Spider

So I just rubbed this "dirt" off the underside of one of my basil leaves just now.  Turns out it wasn't dirt, it was a spider!

I don't think he bit me or anything, and was probably more scared of me than I am of it being poisonous.  But what do you guys think...


I know its a bad photo, but he ran back under the leaf to protect whatever it is he's protecting there, and I didn't want to disturb him again.
I'm getting all itchy, but I think its just in my head.

Fascinating. She looks like a brown widow spider with the bulbous abdomen and black knees. If she bit you, you would know it!! The males have very small mouth parts and are not a concern. It's the females you have to watch out for. Heh, heh. All spiders are poisonous, it's how they paralyze and/or pre-digest their food. The size of the mouth parts mostly determine their danger to big, ole humans. She knew you were not dinner, too big. And maybe she has an egg sac or dinner she wanted to get back to. Still, be ccareful. I have black widows I have to watch out for.

I wish I had more orb weavers in my gardens.

I don't see any red hourglasses, so I think you're okay...

But Sanderson's right.  Be careful.  DH was bit by a black widow on his foot in 1995 and he still has problems from it occasionally.  It's like it releases some more poison or something...

The CDC said that the only reason he lived is because he's such a big guy & it bit him so far from his heart.  She was apparently one of the largest they've seen...

I used rubbed mats between my two sets of gardening last year and while picking them up to store for the winter I found a copperhead baby snake right at my fingers.  You just don't know what hides nearby.  I have a creek within walking distance of my yard.

Camp, Your eyes are better than mine. I was going by State of Florida, black knees, and abdomen shape. Do orb weavers hide in leaves? I see their webs but not sure I have seen the spider. I'll try to be more observant.

Marie, Brown/black widows have the red/orange hour glass on their bellies. I have the black ones which are so distinctive. Don't even have to think twice about what I am looking at.

Lowraine, Copperhead! Makes me glad I live in the city.

Wasn't the spider in Charlotte web an orb weaver?

Also l'm looking twice at my plants and garden from now on.

Oh wow guys.
I didn't realize EVERY spider was poisonous.  I guess that's why so many people are afraid of them.
So this one is an orb weaver?  I looked a bit online last night but couldn't find anything that looked this grey/black color combo.
The hypocondriac (whoever you spell it) in me told me my whole body was itching until I went to sleep.  I think I almost scratched my skull off at the hairline! 

Can I ask a totally unrelated question? 
What is DH?
I figure it stands for something to do with the significant other, but I'm failing at figuring out the initials.  That's scary though, AtlantaMarie.  I also heard about a celebrity that was bit by some kind of spider and was paralyzed and later died from complications that he never overcame from the spider bite.
I'm just going to leave her alone.  Hope she doesn't tell her bigger badder friends on me.
Thanks for the help as always.

DH = dear husband, etc. DDIL, DS, DD

Yes, all are venomous but we are too big to be harmed by the majority of spiders. The orb weaver bite is painful but usually not harmful at all. Just too little venom for more than a localized minor reaction. Maybe Camp can comment: Benedryl? for itching?

Spiders are fascinating creatures! Did you know they have 6 joints in each leg? That's a whopping 48 knees! WOW!

http://www.livescience.com/22122-types-of-spiders.html

To say that all spiders are poisonous is not true. To say that some of them are venomous is true. All spiders are not created equally.

http://insects.about.com/od/insects101/f/venomous-or-poisonous.htm

http://animals.howstuffworks.com/arachnids/spider7.html

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider_bite

The benefit of having spiders in the garden.

http://ecohabits.net/spiders-good-garden/

http://www.colostate.edu/Dept/CoopExt/4DMG/Pests/spiders.htm

http://www.planetnatural.com/garden-spiders/

http://www.vegetablegardener.com/item/4410/meet-the-garden-good-guys-snakes-toads-spiders-and-bats

I like to see spiders on the brassicas. They hunt the dreaded cabbage worms.

Regarding venom... Again all venom is not created equally.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venom

http://www.webmd.com/first-aid/understanding-insect-bites-spider-bites-symptoms

Watch out for the short tailed shrew, it too has venom. WOW again!

A venom reaction is not the same as a venom allergy. A normal venom reaction is typically seen at the site of injection. Localized swelling, redness, itching and heat are normal. So too varying degrees of discomfort and/or pain. Localized means at the injection site and nearby area. For example if you get a sting or bite on the finger you can expect a local reaction to be as small and reactive as nothing to swelling of an entire arm. It may seem alarming, but it is still considered a local reaction. Treatment in this case could be topical antihistamine gel or an oral antihistamine. Typically this treatment will take the edge off but the body will still have a reaction that may take up to a week to resolve.



An allergic reaction will be seen or felt in another part of the body from the infection site. An allergic reaction requires quick medical treatment.


Please note, wasps and hornets eat carion and a sting from them may result in a bacterial infection.

I used to be quite fearful of spiders but I overcame my fears and I have now have a healthy respect for those creatures and welcome them in my garden.

wow that's a lot of great information thank you!
i don't think it was a orb weaver after everything i looked at/read.  Still not sure what it might have been.  There was no yellow on it that I could see.  I went to check on her tonight but she was gone.  What looked to have been her meal from the other night was still there under the leaf tho.  I think she went to seek shelter elsewhere after I disturbed her   I feel guilty.

sanderson wrote:DH = dear husband, etc. DDIL, DS, DD

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Most of the Ds stand for Dear, there are exceptions.
 e.g. DBH = Dearly Beloved Husband. It's a long time since I ever wrote that.

Spiders are cool!