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All God's creatures great and small....

...yes, indeed, He loves them all.

Even the little beauty shown here?

One of God's little creatures

That little girl, measuring in at a mere 2.75 inches, was at the inspection out in the boondocks that was also the subject of my previous blog entry.

For readers who might not recognize her profie, she is Madame Black Widow. Unfortunately, I couldn't get her to move in the right direction so that I could get a picture of the most beautiful red hour glass on her tummy. Tattoos on the tummies of today's kids don't have anything on the tattoo on the tummy of this hot little babe!

I love snakes and spiders, but I give them the respect they deserve. This hot little babe was one full inch larger than any black widow I've ever found. And they say things grow big in Texas (my home state)! Ha!

My Clients had already decided that they were going to buy the home—my report was just a formality—so she was out pulling weeds. As soon as I saw what she was doing, bare-handed, I loaned her some extra gloves that I always keep in the car and showed her why. She was gracious.

By the way, this was one of seven black widows I found at the property during a four-hour inspection. Didn't phase my Clients at all.

Posted by Russel Ray, San Diego home inspector on 08/26/2008 12:03 PM

Comments (57)

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57 Comments on All God's creatures great and small....

AUG

2008

Thanks. And here I was thinking about sleeping tonight. YIKES!

think we like about living here so much is there are so few bugs... and no snakes. we do get spiders though.

AUG

2008

Yikes! We don't have such deadly arachnids around here, thank goodness!

That little darling can stay far away from me.

Russel, More power to you. As they say Different Strokes For Different Folks. Spiders and snakes I do not do. Thanks, Keith

Russel, I am with Keith on this, I don't do spiders and snakes either!

I've never seen a black widow in the bushes/weeds/grass. They usually stay in dark, dry places.

Cameron

Good thing they like the home. I can always count on you for an exciting post.

If it was my home inspection, I would not have bought the home because of the spiders!

I cannot honestly say that I would not be bother if there were seven black widows on the property I was buying. I would not be able to work in the yard, even with gloves.

Hi Russel. I've seen a lot of Black Widows, and some of them were pretty big. But nothing even remotely close to that size! 2.75"? That's absolutely unbelievalbe!

Rebecca Cole. What a great name! (that's my daughter's name)

: )

Wow. I used to have to crawl under my brothers house and do some work and there black widows under there. Not a lot of fun.

My 8-year old daughter is a big fan of all bugs. She keeps a black widow as a pet. A couple years ago at Marine World, she was 6 at the time, she picked up a 6-inch (almost as long as her forearm) praying mantis and was fascinated by it crawling all over her. The actually stopped the bird show we were at because the whole crown was watching the huge bug crawling all over the little kid.

Isn't that about the size of healthy tarantula? Wow!!

Russell, I am not a huge fan of spiders or snakes.

I just cleaned up a vacant house, and there were black widows everywhere....we didn't count them, but I know there were "many". I hope they stay out of the house long enough to show it :) So, what do we do to keep them out?

I couldn't be a home inspector, I don't like spiders. They are interesting but still make my skin crawl.

I am still in Texas and the bugs are plentiful and big. I found four tarantulas in my half acre yard one night in June. apparently it was the time of year the boys 'wander around' looking for girls. I have lived here 40 years and NEVER seen one in the wild, until this time. Its amazing what you see if you just stop and look.

Betina

Ps. I am glad the black widow did not kill the deal. Some people are pretty chicken when it comes to spiders and stuff.

Russel:

Your Black Widow pix made me homesick for Imperial Beach, CA! We had them in our woodpile back in the 50's and gave them their due respect. (One bite from one and my mom had blurry vision for many months - with no permanent damage.) Got married in the 60's and lived in Riverside where the tarantulas crawled out on the golf course nearby in the evenings. We used to scoop them off with our gold clubs - gently of course! I live in MD now and it has it's share of curious spiders, too. Google the "writing spider" sometime.

Thanks for the flashback!

Yeah, I recognize the profile. We have them here, too. Snakes I like, but spiders give me the creeps, and if they are where I go often, I mash them.

We have a saying for discoveries like that in our home: "Nature Show!"

Then the four kids come running. And mom, too...until she sees that it's a spider!

I don't mind snakes but spiders creep me out bad. You should see my suit for going in crawl spaces.

I can't believe it did not phase the buyer....it would me. Thank goodness I was not your buyer. hahaha

We had black widows at the home we owned in Upland, CA, but not even CLOSE to that size! Wow! JB Brookman

Thanks, I know have the "I don't love spiders and snakes, but that ain't what it takes to love me" song in my head!

Yikes.....I'm not much on spiders or snakes, but they are amazing little creatures.

If you are into spiders, I am not, but if you are, then that is a beautiful one! She is huge!

that is incredible! Thanks for sharing that photo, and for getting so close. God bless you home inspectors for going where not many Realtors would venture..at least not this one.

Seven widows and lots of bites in the future. Lots of kids running around I bet

Seven black widows? Wow, that's scary--is that out of the ordinary for a home setting?

I would love to see the house she is buying. That most be some house! :)

Hey, Folks! Thanks for stopping by.

Sheree - Hope you were able to sleep. My apologies.

Gary - You have plent of snakes there in the Tahoe region. You just haven't been lucky enough to meet one yet.

Matt - You've even got black widows in your area, just not as many as in the southern, dry states.

Cameron - Black widows will hide in any sheltered, dimly lit place, and weeds up against the siding and foundation are perfect.

Rebecca and Michael - Generally, the largest female black widows are about 1.6 inches. The largest I had ever found was 1.75 inches, until yesterday. I actually think that hot little babe would measure a little longer if I could have laid her on the ground and really stretched out those long, slender hot legs of hers.

Dawn - We had tarantula mating season here in the South County a few weeks ago. They were coming out of the woodwork to find each other and make lovey dovey. Unfortunately, I was so busy that I never got a chance to go down there in the evening when they were out cruising.

Kathy - Generally black widows don't like the interior of homes that are lived in because it is too bright for them. However, if they can find a nice spot in a cabinet or drawer, they might be happy. Make sure the screen doors are not damaged, no gaps at the doors and windows, and that the attic vent screens are in place and not damaged.

Diane - Lots of black widows are not unusual for a large, vacant home or one where the exterior is unkempt or the garages look like those in my blog entry, "Monday morning laughs and a tour of Southern California garages."

Here's one of the best web sites I have bookmarked for information on black widows.

When I had my home in the Shenandoah valley of VA I had a few of these girls around. I learned not to put my hands into the wood pile without my gloves on. I am a true arachnophobic so it is tough for me to even see a picture of a spider. Eeekk I may have nightmares tonight!

Cute spider. I have a photo of a very cool spider in one of my blogs too. I once received a call from an agent attempting to show one of my listings but called freaking out that a spider was on the lockbox so they left. I went over and knocked the spider down and all was well. She said it was a black widow, it wasn't.

Wow, what a doozy!!!

Well we have lots of those boogers here in Texas but looks like you found a new record! Are you going to do a head mount? ;-)

These little spiders are scared of you. Most people are scared of them because of movies and poor out and indoor care. To cure it all, we always have our home sprayed monthly in Az but I will tell you these are the least of my worries. I'll take spider, snakes & scorpions anyday over hurricanes, tornado's or earthquakes. As far as the snakes go, if you don't go looking for them they will leave you alone, scorpions die as soon as they cross the barrier from spray and black widows die with a few shots of hair spray.

Bonnie

Note to self: Never go to Texas during tarantula mating season!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't think I have ever found a black widow myself, but my wife found several in our old storage unit years back.

Russel, while this post is very informative as is the information provided in the remarks about where to find more information on spiders, I think I'll have to pass on the idea of finding them beautiful. Just can't do it. Not me.

Kudos to you, Russel. Guess you get used to them in your job. Used to see many black widows when I was living in Topang, CA, but never one this big. Don't care for snakes though.

Russell:

Thanks for your blog article about BLACK WIDOWS at your home inspection. NICE.

Harrison K. Long, Explore Group, Irvine, CA

AUG

2008

She is much leggier than the ones I have seen in Eastern WA. Yours is more shapely.

Wow. I'd be screaming and the top of my lungs, and here you are bloggin' about it! Amazing.

Here around Seattle I don't worry about the Black Widows as much as the Hobo Spiders, and I ALWAYS wear gloves when I am out moving rocks or pulling weeds along the fence or house.

As a side note, I had a Black Widow as a 'pet' for a year or so. Very interesting critters!

I used to see them alot as a kid when it was alot more rural where I now live. Never saw one that big though - would have ran for the hills! Used to ride horses & run into alot of this stuff, litterly, while on the horses, used to scream my head off. Barns were crawling with stuff too.

You've got an anonymous 'bug man' above I think.

To destroy an Indiana Jones quote, "Spiders, why did it have to be spiders." I think its the way they can creep up on you without your knowledge. Dogs, cats, snakes, etc - at least you can see and or hear them before they'll try to bite you.

I've seen more spiders this year than any year in the past. Must be that global warming thing...

Just have to say that I do not like spiders! Now my skin is itchy...............

AUG

2008

This blog is very interesting and I am very happy that the deal still was completed. I have had to calm down a couple clients when we see little critters. We do not have spiders like that in Ontario though, at least not that I have seen but I have a healthy interest in all kinds of bugs. Although it is a little un-nerving when spiders sneak up on you.

That is a great picture. There is nothing more interesting than than these little critters.

Russel: I am super squimist about spiders. And black widows?? Oh my God....I don't know if I would ever step foot outside in the back yard if I did buy the property.

AUG

2008

Wow! That is some spider. You have definitely made your point.

It is best to let her be the Queen of the House!

SEP

2008

Yikes...I don't think I would buy a house with black widows all around it...that would creep me out...spiders and snakes are not my friends!

DEC

2008

Russel,

One brown recluse spider bite and I am cured from crawling any place I shouldn't and tend to let inspectors who are dressed appropriately handle looking around in dark places.....

DEC

Hi, Russel. Good talking to you today. Just thought I'd look through some of your stuff. I figured there would have to be some "spider and snakes" somewhere around here.

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