PROVO -- Kimberly Warner was chatting on the phone and washingthe red grapes she had just purchased from the Orem Costco on Mondayafternoon when she spotted it: a big, black spider.
"I thought it was just a big, monster grape spider," the Provohomemaker 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. Butafter looking it up on the Internet, he determined it was a femaleblack widow.
"I called my family and a bunch of my friends and told them tocheck their containers," Warner said. "I normally just grab onegrape after another."
Warner trapped the spider in a jam container, along with a grapefor the spider to eat, while she and her husband decided what to dowith it. She described the spider as "shiny and pokey with longfront legs." It was a little larger than a quarter, with a bodyabout the size of two peas put together, Warner said.
She called Costco on Monday night, and by Tuesday morning, amanager from Costco called her to apologize. He then went to herhouse to retrieve the spider and information on the container aboutwhere the grapes were grown.
On Tuesday night, Warner got a call from the grower based inBakersfield, Calif., who apologized and wanted to make sure Warnerwasn't bitten or harmed in any way.
Jeff Warner, manager of the Orem Costco, said if another customerreports finding a black widow, the warehouse wholesaler will takefurther action.
"Costco is one of the best for pulling product if there is anyconcern," said Jeff Warner (no relation to Kimberly Warner). "Thisis just an isolated case right now. Insects are just abouteverywhere you go. That's why it's so important to clean yourproduce."
Growers use pesticides, he said, but they don't want to overdoit.
If bitten by a black widow, a person should go to the hospital tobe treated, said Shawn Clark, insect collections manager at theMonte 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'shealth, sensitivity to the venom and how much venom the spiderreleases, he said. The venom is a toxin that affects the functioningof the nervous system, Clark said. The worst symptom to have after abite 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 notas dangerous as some people make out a bite to be."
Kimberly Warner said finding the spider will not stop her frombuying grapes from Costco or any other store. But she'll be sure tocheck for spiders before popping a grape into her mouth in thefuture -- and she cautions others to do the same.
"As long as you are watching, there is no worry," she said. "Justbe aware you might find a little buddy in your container."
E-MAIL: slenz@desnews.com
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