I know it is that time of year, but it seems like there are more spiders than normal. Went out to the greenhouses this morning and found 3 webs blocking the door that had not been there the night before. Everywhere you walk, there is a worry about running into webs. And then the frantic brushing off of your hair!
I am sure there will be some great pictures, however, as they and their webs are very photogenic.
Here is another one near the greenhouse.
They are all over the place here! One day I woke up with 45 spider bites just on the upper half of my body!
they spin those webs so fast. Wherever we walk, we're busting thru them. Have to walk the garden with my mouth closed these days!
PNW, if you can remember that they're beneficial, they control the fly population, it won't seem to be as much a nuisance, Jim
Gwendalou, you're too much, I'm laughing out loud, I'm heading out into the jungle with a smile on my face. got to water, Jim
Jim, I'm totally serious! They keep spinning webs between two shrubs that we have to walk thru to go anywhere and also places like the fence to the car door that you have to bust thru to get in the car.
I don't mind spiders at all, and someone must have put the word out because in the past few weeks, they've arrived in epic numbers!
I hate spider season! Gardening has definitely toned down my arachnaphobia, simply because there's NO avoiding spiders when you have a garden to work in. But I still totally freak when a web touches my skin. I have to keep long sticks near both doors to make sure I don't walk through any webs, or I'll be squicked for the rest of the day. *shudder*
Jim, I wasn't REALLY complaining, although they make gardening this time of the year inconvienient sometimes. I just wish they wouldn't concentrate so much on doorways and paths! Or that I could remember that they persist in the same spots even though I tried to move them the day before.
I have never really seen the ones that cause the bites, but don't get a lot of bites here. Don't think I have ever gotten a bite from what I think are called "wolf spiders", but can't be sure of course.
I just keep forgetting to Check the Website!
Just last night, I bent down to turn on the water, in the dark, and SURPRISE - got a full web in the face, complete with captured "dinner-in-waiting". Yuck.
I'm a little slow, didn't know what you meant by Check the Website until I clicked on your picture. That was hilarious, good one Sharon!!!
which is why I am never without a long-handled tool: the handle gets the majority of the web & makes it easier to relocate them.
There are some beauties showing up the past few days, and they look exceptionally well-fed.
LOL Lynn: facial encounter with full web, hors d'oeuvre included.
I keep sticks by the doors as well - and just move their webs off to the side, knowing full well that it will reappear in the same spot in a few hours. There is one big guy by the green beans whose web I leave undisturbed since I can go around the other way. He is growing like a teenage boy whose pants were fine one day and the next day they are 6 inches too short. His web is strong and he works so hard so I want to see how big he gets. Other than that, I hate the things.
Lynn, Buggy burrito...have had one or two in my face as well! I second the ICK!
I have a love/hate relationship with spiders. I always have at least a couple of wolf spiders in my greenhouses in the winter, and I feel fortunate to have them in there as they are catching all of bad bugs. I do sometimes however forget to feel fortunate when I run in really quick at night to water and walk face first through the web. The good thing is, after doing the "EWWW is it on me?" dance, most of the time I find him just hanging from what is left of his web with a dirty look on his face.
I did find one that bit me once---must have been hiding in my boots this spring (had to wear tall rubbers for the majority of the spring due to flooding) because he bit the heck out of my shin. After inventing several new dance steps while flinging my boot and slapping at my shin, out he dropped. It hurt so da*@ bad and swelled up immediately that I searched the ground until I found him and put him in a cup, so that if I keeled over and died, at least someone would know why.
I counted eight different full webs just now as I was watering on my deck. This guy is gorgeous, and he is a chubby one.
I am thinking that he was plotting for the "BIG" catch....he is in the entrance to our hot tub!
gang, this is fun reading!!!!! Jim
I love these garden spiders and I'm so impressed by their ability to span 30' distances. I had spiders appear from out of my hair several times yesterday. The more it happens, the more used to it I am. I'll stand up and a little creature will drop down in front of my face -- then we'll do the little yo-yo game of relocation . . .
As for the facefuls, I get so many this time of year that I literally sometimes don't even notice. Just wipe my face and move on . . .
gang, I went to a local garden club meeting today, the members were celebrating the clubs 75th year, what was the conversation? spiders! a few even had some land on them with their silk. wierd!! Jim
I've also had a lot of those big red shiny ones in the house. I take them outside most of the time but if I can't- WHAM!
Gwendalou, where in the world did you get so many spider bites? In spite of the huge population, I only get a few each season, as I think most of them don't like us either.
I can't read this thread before going to sleep - keep thinking things are crawling around when there is really nothing there.......
Think Charlotte, think Charlotte, think Charlotte, think Charlotte . . .
Judi, I am with you there. And it is only my min. Schnauzer's fur, after all!
I get a lot of spider bites during the night. I figure it's one spider crawling all over biting me! I don't know why it doesn't wake me up. I've never felt the actual bite. I get pretty large welts from them and they itch like crazy. Usually I scratch them til they bleed and then they don't itch anymore.
Other than not really appreciating the biting, spiders don't bother me so I don't go out of my way to clear them out of the house. I do take down the webs, but I don't bother to take the spiders outside or kill them or anything.
I DO like them outside at least. We did have a "pet" at our body shop, however, for several months and fed him whatever we could find. Unfortunately he finally died........hmm, I wonder what the life span of a spider is, that is, when it is not being swatted or stomped on.
If they come into my house, their little creepy lives are forfeit. Them's the rules. Blech.
I fear that I am very prejudiced when it comes to spiders. If they are pretty and in the house, they can live. The big ugly ones, however, must go. Generally with a broom or my foot. Likewise, if they are fast, they die. Slow ones can live. There is no rational explanation to this so don't even ask.
I'm laughing at Julie's 'is it on me?' dance. I know that one well. It gives me the shivers to think about it.
I do feel sorry for the ones who try over and over to build their webs across the very paths I use daily. It must be some sort of spider stupidity. The ones that choose to build in out of the way places, or above my head, are fat and happy in their snug little webs. I notice that the ones who are right in my path are generally not so fat and happy. You'd think they'd learn! They probably never get the chance to actually catch anything.
Katye, this is your kind of question.......What is the life span of the spiders we see the most often this time of the year and where have they been earlier this summer?
I agree with Melissa, stupidity must account for something. Why oh why do they keep rebuliding after the daily destruction of their webs? Guess when I think about it, though, the ones on each side of the upper entrance to the greenhouse are probably guarding the plants within. Note to self: leave those alone if you can.
average lifespan is 1-2 years, but this would depend on location, available food, type of spider.
They tend to build webs wherever there is an insect "corridor".
Others travel by web to food source. Or by humans...
Some are a little more challenged than others at determining what an insect corrider is . . .
Twice since moving here my left leg has bitten up in the middle of the night -- I attributed it to a rogue flea, since the animals didn't seem to have any.
Spider, huh? Makes sense since they pretty much get a free pass from me. Once a month I'll take a feather duster to the corners & shake it out outside.
I once got an aggravated call from Jack along these lines: "I am NOT paying for someone to clean yer house if she is under strict instructions to leave the spiders alone!!!"
Saved a little bee today who flew into a huge spider web. The spider will have to settle for flies while on my watch! The bee was very happy once he removed himself of the stringy web bits and flew off to enjoy the day.
I have a funny story on spiders, I have never been bitten by one thank goodness.
But my truck sets under the trees, and we took it out the other day DH driving, And all at once this big black one lands on me. I don't know if he was in the truck or blew in the window, but I just about went out the window LOL I don't mind them, just not on me.
That reminds me of when I was taking my youngest for her drivers licence test. (she was driving on a two lane country road with culverts on both sides) Anyway a spider dropped from the rear view mirrow out of nowhere and was just hanging down minding his own business. Well my daughter HATES spiders and freaked out and the car was swaying back and forth so bad. I thought we would die. Finally got her calmed down and found a spot to pull over. As I reached to get the spider with a tissue...he broke loose and fell to the ground. Well,my daughter was in total distress knowing this little spider was on the loose in the car. Of course we had to proceed to the drivers test, but I told her if you see it during the test...do not panic..or you will fail the test. Well he never showed up again that day thank goodness. She passed her test and all was good. For all I know he is still in the car.
That is funny LOL
I was looking for that one the hole trip, but he never showed up again either.
Wonder where they go. Hopefully they found a crack and left the vehicle!!
LOL
I love my spiders and they are all named Charlotte! They are so facinating and I am thankfull I have bamboo to cut and make "spider brooms". I am so amused when the little bitty males are trying to carefully approach their chosen lady spiders.
I had to relocate a very large spider 2 nights ago: his body was bigger than my thumbnail, fat & round (read: well-fed). He was big enough to see from 20' away - same colour tone as the carpet.
At this size, they've come from outside & need to return. So I gave him a little assistance.
When I caught him (using an overturned plastic container), he immediately drew his legs up and fell over - do these guys play dead? Slid a paper between him & the carpet, then a magazine under the paper to facilitate transport. As soon as I lifted it all up, his legs returned to normal & he sat up to enjoy the flight. I took him to an area of ground cover (lots of insects) plus protection from the elements.
The $ he spent on traveler's insurance was well worth it.
