The Black Widow

She looks just like Charolette

Latrodectus the Black Widow Spider. Is very misunderstood. I have one living in my garage that I have named Charolette. She's been there all summer, plumping up from eating all the bugs that get into the garage. Black Widows have a bad reputation for eating their male counterparts, being an aggressive hunter, and having a deadly neurotoxin. However, contrary to popular belief not all species of the Latrodectus genus devower their poor unsuspecting mates after fertilization. Nor are they aggressive, they are extremely shy and will run away at any sign of danger. Their neurotoxin, latrotoxin, can cause some discomfort if your dumb enough or just unlucky to get bitten. (They will only bite you if they are "cornered" hence, if you try to pick them up. If they sense an escape route they will shoot for that first.) The latrotoxin causes a disorder called Latrodectism, which symptoms are similar to tetany. Painful muscle cramping. Will it kill you, most likely not, unless you are an infant or a very small child. Interestingly enough hospitals in the US will not risk using antivenom on a black widow victim because the likely hood of you having a fatal reaction to the antivenom is much greater than having a fatal reaction to the actual latrotoxin itself! So they just watch you and give you morphine for the muscle cramps and let your own body take care of the rest. Most bites don't even end up as a severe systemic reaction. But when it comes to hunting, black widows are great, that is true! They are one of the best spiders you can have in your garden or wood pile. They really keep the pests down and don't bother you in the processes. Plus they are beautiful creatures and their webs are amazingly strong. They are a work of art from the Grand Creator. It has made me think a bit about how we rashly judges others at times and so easily believe gossip that is spread about individuals. May be before jumping on the bandwagon of hate, fear, envy, and distrust so quickly we should suspend judgment of others until we have taken time to learn the truth ourselves. I have been the victim of misunderstanding, gossip, and judgment many times in my life and find it very heart breaking and sad. So the next time you see or hear of someone victimized as such, think of the black widow spider and how good she really is to the health and beauty of your home's flora, and stand up for that person.