Wife hasn't encountered either of the latter here yet. When she does she'll probably want to move back to western Oregon.
After reading your post I thought to myself... hmmmm I wonder that’s true. Then later today as I am opening the door to let my kid in a small black spider is hovering on a single line of web, inside my doorway, saw me and started scooting back up. I killed it immediately and then thought, oh my gosh, that poster was right!!!