I can never say enough about spiders. They're just plain cool. Yeah, yeah, most of you don't agree with me, and you think the only good spider is a dead spider. To me, most spiders are good, but that's just me... These days, with indoor plumbing (no more spider bites on the rear when you had to do your business outside), and building codes that enforce sealing and exclusions, there shouldn't be a fear of spiders in the home. Oh, but we know that's not true, don't we? Spider bites are rare, , and there are only a handful of venomous spiders, at least in the US, but the fear is real.

Shall I deal with the two most feared ones? That would be the black widow and the recluse. As much as I hate to tell you, widow spiders are found in every single state of the US.

The most common, the Black Widow Spider has done us a big favor: It's shiny black with a red hourglass shape on its abdomen, so it's easy to spot. They like dark, secluded areas such as attics, basements, garages, crawl spaces, and they so love that pile of firewood you have stacked next to your patio. You move that wood without heavy gloves on, you're waiting to be bitten. Yes, it will hurt - a lot - and it will make you sick, and maybe have a fever. Then it will go away, and you won't die.