for her. Jade can't open it, and she's kept out of reach of the kids anyways. So no one is in danger or anything.

I might be crazy, but I'm totally in love with her. She's so beautiful. We feed her a cricket every few days and it's fascinating to watch her eat. Last week we found a male black widow, and decided to complete our collection. We dubbed our spindly male Triton. The only problem is that he won't eat. He's built a paltry web. We put a cricket in with him, but he didn't touch it, so we gave it to Ursula. I don't know how much longer he can go without eating. We're considering putting him in with Ursula so they can mate, but I don't really want her eating him afterwards. Or maybe I do...might be kinda cool.

This week we're going to upgrade her habitat to something a bit bigger, but still equally escape proof (and duct tapable to prevent entry). I'll post pics in a week or so when we get our new camera.

[Disneyphile]

Wow!

As creeped out as I am by bugs, I have to say that's a beautiful story, so respectful of nature, and really fascinating!

Congrats on your new little family members. It'd be interesting if you took them to the vet for a check-up.

[scaeagles]

Completely different story in my house, traci. We had one in the garage, so I squished it. Then I went inside and said "now if I could only get rid of the other venomous blood sucking female in this house that sucks the life out of her mate I'd be doing really well". The wife punched me several times.

[CoasterMatt]

visible mojo, Leo

[BarTopDancer]

YUK!

[€uroMeinke]

Pictures!

[RStar]

Originally Posted by BarTopDancer

YUK!

Ditto.

Spiders are about the only thing that creep me out.

[Kevy Baby]

Cool story T. I appreciate your respect for nature: you understand that she is poisonous and protect your kids (and you and the hubby) without making the spider villainous. Thank you!

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Spiders are very cool looking but there is no way I'd keep a black widow around, "kid-proof jars" or not. I'd keep a bug pet though, that would be neat, especially for the kids. There are plenty of cool looking spiders that can't kill you or your children....

[Not Afraid]

Black Widow Spider bites don't inject much poison and death is rarely a symptom.

If a black widow spider bites a person, do not panic! No one in the United States has died from a black widow spider bite in over 10 years. Very often the black widow will not inject any venom into the bite and no serious symptoms develop. Wash the wound well with soap and water to help prevent infection. If muscle cramps develop, take the patient to the nearest hospital. Some victims, especially young children, may be admitted overnight for observation and treatment. There is treatment for a black widow spider bite that can take care of the symptoms. Various medications are used to treat the muscle cramps, spasms and pain of a bite. Black widow spider antivenin is seldom necessary.

The venom of the female black widow spider is 15 times as toxic as the venom of the Prairie Rattlesnake. Only a minute amount of the toxin is injected in a single bite by the spider however, so they are rarely fatal. By comparison, the relatively large amount of injected rattlesnake venom results in about 15 to 25 percent mortality among those bitten.

The bite itself is often not painful and may go unnoticed. But the poison injected by the the Black Widow bite can cause abdominal pain similar to appendicitis as well as pain to muscles or the soles of the feet. Other symptoms include alternating salivation and dry-mouth, paralysis of the diaphragm, profuse sweating and swollen eyelids.

Persons with heart conditions or other health problems may require a hospital stay. (Heart and lung failure may result in death.) A physician can evaluate the severity of the bite, and give specific antivenin or calcium gluconate to relieve pain if necessary. Healthy people recover rapidly in two to five days.

First aid measures: Apply an ice pack over the bite location and keep the affected limb elevated to about heart level. Try to collect the spider specimen in a small jar or plastic bag for examination by a spider expert, even if you have crushed it. Treatment in a medical facility may be necessary. Call the Poison Center for additional information. Poison Centers across the country now have a new national emergency phone number - 1-800-222-1222