Has anyone ever found a Black Widow spider in their mailbox?

[Guest GunTroll]

I'm a wuss. I have stood very close to a wild griz back in WY while hiking and felt more brave then, than when I encounter a little spider that may be venomous or not. Even reading this thread made me ...squirmy. I have seen and killed about five black widows since moving here in 09. If I see them, they die. To my knowledge I have never seen the recluse. I typically don't kill spiders inside or outside of the house if I can help it, but a black widow will meet boot every time and anywhere. I got bite as a kid and hold a grudge.

[Ebow1]

I typically let spiders live if I find them on a web. Usually once they have a web spun they just want to be left alone, so I let them live due to their valuable service of preying on insects such as mosquitos. If I find them wandering about, they die. Well, usually. Every now and then they're a little quick and they get away.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Spiders don't bother me psychologically except the possibility of poison bites. Brown recluse mostly worries me when going into dark dry places. On the other hand, it would be murphy's law to encounter the only brown recluse in the world who happens to prefer bright livingrooms and has an aggressive attitude!

Supposedly the majority of bites are no big deal, except for all the cases that are a big deal.

This seems a comprehensive article on them--

Brown Recluse Spider Bite Pictures, Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment by eMedicineHealth.com

If you are squeamish, don't go the the page showing patient pictures of cases that did turn into a big deal.

Makes me inclined to go buy a few cases of bug spray and routinely soak all indoor surfaces. Just in case.

[Guest db99wj]

My brother worked for comcast, he went into crawl spaces, he got bit on the hip, he developed a bump that grew and grew and ultimately looked like a volcano, raised up about an inch to inch and a half. Surgery, meds, and an 13" incision/scar, along with a chunk of his ass, and all is good again. They will put a hurt'n on ya.