Bulk Cricket Surprise/Warning

[Kent67]

Howdy everyone. I thought this might warrant a thread as a little warning for everyone. I order several thousand crickets each week. With the larger boxes I cut the tape and then open them upside down into the tub. Usually I reach in a little and pull out the cardboard so that everything falls out. This time, as I was reaching for the cardboard out fell a GIANT black widow spider, an inch or two from my hand. It was so big I didn't even realize what it was until I had trapped it in another small plastic tub and looked at it's belly. Needless to say I'll be dumping and shaking crickets out of the box from now on. I've been buying bulk crickets for years and years and I've never had any other hitch-hikers than beetles and worms. Obviously this was an incredibly rare occurence, but, given the time of year and how many spiders there are at any given cricket ranch....just be careful!

 

[AJA]

So did you feed the little sucker to your cham?

 

[haleybobl]

Ugh, I hate black widows. I see them here occasionally. Did you notify the vendor?

 

[Kent67]

Nope, I had the willies so bad I just took it out to the alley and liquified it with a shoe. I don't think I'd try feeding them to anything ever, though. Yes, I did notify the vendor. I think they realized how serious the situation would be if I, or anyone else, was bitten. Hopefully.

 

[Ryan Jarosek]

I have had this happen a couple of times with crickets from rainbow. It is scary when I see them I get the willies too. I started to be
More careful after I found the first one crawling on my arm

 

[sandrachameleon]

Nope, I had the willies so bad I just took it out to the alley and liquified it with a shoe.

Poor spider

 

[Syn]

Should have kept it as a pet.. hehehe. Terrify the neighbors, scare your friends, etc.

I've had this happen to me with my first shipment of crickets.. that's why I raise my own dubia now.

 

[Jakedn]

God, I hate black widows! We just moved into a new house and there is black widows everywhere. I used to not really care much until I found a giant black widow crawling on my neck, now I can't stand them haha.

 

[Redeye]

I find them everywhere in Diego

 

[Pure]

Funny thing. I've lived in Florida for 32 yrs. well minus 2 yrs in DC. And in that time I've been all over this state. Not once have I ever run across a BW.

Kent, Just an FYI, they aren't that dangerous. They can kill a child or maybe an elderly adult, but a healthy adult will just wish he was dead. Very rare for an adult to die from a BW bite. Don't get me wrong, it would have been bad if you got bit. I just doubt you would have died.

 

[Kent67]

Kent, Just an FYI, they aren't that dangerous. They can kill a child or maybe an elderly adult, but a healthy adult will just wish he was dead. [\QUOTE]

That's dangerous enough for me! I know most don't die from the bites but I've known a few people over the years who've been bitten and they say the wishing you died part is very real. No thanks!

 

[Eric Adrignola]

My brother kept a female for a year or so while in college. Funny story if not offensive to people with certain disorders.

He kept the thing in his dorm room. In a small plastic container. She was very healthy, and laid numerous eggs in numerous egg cases.

My brother's roomate was a Schizophrenic - diagnosed. The poor SOB used to get up in the middle of the night - every night - to check to see if the eggs hatched. The idea terrified him. Not very nice of my brother to keep the thing.

Black widows dont' scare me. It's hard to get bit by them. I've seen other spiders in cricket shipments. Worst thing I have seen was in a box from Fluker's about 14 years ago. A BIG old american cock-a-roach. I hated that. Never ordered from them again.

 

[dodolah]

i like the fact that they eat ants..
So, just for that, i let them outside..

 

[blackbetty]

How does that happen? Do they just prepackage em and it somehow gets in or is it in their bin and they dont realize it? Now im freaked out. I order from cricketsonline and havent had a problem but i too reach in to pull the bulk out and dump in a bin and now Im freaked. Thanks guys!!

 

[martyllian]

Crickets online is in michigan.

No Black Widows in michigan really, at least none I ever saw

You should be safe, Betty

 

[dodolah]

A BIG old american cock-a-roach. I hated that. Never ordered from them again.

now, that will freak me out

 

[PantherVeileD]

spiders > crickets. I've notice there are more spiders in my house because of the escape crickets... I see a lot of more spiderwebs in the corner by my crickets/roach bins as well... circle of life...

I also notice pet birds bring in house mouse.... the mouse would eat the bird seeds... I hate freaking spiders and house mouse!!!