Spider senses tingling for Summerside man who finds 8-legged surprise in grapes

When Aron Scott went to the fridge for a late-night snack Sunday, he got a frightening surprise.

Scott was about to wash the last bunch of grapes that had been in his kitchen for a week, when "some spindly black legs started making their way toward my fingers."

Scott said what he saw was a live black widow spider. He has a personal interest in spiders and recognized its long front legs, black body and red hourglass marking on its abdomen.

"I was shocked at the fact that it had been in my fridge for about a week," said Scott.

The grapes were red table grapes imported from Mexico, said Scott.

Black widow spiders rarely bite humans, and their bites aren't usually life-threatening for adultsbut cancause severe pain and lead to painful muscle contractions, according to the Nature Conservancy of Canada website.

Dangerous for pets and small children

However, a black widow bite can be especially dangerousto children and the elderlyand Scott knew this.

He has two children, ages four and five, as well as a few cats and a dog, and was scared for them.

Scott ended up throwing out the grapes and killing the spider. He said although he's usually "that guy who will scoop them up and take them outside" he didn't want to take any chances.

He then went back and reported the incident to the Atlantic Superstore, who gave him a free bag of grapes as a replacement.

Store follows food-handling guidelines

CBCNews contacted the store and it saidit meets or exceeds all food-handling guidelines. It said ithasn't had any other incidents like this recently.

Staff with Island Nature Trust saidthe images are consistent with the look of a black widow spider, but that it'shard to confirm without seeing the actual spider.

Scott said it was not something he was too worried about.

"Some people lose their minds, 'oh my God, I'm never going to eat grapes again' but the reality of the situation isyou eat produce, fruits and vegetables," Scott said.

"They grow in trees, bushes, in the ground or on the ground and that's where the bugs are.So sometimes you are going to get a bug."

Wash your grapes

His advice now for grapes?

"Have a look at them before you shove your hand in the bag and start eating."

Scott, a tattoo artist in Summerside, said he might just have to tattoo a black widow and some grapes on himself or on anyone who's willing.

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