When about to pick open a repo house, a cellar door, a back door that hasen't been used or a generally unpleasent structure not wanting attention from human devices, always be cautious of bees, wasps, roaches, mites, spiders, rats, feces, ETC...(Not embarresed to say I wear latex gloves and a breather mask in 'some rare situations', you know, the kind where you say to the customer, "OK, Ill go in and secure the back door, but only for $10,000 dollars...firm!).
Today, I was working on a glass store front door, it had an adams wright three point locking system, the problem was the lower linkage on the active leaf, needed to be extended a turn or two because it was hanging up on the guide-bracket hole (key doesnt turn all the way). Reaching and without looking, I grabbed the bottom of the door where the linkage extends and felt a squish/pop. It was a black widow spider the size of my thumbnail I had squished with my bare finger, (but now alot thinner and without as much girth as I assume it'd had before). This isn't suprising since I live in the desert, but what was I thinking? After all, I live in the desert! Hey, live and learn.
I'll always use my 'extendable dental mirror' to scope the bottom of the door edge for arachnids before checking for linkage wear... This keeps possible neorotoxins from getting into the bloodstream.
Just a tip on safety,
mac