Michigan family finds black widow spider in bag of grapes

MILFORD, Mich. – A Metro Detroit family says they found an unwanted passenger in a bag of grapes purchased at a grocery store. It’s the sort of story that makes your skin crawl, and beyond that -- there’s video evidence.

Andy Russo documented, on video, what his wife Karen brought home from the grocery store Monday. A spider had somehow made its way into a bag of grapes and traveled from the store into their Milford home.

The spider is believed to be a black widow. Drop for drop, a black widow’s venom is believed to be 15 times more deadly than rattlesnake venom. According to the Saint Louis Zoo, very few people bitten by a black widow spider actually die -- but the bite is painful.

After being discovered, the spider was bagged -- three times -- and rushed out to the garage. As of Tuesday night, the spider was still alive. The family isn’t angry at the grocery store, but they are relieved they noticed the spider before it could escape into their home.

The family isn’t sure what to do with the spider, in case the store wants more information.

If there’s a biology teacher out there who wants a black widow spider, contact Local 4 and we’ll put you in touch.

Watch the video Andy Russo got of the spider below:


About the Authors:

Jason is Local 4’s utility infielder. In addition to anchoring the morning newscast, he often reports on a variety of stories from the tragic, like the shootings at Michigan State, to the off-beat, like great gas station food.

Kayla is a Web Producer for ClickOnDetroit. Before she joined the team in 2018 she worked at WILX in Lansing as a digital producer.