Spiders (with pics)

Well, I don't like spiders. I don't like 'bugs' in general. I especially don't like them in my home. They can be outside, that's fine. And if they are inside, I will make every effort to catch them (of make BF catch them ) in the designated plastic cup and put them outside. But I still don't like them. And there are tons of them in our yard and plants and trees.

One night, I watched a spider make a pretty awesome web on the outside of the kitchen window, attached to our hummingbird feeder which is on the window with a suction cup. I took some pics, as it had neat colors. In the morning, its web was gone, but it was hanging out under the feeder. I felt the need to relocate it, as I didn't really want it taking over the window and making a new web every night. So I put it over by the lemon tree.





What kind is it? I see these stripey spiders all over now, and they make some huge webs. I was just looking online to try to find out what it's called, but I am seriously feeling creepy-crawly all over just from looking at loads of photos of spiders. Yeah, I need to get over it. But I'm curious too.

Oh yes.....they are garden spiders. We have the same thing here. Like you, they can be outside, but not in my house. I don't kill anything so I will get a cup and a piece of cardboard.

But these spiders aren't the ones that come in. We have wolf spiders, nasty looking big black ones. I am creeping myself out just writing that !! However, they are harmless.

Nice pics.

Yep just a common garden spider. You have nothing to worry about.

Be glad you don't live where this web was found!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haf3X...eature=related

http://scienceblogs.com/grrlscientis..._size_of_t.php

http://www.miapearlman.com/images/spiderweb.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2206/...342c78d2e1.jpg

Garden orb weaver I think. They are good to have around b/c they eat gnats, flies, etc.

They hang upside down in the center of the web, waiting for some unfortunate bug to bumble into the sticky silk. And then.... DINNER!!!! Ugh!

Alright then. Garden Spider, Orb Weaver. I never saw orangey, stripey spiders before, but like I said there are lots of them in and around our yard. I wasn't really worried, because I don't plan to get very near them (took that nice and close photo from the other side of the window), but I just wanted to know what it was called. Thanks! If I get any other photos, I will be sure to share.

It doesn't look like a garden spider to me. Argiope tend to have that distinctive extra webbing in the center that they rest on. The body doesn't look right either. (I can see how most might be mistaking it for argiope trifasciata though, but the two don't like that much alike)

I'd guess, by web and body shape, that it might be some type of orbweaver. With a bit more looking I could probably pinpoint the exact one.

What's your county (I don't feel like looking that up) and surrounding counties?

ETA: I'm going to go ahead and guess it's a type of neoscona. They can vary in color a bit by region, even down to county. Maybe western spotted since it's common to California - but I don't quite feel comfortable saying that's exactly what it is.

What's the size?

Here's an argiope from my garden for comparison. This one has the zipper, but I've seen them without the zipper. The big thing is that the spider is always upside down.

^Sometimes they don't get around to adding that in. One other difference is you'll see a lot of argiope spiders out in their webs in the daytime. I have one of those out on my tomatoes that I like to poke in the evening when I water. It hates it that.

I'm pretty sure I've only seen the OP's type of spider out at night. They take their webs down during the day - which is what neoscona will do.

ETA: I went out and caught the one off my the wire around my compost heap (and she's definitely not happy about that but is still a fairly docile spider). This is the western spotted orbweaver neoscona oaxacensis. Mine looks like the brown female halfway down on the right hand side and is roughly quarter sized with her legs extended. Color can vary so DarkMavis's could be more high contrasts.

Did the back of your spider look like any on that page? Those are ones photographed in Cali, too.

I'm going to go put mine back out in her web.

Originally Posted by stephanietx

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This is one of my favorite spiders! Yours look quite well fed.
I pretty much love all spiders and welcome them in/around the home with the exception of the brown recluse and black widow.

Originally Posted by cococat

I pretty much love all spiders and welcome them in/around the home with the exception of the brown recluse and black widow.

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I'll kill recluses, but relocate widows (brown and black) away from homes or where they will be easily encountered. I've always lived next to fields or vacant lots so that's been easy to do. The trick is watching out for the egg sac. If a female has one she'll be more aggressive (as many female spiders will be). If you can get the female in a jar, then add her egg sac in there for relocation.

It might be worth noting that black widow bites are not deadly as they're made out to be. The only problem is if you're allergic to their venom. Otherwise the side effect is just a lot of pain.

Originally Posted by strange_wings

I'll kill recluses, but relocate widows (brown and black) away from homes or where they will be easily encountered. I've always lived next to fields or vacant lots so that's been easy to do. The trick is watching out for the egg sac. If a female has one she'll be more aggressive (as many female spiders will be). If you can get the female in a jar, then add her egg sac in there for relocation.

It might be worth noting that black widow bites are not deadly as they're made out to be. The only problem is if you're allergic to their venom. Otherwise the side effect is just a lot of pain.

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Ah! Another spider fan
That is nice you relocate.
I have never seen a widow in my home, but seen lots outside. I have kept them in jars before. I have found spotted some juvies too, which have a unique gorgeous pattern. Like you, I am way more worried about a recluse bite than the widow.

One house I moved into was infested because it was rather old and sat empty for a long while and recluses love structures. We caught over 70 and collected them in a jar with alcohol to prove to the bug person yes, this was the insect we were seeing (they thought it was a wolf spider, but wolfs don't look like them and are harmless) we killed well over 50 (stopped counting) and there were well over a hundred caught on the sticky traps. The bug guys found a couple live ones on a visit as well, and the numbers on the sticky traps proved it to them too. It took months to get it under control to where we were not seeing fiddleback spiders every single day. We do not have a lot of stuff so that helped a lot as they love clutter. I had one crawl on my shirt while I was sitting on the couch and speaking with my husband and touched one getting out a cutting board. Thankfully no one was harmed but it was quite maddening.

I've seen several living in Oklahoma. They're a very common spider here, usually they'll get into garages and shop buildings. They're also not some evil spider out to get you. If they can they'll run - that's one of the reasons I'll go ahead and kill them, they're simply too difficult to catch because they're fast and flighty. (that and their high numbers)
I'll occasionally see them in stuff people put out for garage sales! The other weekend my grandmother in law pulled out a cute cat throw blanket (which I did get ) at a garage sale and there was a molted recluse skin on it - I acted instinctively and pushed it out of her hands before I realized it was just a skin. It's ingrained into those who live in the southwest/midwest.

I'm glad to hear you got the numbers down in your home. Frequent cleaning helps the most. You can also use a barrier spray around the outside of your home to keep spiders and insects out.

Originally Posted by strange_wings

If they can they'll run - that's one of the reasons I'll go ahead and kill them, they're simply too difficult to catch because they're fast and flighty.

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They also have that odd walk/glide thing going on...

Ewwwwwwwwww! I don't even know why I clicked on this thread as I HATE spiders/bugs of any kind. Sucker for punishment I guess.

We have one who's been hanging around in a web in the tree directly outside our front window. It's been there all summer. I want him long gone, but Dana says he'll eat flies, so we've left him alone.

Originally Posted by cococat

This is one of my favorite spiders!

Yours look quite well fed.
I pretty much love all spiders and welcome them in/around the home with the exception of the brown recluse and black widow.

Click to expand...

It is very well fed! I'm so glad to have it in my garden. It's living among the zinnias planted near my vegetable garden. If it's eating nasty bugs, it can stay as long as it wants. I'd never seen one this big until just a few weeks ago. She's even bigger now than in the pic.

Back to the original poster, is it a Wolf Spider?

Originally Posted by stephanietx

Back to the original poster, is it a Wolf Spider?

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Wolf spiders are terrestrial. When they do make webs they're low on the ground or inside/on a plant or is a funnel. They do not make the pretty organized webs of an orbweaver.

Originally Posted by strange_wings

^Sometimes they don't get around to adding that in. One other difference is you'll see a lot of argiope spiders out in their webs in the daytime. I have one of those out on my tomatoes that I like to poke in the evening when I water. It hates it that.

I'm pretty sure I've only seen the OP's type of spider out at night. They take their webs down during the day - which is what neoscona will do.

ETA: I went out and caught the one off my the wire around my compost heap (and she's definitely not happy about that but is still a fairly docile spider). This is the western spotted orbweaver neoscona oaxacensis. Mine looks like the brown female halfway down on the right hand side and is roughly quarter sized with her legs extended. Color can vary so DarkMavis's could be more high contrasts.

Did the back of your spider look like any on that page? Those are ones photographed in Cali, too.

I'm going to go put mine back out in her web.

Click to expand...

Well before I read the rest of the posts in here.. Jeez!! Thanks for making me look at more spider pics! I asked here so I could not have to look! No, it's ok though. Maybe if I expose myself I will get desensitised and not mind them as much.

Anyway, I am in Los Angeles County, close to Orange County. A few of those pics look a lot like our spiders, maybe the closest would be the 10th down the page, but ours look more orange than brown. I see some in the daytime too as well as night. Last weekend one decided to make a huge web from our trash/recycle bins to the ground/driveway and I just about walked into it but then I saw the spider sitting in the middle. In the daytime. Upside down. Size, I'd say HUUUUGE! OK, I guess with the legs, about quarter-size.

I'm pretty sure the first time I turned on the sprinkler valves in the front of the house, I saw a black widow too. Blackish with the red 'hourglass', but I can't remember now if the red was on the back or the belly. In any case it didn't touch me so it doesn't really matter. I know there are black widows around here though, I saw a few outside my old work. In any case I should remember to always wear my gardening gloves when digging and poking around!