Junction Triangle

hi all i thought id mention this in the forum section for families, especially out of concern for those with small kids who play in the back yards..

near the end of this summer i came across an odd spider web in my yard, it looked to me to be that of a black widow spiders, but i did not want to scream wolf till i had made sure that it was in fact so....

I kept an eye on the web for a couple of weeks but saw no spider present , and recent hard rains have all but destroyed the web, and nothing came out to rebuild the web afterward...

I grew up in this neighborhood and as kids we caught many types of bugs and spiders, i am familiar with garden spider, funnel spider webs and also those spiders who make webs under damp boards, but this web looked very much too me to be that of a Black widow and not that of any of the others I have seen in the past, very hap hazzardly spun, and cottony looking in a darker low level part of the yard, under some bushes with no funnel like a funnel spiders typically has, and it was a very strong web..

I looked it up on the net and it looked very much like those pictures of Black widow spider webs that were on the web too, it also looked much like the one i remember seeing years ago at the zoo...

SO after giving it some thought i decided even though i have not see the actual spider itself , i think it best to play it safe and let you all know to be on the watch for blackwidows, especially if you have young kids who play in the yard, best to go out and do a yard scan first to make sure there are no strange looking webs where the kids play ...

IF you do fall gardening or anygardening for that matter use a thick pair of gloves is my advice too..

WHERE DO BLACK WIDOW SPIDER COME FROM ?.... as you may have heard on the news some come from the south in grapes or what ever via shipping , those have a red hour glass shape on their back,,,
But we also have our own Canadian black widow spiders, they have like a red hour glass where the two triangles of the hour glass dont actually meet , and some red dots as well they say, i have not seen these but you may be able to look them up on the net...

SPIDER BITES -

Black Widow Bite - if you get bit by what you suspect to be a black widow dont waste time , get on the phone and call 911, especially if kids or elderly people are bit. you cant remedy a black widow bit with over the counter drugs, YOU MUST GET TO A HOSPITAL FAST !

Jumping Spider Bite- We also have a type of large jumping spider in the region , it is black kinda hairy looking , has green metallic looking fangs, and a spot on its back, its large can be as big as the size of a bumble bee, it will bite you if its disturbed , and from what i have read it will be as painful as a bee sting, but NOT life threatening unless you are sensitive to spider bites,,,none the less if your kids get bit best to see a doctor,,,,i often see these spiders and they dont bother me if i dont bother them ...

HERE ARE A FEW LINKS WITH MORE INFO......

jumping spider picture - http://www.ojibway.ca/spider13.jpg

ojibway nature center info - http://www.ojibway.ca/spiders.htm

picture and article on blackwidow biting - http://www.flamboroughreview.com/news/article/272729

northern black widow web, and info - http://www.venombyte.com/venom/spiders/northern_black_widow.asp

PLEASE TELL YOUR NEIGHBORS TO BE CAREFUL ESPECIALLY SENIORS AND THOSE WITH YOUNG KIDS

happy and especially safe gardening , take care all.

BRETT.

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