A Calgary family found a black widow spider in imported grapes, prompting expert advice to wash produce and handle suspected venomous spiders carefully.
A Calgary family’s bag of red seedless grapes came with an alarming surprise: a black widow spider that an entomologist later confirmed from photos.
Sean Cardiff told CBC News he had been eating from the grapes, bought at a Calgary grocery store, for two days before he noticed what looked like a dark spot in the container. “It was like a black spot, and I kind of shook it a little bit, and that little black spot suddenly had legs and started crawling towards my hand,” he said.
Cardiff captured the spider and made sure his children and dog were safe. His mother, Linda Hall, took it home under a taped-down glass and plate, then placed it in the freezer. She said the red hourglass marking on the spider’s abdomen helped confirm what it was.
Ken Fry, an entomologist at Olds College, reviewed photos of the spider and confirmed it was a black widow. Because the grapes originated in Mexico, he said it is not possible to identify the exact species from the information available.
Fry said encounters with spiders in imported produce are “becoming more common” as grape producers use fewer pesticides and rely more on environmentally sensitive growing practices. That can mean safer food, he said, but it also allows natural predators such as spiders to be present in crops.
“You should always wash your fruits and vegetables off as soon as you get them home,” Fry said.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said finding live insects or spiders in fresh produce is uncommon and generally does not pose a food safety risk, though it recommends consumers report such insects so the agency can confirm the species. The CFIA said black widows are not regulated pests in Canada and it does not track sightings of them.
Black widows have potent venom, but bites are rare. Fry said the spiders are not aggressive and usually hide until their web is disturbed. A Journal of Medical Entomology article cited by CBC found five confirmed Canadian cases from 2009 to 2015 in which black widow bites required antivenom, all in British Columbia.
In Alberta, the western black widow is the only widow spider naturally found in the province, mostly in drier southern areas such as around Lethbridge and Medicine Hat. Fry said Calgary reports are often misidentified lookalikes, but if someone does find a suspected black widow, they should avoid handling it, place it in a container and freeze it.
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