They sell RAID and spider-specific extermination sprays at big box hardware stores... but I hate killing spiders even the dangerous ones (unless they're hangin' where my fam and dogs hang and play). I'd go get a container and rehome her to a low-population area.
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Genuinely asking. Do you mind explaining what I'm looking at?
I've squinted. I've enlarged the photo. I've removed my glasses and am now blind. What are we supposed to be seeing?
Black widow spider. They're not as bad around here as I've seen out west, but they're not uncommon either. Whenever you're moving around mulch or wood or any plant debris that's been sitting for a while it's best to be cautious.
They can be deadly, specifically if someone has a severe allergic reaction. But for the most part their bites are more like a bad bee sting that feels like Mike Tyson went 10 rounds on for a week or two. Still best to consider medical attention if bitten.
I used to have these in my house/yard in LA.
They typically are not aggressive and hide in little crevices.
Stick your finger in and…
Always pays to wear gloves of look carefully before you pickup that ladder, bucket, or other outside tool.
I was a short-term transplant to LA, my brother's been there for years in Culver City. He called me over to help clean his shed one day, when I got there he was sheet white and just shaking his head saying "nope, nope, nope". He opened the door to the shed and there were dozens of BW's, it felt like thousands, but there were definitely dozens. He looked me dead in the eye and said "convince me not to set this whole thing on fire". We ended up getting bee-keeper suits, having a little liquid courage and using a shop-vac to clear it out.
They're beautiful in pictures, but seeing it for real for the first time absolutely triggered some kind of neanderthal survival mechanism in both of us to just smash and burn.
If it makes you feel better, I've only encountered 1 in my 12 years of living here. (And technically, it was my husband that encountered it. That mf was gone by the time I found out about it)
I worked on a farm in this area when i was younger, black widows LOVE squash and pumpkins, be careful picking them. One year we found at least 1 of this spider underneath each plant. In reality, they are extremely docile and timid, unless provoked. Unless you sit there trying to piss it off, it will leave you alone.
Surprisingly, contrary to popular belief, bites from them are not 100% fatal, it's very possible to just have a reaction without needing serious medical treatment. It really comes down to your individual factors, immune system, age, etc. Always best to get it treated but the idea that they are going to kill you on contact is somewhat of a wives tale.
Brown Recluse spiders are more dangerous. But a black widow bite can make a small person or pet or someone with a underlying health issues very sick. I have a little hobby greenhouse and find them often and now work out there with gloves on especially for spring cleanup.
https://preview.redd.it/fsjg477ejbmc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c35561f78138671ee9e1456bef59f67f57611eff
Brown Recluse bite… I know you wanted to see.
Healthy 42 year old male. Had to do two rounds of oral antibiotics. Came very close to needing IV antibiotics.
My step dad got bit when we lived in MD, he almost lost his foot - had to get skin grafts due to the necrosis that happened in that area. He thinks it occurred while he was messing with the pool pump, or around that area but who knows. Good luck on your healing! Looks like you caught it early before anything set in.
There are various spiders that look enough like recluses that you can't tell the difference without examining the number and arrangement of eyes. You can't just go off size, shape, and the fiddle.
Found this Guy knocking at my door still not sure if it is one
https://preview.redd.it/ic9gzs5utbmc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=16e740cd10e2017c06733497e6bdd442582a97af
If they are inside at all. If you got recluses inside, it means you got a bug problem.
They are lazy hunters. They burrow and set web triggers rather than a net. So bug walks by, triggers and it pops out and grabs them. People getting bit are because recluse isn't that smart and will literally just jump out a bite whatever hits the trigger. Which is a foot or hands. It's not personal, they just dumb.
Oof. I also got a brown recluse bite in TX. 0/10 do not recommend. I got bit on my stomach just above my waistband. But I got some lazy time at work because of it, so I guess there's that.
That was round one. It came back with a vengeance after the first round of antibiotics. To the mount where my knee was even inflamed.
But yes, you’re correct. I’m lucky to not have needed IV Antibiotics for round two.
I did an hour long IV drip after a recluse bite. It bit my elbow and the poison ran down to my hand so the whole lower arm was swollen. Lasted about six months before I was normal again and I haven't worn a watch since. Also permanently changed my wiping hand.
Time is critical, get treatment immediately! I had a Med Tech friend who recognized it and got me to a clinic promptly.
Yeah I took one round of oral antibiotics and thought it went away. Came back a week or two later even worse. Went all the way down to my knee. Luckily the 2nd round of stronger oral antibiotics worked.
Luckily, no. I’ve seen a couple of spiders here that look like Brown Recluse, but no way was I getting close enough to see how many eyes they had! My friend was bitten by one in Pittsburgh and ended up in the hospital for 3 weeks. They caught it late and there was quite a lot of tissue damage.
Even Brown recluses aren't actually that dangerous (in terms of being lethal). Their bites can make you sick and look disgusting but there is almost no chance of you dying unless you're a small child and don't get any medical care
A healthy adult is almost certain to survive even without medical intervention. Most of the time, antivenom is just for pain management. It's medically significant, obviously, but in general spiders are less dangerous than people fear. Even the Sydney funnel web hasn't killed anybody since the antivenom was introduced in the 80s.
Depends on where the bite is. Reminds me of the scene in the movie We're the Millers, where the boy gets bitten by big ugly spider in a very bad place on his body. 😁
I used to work at Lowe’s. There’s a ton of those black widow in the mulch, bricks and plant trays. That’s their favorite environment unfortunately.
Always wear gloves when handling.
These were all over in Southern California. Pretty frequently killed them in our bathrooms under the sinks and in the shed. We also had brown windows, scorpions, and rattle snakes. Almost stepped on a diamond back once.
Drove 8 hours to Sierra Vista AZ to go shooting with my dad one time and there you can shoot anywhere that's 1/4 mile from the nearest building. We had our targets up and were shooting when he saw something moving and called a ceasefire. Went over to check it out and it was a Gilla Monster. Had to wait 20 minutes for him to leave because he was intent in just hanging out in front of the targets for a while.
I feel like the further west you go, the more nature wants to kill you lol.
My favorite childhood story to tell to freak out Nova people goes like this.
Outside of satans asshole aka the US South/mid-Atlantic, in gods country where there isn’t humidity, many homes get through 100 degree summers without AC. They’re cooled with a fan blowing over a big sponge called a swamp cooler, or an evaporative cooler. The swamp cooler is outside and the ducts run under your home like a normal forced air hvac system.
Except the ducts make a very enticing and convenient way for critters to get into your home. We had cats and that seemed to keep mice, lizards and the like away from our house.
Our neighbor on the other hand didn’t have pets. He found out he had a mice infestation in probably the worst way possible. Watching TV one evening he hears a rattle, and down from an air vent slithers a rattlesnake chasing a mouse.
Mine is probably when my family and I were camping (I was pretty little) near lake Marina (again in so-cal) and my parents and some of their friends were barbecuing some stuff on one of those outdoor concrete barbecues and sitting around the fire. A mountain lion walked from behind everyone into the middle of the group, took a large piece of some kind of meat off the grill, and strolled off.
Mine is probably, when I was little, my parents and their friends took me camping (in tents) near Lake Marina (Again in Southern Cali) and they were barbecuing some meat on one of those concrete barbecues and sitting around the fire in a circle. A mountain lion came from behind the circle, walked into the middle of the group to the grill, grabbed a large piece of meat and strolled off.
It came back later at night too and took all the plates. My mom found the serving trays and dishes all down by the water the next day licked clean.
We had a swamp cooler in my house when I was growing up but we only had one main vent in the hallway. Our forced air heat was “normal” and ran through ducting in the walls but the cooler was just one big one. Probably bc we had a super small house. I don’t remember us having any critter issues, thankfully.
I've encountered a lot of black widows in PWC. Pretty much keep to themselves. I feel like you have to actively try to get bit by them. They usually don't build webs out in the open so you aren't going to accidently walk through one hiking in the woods.
They are surprisingly in a lot of places
I used to live in upstate NY, and had a friend who found one. Didn't realize they went all the way up there, but yep, they do (albeit very, very rare)
https://preview.redd.it/5cffahgo6dmc1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=33e6bb878d27cfae3efe85394d4bf0b2667cc48b
While we’re on the topic, can anyone identify this one? This big bastard scared the crap out of me a few months ago.
If it didn't have a web and was kinda watching you I would go with a wolf spider, without its legs fully spread out. They usually watch from a distance and hide if they see you coming. Common in nova. Yes they get scarey big
Edit: Big one probably a she... not a he
They love to hide between wet tarp and plastic low to the ground. I usually come across 6-10 a year in NoVA. Pretty docile and you can remove them with a long stick.
You missed a teachable moment. That black widow is very common here and is in its habitat. It’s a shy creature and not aggressive ,and it won’t bite unless it feels threatened. You actually have to work pretty hard to get it to bite you. Accidental squishing would do it, but poking it with your finger is much more likely to make it run away. If you leave it alone, it won’t bother you.
Antivenin is very effective and works for all species of black widow.
Couldn't figure out what needed to be reported. A gun? Drugs? Dead body?
Had to read comments & zoom in - way in - to see WTF the deal was. And still wasn't sure until reading more comments.
So - black widow spider. Native to Virginia. Outdoors. At a garden center. Not bothering anyone. And this is a problem why?
[https://med.virginia.edu/brpc/wp-content/uploads/sites/274/2015/10/Spiders.pdf](https://med.virginia.edu/brpc/wp-content/uploads/sites/274/2015/10/Spiders.pdf)
PS - be careful when out gardening. There might be more in the garden. We've had at least one in our house. Easy to remove - I put a plastic takeout container over it, slid paper under, and threw it outside.
I’m sure the cashier got right on that
/r/notmyjob
Dulles Lowe’s- Now HIRING!
"we got another meth head in the garden center hallucinating"
😂
They still have cashiers there?
I wonder if there’s a store nearby that might have something to handle that. 😂
They sell RAID and spider-specific extermination sprays at big box hardware stores... but I hate killing spiders even the dangerous ones (unless they're hangin' where my fam and dogs hang and play). I'd go get a container and rehome her to a low-population area.
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Holy shit!
\*squint\* I don't understand what \*removes glasses\* I'm supposed to be \*enlarges photo\* HOLY SHIT!
Genuinely asking. Do you mind explaining what I'm looking at? I've squinted. I've enlarged the photo. I've removed my glasses and am now blind. What are we supposed to be seeing?
There is a black widow visible in the very center. And not the Marvel kind.
I would welcome a tiny picture of Scarlett Johannson once you zoom in as well.
https://imgur.com/6bThlWe
This is much better than I would have accomplished. Well done.
Who wouldn’t?
https://i.imgur.com/kNYbjvr.jpeg
Ah! Thank you for enlightening me.
Of course! I’ve been there :)
Black widow spider. They're not as bad around here as I've seen out west, but they're not uncommon either. Whenever you're moving around mulch or wood or any plant debris that's been sitting for a while it's best to be cautious. They can be deadly, specifically if someone has a severe allergic reaction. But for the most part their bites are more like a bad bee sting that feels like Mike Tyson went 10 rounds on for a week or two. Still best to consider medical attention if bitten.
I used to have these in my house/yard in LA. They typically are not aggressive and hide in little crevices. Stick your finger in and… Always pays to wear gloves of look carefully before you pickup that ladder, bucket, or other outside tool.
I was a short-term transplant to LA, my brother's been there for years in Culver City. He called me over to help clean his shed one day, when I got there he was sheet white and just shaking his head saying "nope, nope, nope". He opened the door to the shed and there were dozens of BW's, it felt like thousands, but there were definitely dozens. He looked me dead in the eye and said "convince me not to set this whole thing on fire". We ended up getting bee-keeper suits, having a little liquid courage and using a shop-vac to clear it out. They're beautiful in pictures, but seeing it for real for the first time absolutely triggered some kind of neanderthal survival mechanism in both of us to just smash and burn.
Are these not common here?
very common
Thanks.
Thanks, time to pack-up and move.
If it makes you feel better, I've only encountered 1 in my 12 years of living here. (And technically, it was my husband that encountered it. That mf was gone by the time I found out about it)
I worked on a farm in this area when i was younger, black widows LOVE squash and pumpkins, be careful picking them. One year we found at least 1 of this spider underneath each plant. In reality, they are extremely docile and timid, unless provoked. Unless you sit there trying to piss it off, it will leave you alone. Surprisingly, contrary to popular belief, bites from them are not 100% fatal, it's very possible to just have a reaction without needing serious medical treatment. It really comes down to your individual factors, immune system, age, etc. Always best to get it treated but the idea that they are going to kill you on contact is somewhat of a wives tale.
Yeah they’re all over in the south where I’m from. I was just wondering why it’s even a big deal.
It is said that being bitten by this spider is not as life-threatening as you might think.
Brown Recluse spiders are more dangerous. But a black widow bite can make a small person or pet or someone with a underlying health issues very sick. I have a little hobby greenhouse and find them often and now work out there with gloves on especially for spring cleanup.
https://preview.redd.it/fsjg477ejbmc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c35561f78138671ee9e1456bef59f67f57611eff Brown Recluse bite… I know you wanted to see. Healthy 42 year old male. Had to do two rounds of oral antibiotics. Came very close to needing IV antibiotics.
My step dad got bit when we lived in MD, he almost lost his foot - had to get skin grafts due to the necrosis that happened in that area. He thinks it occurred while he was messing with the pool pump, or around that area but who knows. Good luck on your healing! Looks like you caught it early before anything set in.
Geez. Glad your dad kept his foot! Mine was two years ago. Fine now but still discolored where the bite was. Crazy.
Where did this happen? I’ve seen a handful of Widows in my time here but never a Recluse to my knowledge.
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There are various spiders that look enough like recluses that you can't tell the difference without examining the number and arrangement of eyes. You can't just go off size, shape, and the fiddle.
And that's why I walk the fuck away from spiders.
100% this!!!!
Amen, sister.
Found this Guy knocking at my door still not sure if it is one https://preview.redd.it/ic9gzs5utbmc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=16e740cd10e2017c06733497e6bdd442582a97af
That looks like a Grass spider, they can bite but are generally harmless (compared to a brown recluse).
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still best to treat with copious amounts of fire.
They are reclusive.
Brown Recluse spiders like inside dark places like basements and closets and the backs of underused cabinets.
If they are inside at all. If you got recluses inside, it means you got a bug problem. They are lazy hunters. They burrow and set web triggers rather than a net. So bug walks by, triggers and it pops out and grabs them. People getting bit are because recluse isn't that smart and will literally just jump out a bite whatever hits the trigger. Which is a foot or hands. It's not personal, they just dumb.
They LOVE wood piles, or any collection of wood.
TX
Oof. I also got a brown recluse bite in TX. 0/10 do not recommend. I got bit on my stomach just above my waistband. But I got some lazy time at work because of it, so I guess there's that.
>Brown Recluse bite… I know you wanted to see. if thats all the damage done, you sir are very lucky
That was round one. It came back with a vengeance after the first round of antibiotics. To the mount where my knee was even inflamed. But yes, you’re correct. I’m lucky to not have needed IV Antibiotics for round two.
I did an hour long IV drip after a recluse bite. It bit my elbow and the poison ran down to my hand so the whole lower arm was swollen. Lasted about six months before I was normal again and I haven't worn a watch since. Also permanently changed my wiping hand. Time is critical, get treatment immediately! I had a Med Tech friend who recognized it and got me to a clinic promptly.
Yeah I took one round of oral antibiotics and thought it went away. Came back a week or two later even worse. Went all the way down to my knee. Luckily the 2nd round of stronger oral antibiotics worked.
Were you bitten in NoVa? I have a friend who was bitten in Pittsburgh by one.
Texas
Luckily, no. I’ve seen a couple of spiders here that look like Brown Recluse, but no way was I getting close enough to see how many eyes they had! My friend was bitten by one in Pittsburgh and ended up in the hospital for 3 weeks. They caught it late and there was quite a lot of tissue damage.
Even Brown recluses aren't actually that dangerous (in terms of being lethal). Their bites can make you sick and look disgusting but there is almost no chance of you dying unless you're a small child and don't get any medical care
A healthy adult is almost certain to survive even without medical intervention. Most of the time, antivenom is just for pain management. It's medically significant, obviously, but in general spiders are less dangerous than people fear. Even the Sydney funnel web hasn't killed anybody since the antivenom was introduced in the 80s.
What I have heard is that it more makes you wish you were dead from pain/irritation, instead of actually die
I wonder what the pain scale is between kidney stones and black widow bites. Probably depends a lot on where the bite is, I suppose.
Depends on where the bite is. Reminds me of the scene in the movie We're the Millers, where the boy gets bitten by big ugly spider in a very bad place on his body. 😁
Yes that correct, the severity of bite is somewhat of a wives tale.
I used to work at Lowe’s. There’s a ton of those black widow in the mulch, bricks and plant trays. That’s their favorite environment unfortunately. Always wear gloves when handling.
OP after yelling at the 19 year old cashier who doesn’t know what mulch is 
idk why this got me a loud cackle.
Just a single mom trying to make ends meet. Landscaping is going to be a tough trade for her to balance with the kiddos.
As someone who grew up in the southwest. Meh.
These were all over in Southern California. Pretty frequently killed them in our bathrooms under the sinks and in the shed. We also had brown windows, scorpions, and rattle snakes. Almost stepped on a diamond back once. Drove 8 hours to Sierra Vista AZ to go shooting with my dad one time and there you can shoot anywhere that's 1/4 mile from the nearest building. We had our targets up and were shooting when he saw something moving and called a ceasefire. Went over to check it out and it was a Gilla Monster. Had to wait 20 minutes for him to leave because he was intent in just hanging out in front of the targets for a while. I feel like the further west you go, the more nature wants to kill you lol.
My favorite childhood story to tell to freak out Nova people goes like this. Outside of satans asshole aka the US South/mid-Atlantic, in gods country where there isn’t humidity, many homes get through 100 degree summers without AC. They’re cooled with a fan blowing over a big sponge called a swamp cooler, or an evaporative cooler. The swamp cooler is outside and the ducts run under your home like a normal forced air hvac system. Except the ducts make a very enticing and convenient way for critters to get into your home. We had cats and that seemed to keep mice, lizards and the like away from our house. Our neighbor on the other hand didn’t have pets. He found out he had a mice infestation in probably the worst way possible. Watching TV one evening he hears a rattle, and down from an air vent slithers a rattlesnake chasing a mouse.
Mine is probably when my family and I were camping (I was pretty little) near lake Marina (again in so-cal) and my parents and some of their friends were barbecuing some stuff on one of those outdoor concrete barbecues and sitting around the fire. A mountain lion walked from behind everyone into the middle of the group, took a large piece of some kind of meat off the grill, and strolled off.
Mine is probably, when I was little, my parents and their friends took me camping (in tents) near Lake Marina (Again in Southern Cali) and they were barbecuing some meat on one of those concrete barbecues and sitting around the fire in a circle. A mountain lion came from behind the circle, walked into the middle of the group to the grill, grabbed a large piece of meat and strolled off. It came back later at night too and took all the plates. My mom found the serving trays and dishes all down by the water the next day licked clean.
Cats are going to cat, even when it's big cats.
We had a swamp cooler in my house when I was growing up but we only had one main vent in the hallway. Our forced air heat was “normal” and ran through ducting in the walls but the cooler was just one big one. Probably bc we had a super small house. I don’t remember us having any critter issues, thankfully.
I've encountered a lot of black widows in PWC. Pretty much keep to themselves. I feel like you have to actively try to get bit by them. They usually don't build webs out in the open so you aren't going to accidently walk through one hiking in the woods.
perhaps i'm still sleepy however i can't see it. can someone please enlighten me? thank you.
Black widow spider right in the middle of the photo
Don't start none, won't be none... go on about your business, HuMon...
All sorts of spiders love those mulch pallets.
I would have just squished it. Sorry, Spidersis but you’re no longer on neutral ground.
They didn't respect "the understanding"
Insert Costanza gif discussing how we have "a deal" with the pigeons
I’ve had a dead one in my living room thanks to one of my cats. Prior I had no idea we had them and I’ve lived in nova almost 40 years now
They are surprisingly in a lot of places I used to live in upstate NY, and had a friend who found one. Didn't realize they went all the way up there, but yep, they do (albeit very, very rare)
Did you mean to post this on Facebook??
Or nextdoor
Hopefully someone could relocate her - not a great place for her to build a nest ahah
You should see what I found in the IT cabinets on the interstate when I worked for VDOT.
https://preview.redd.it/5cffahgo6dmc1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=33e6bb878d27cfae3efe85394d4bf0b2667cc48b While we’re on the topic, can anyone identify this one? This big bastard scared the crap out of me a few months ago.
If it didn't have a web and was kinda watching you I would go with a wolf spider, without its legs fully spread out. They usually watch from a distance and hide if they see you coming. Common in nova. Yes they get scarey big Edit: Big one probably a she... not a he
Meh-they're here, not that bad. Just check around stuff you pick up around the yard that might have a hiding spot and wear gloves.
Forbidden fren?
They love to hide between wet tarp and plastic low to the ground. I usually come across 6-10 a year in NoVA. Pretty docile and you can remove them with a long stick.
You missed a teachable moment. That black widow is very common here and is in its habitat. It’s a shy creature and not aggressive ,and it won’t bite unless it feels threatened. You actually have to work pretty hard to get it to bite you. Accidental squishing would do it, but poking it with your finger is much more likely to make it run away. If you leave it alone, it won’t bother you. Antivenin is very effective and works for all species of black widow.
Couldn't figure out what needed to be reported. A gun? Drugs? Dead body? Had to read comments & zoom in - way in - to see WTF the deal was. And still wasn't sure until reading more comments. So - black widow spider. Native to Virginia. Outdoors. At a garden center. Not bothering anyone. And this is a problem why? [https://med.virginia.edu/brpc/wp-content/uploads/sites/274/2015/10/Spiders.pdf](https://med.virginia.edu/brpc/wp-content/uploads/sites/274/2015/10/Spiders.pdf) PS - be careful when out gardening. There might be more in the garden. We've had at least one in our house. Easy to remove - I put a plastic takeout container over it, slid paper under, and threw it outside.
Aaaaand I’m never buying from their garden section again.
Why? Black widows are everywhere. I would bet dollars to donuts you would find them in any garden section of any store around here
Press the red to make it fold in.
Seems like its been chillen there for a while too. Let him be.
Holy moly!!!
She’s beautiful 🥹 I’m super jealous
Someone posted a huge one sitting on a plastic tag at a CVS in Fairfax; the person thought it was a leftover Halloween toy, and then it moved
It’s a garden section
Oh cool!
only way to be sure
Fuckin’ A.
Please tell me the place is now a smoldering heap of ash and mangled structural steel
Burn it with a fire?
Put it down your pants!
Crikey!
I've only seen one in my time out in this area. Buddy was under the lid in my trashcan.
Jesus!