Black widows found in bag of grapes

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Photo: biology.clc.uc.edu

BOSTON, June 16 (UPI) -- A Boston man said he and his son discovered at least two black widow spiders in a bag of grapes they bought at a Whole Foods Market.

Jorge Fuertes said he and his son, Jorge Miguel Fuertes, 20, were taking their Monday lunch break and discovered their bag of Anthony's brand red seedless grapes "were full of spider webs and between the grapes a spider was sitting there," the Boston Herald reported Wednesday.

Fuertes said his son conducted a more thorough examination of the bag and "something crawled out."

The men said the spiders were black and shiny with the red hourglass marking on their undersides identifying them as deadly black widows.

"We take every precaution to inspect all of our produce as it arrives in the store and prior to it being merchandised on the sales floor," a Whole Foods Market spokesman said. "Unfortunately these things happen from time to time with fresh produce. Spiders are part of the natural environment where grapes are grown."

The spokesman said Fuertes was given a refund and bags of Anthony's brand grapes were pulled from the shelves.

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