Sjoerd's post with the spider webs got my husband to looking. Today is foggy, and on the way to the barn he saw this huge web, and photographed it. It won't be there much longer, since we need to get to the bird waterer to fill it, and don't want to walk through a strong, sticky web. This spider was definitely an overachiever!
Eileen, I don't know the size of the spider, and I really do not want to know. When I go outside, I look for large footprints, and listen for eight footsteps.
Do you have Orb Weavers on your property? They make very large webs in the late evening to catch bugs for their dinner and then remove the web in the early morning. Ever seen the movie Charlot's Web? They do not bite, they have a Proboscis instead of a mouth and can only suck juices from the bugs that get caught in their web.
We "think" it may be an orb weaver. The web was here for three days, but disappeared this morning. My husband got this photo of the spider before it picked up its toys and left.
Remarkable. I don’t know anything about this kind of spider. That’s the thing about this website—a person just keeps learning. Thanks mate.
Wow @marlingardener that's what I call a spider! Be careful it doesn't pick you up and carry you away.
Gee Droopy, a spider who could pick me up would have to be on steroids! Now we have the same type of spider outside one of the kitchen windows. She/he takes the web down by 9 a.m. so I don't spend a good part of the day looking at it, or at she/he. The spiders do no harm and do some good by trapping flying insects (mosquitoes!) but they are kind of creepy.
I can understand that you find them creepy. A friend of mine is so scared of spiders she stiffens up and can hardly talk if she sees one. It makes gardening work way more exciting for her than for me! We bought her a small appliance to remove spiders from inside the house without causing them harm. We're trying to take care of every insect who lives with us, even spiders. And you are right, they do a lot of good.
I met a few spiders when in Australia. Had tarantulas fall on me from the trees, rescued the baby from a bunch of trap door spiders he was investigating, ended up in hospital with a red back bite, and was chased by another very angry big job I didn't know the name of when I disturbed its nest collected flower pots from behind my daughter's shed, and advised a friend that it really was not a good idea to keep a funnel web in a precariously balanced glass jar!
