Spiders are incredible. For three nights running, one of these has spun

[Flaxbee]

a web across my glass storm door (I open the main door at night so the kittehs can look out in the evening and lock the all-glass storm door):





I've watched her spin the web each night, and catch the bugs that fly into it - she was very clever in her web location choice because the door is right next to the porch light, which attracts a LOT of bugs at night.

The web is beautiful, but I've been able to see her spin the bugs she catches - she uses 5 strands of silk from her "silk pouch" (or whatever you call it) to wrap the bugs. It's pretty fantastic.

Anyway - it's just fascinating to watch. She's a big spider. And every morning when I get up, she, the web, and all her wrapped bugs are gone. She tidies up after herself.

[idiotgardener]

1. They really are.

I have many in the berry patches and I try to avoid destroying their webs but they're everywhere...

Have you named her Charlotte yet?

[Flaxbee]

2. no - I should, but it's such a happy/sad story

We have a feral who comes around in the evenings for food; I usually go out the front door but ever since Charlotte has started her webbing of our door, I go out the side door put Gigi's (the feral cat) food on the porch. :hi:

[pokerfan]

3. I once had one spin a web across my front door overnight

I don't know what she was thinking.

[Flaxbee]

4. She has feasted on three stink bugs already tonight.

Last night it was moths. Tonight stink bugs are on the menu.

[libodem]

5. Your own personal spider

How nice.

[dimbear]

6. You may feel a slight urge to free Scotland.

Just put that urge on ignore.

[fizzgig]

7. they certainly are

enjoy the show :)

[SCantiGOP]

8. remember the Far Side cartoon

Two spiders putting a web across the bottom of a sliding board in a playground. One is saying, "If this works, we'll eat like kings."

[kath]

23. Heh. I thought of that too

LURVE The Far Side!

[MerryBlooms]

9. Beautiful. Spiders are amazing creatures. n/t

[Ineeda]

10. Well, okay, except for the widows in my mailbox.

Way in the back and with two egg cases for the future generation of lethal biters. Sorry, I got out the Raid and blasted away.

[MerryBlooms]

12. Yeah, widows give me the creeps too - and earwigs

I had a widow in my petunias once and ended up battling her with a baseball bat - she one. I have no idea where she got off to, but my petunias were basically mulch. lol But spiders in general really are fascinating creatures and possess a unique beauty.

[applegrove]

11. I lived by a park a few years ago. There was lots of fauna in my apartment but particularly spiders.

I hate killing spiders because they are not bugs to me, they are little animals. So I bought a bug vacuum from the hedonics mail order magazine and it worked wonders. I could suck up those little critters without hurting them and let them go outside. I highly recommend the 'bug vac'.

[Bladian]

13. Oh god spiders.

:scared:

[Arugula Latte]

14. Yeah. I'm with you. I hate 'em.

I know they are beneficial, blah blah, but they creep me the hell out. :scared:

[Flaxbee]

15. Last night's stink bug-a-palooza must have worn her out; tonight she

chose not to do a web and is crouched, scary-spidy-like near the door frame looking for a quick dinner, I think.

I like her. I'd scream like a lunatic if she were on me - I have a pretty strong flinch/fling reflex, but I wouldn't kill her. Won't kill her. The only ones who don't get a pass are the black widows - if they're in the house.

I used to catch the wolf spiders that would come into our garage when we lived on a mountain - they were sooo fierce, they'd raise up their front legs and sort of try to look bigger and challenge you. I'd get a big ole' tupperware container, the cardboard back off a legal pad, take them outside, tip over the tupperware and run :D

[Avalux]

16. I love spiders. That looks like a garden spider...I had one and her name was Lily.

She made a magnificent web in my ivy and was a fixture for quite awhile. I don't know why, but spiders don't creep me out.

[Gabi Hayes]

17. could be a wood spider.....the banded, striped legs, maybe>>>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHzdsFiBbFc

[Flaxbee]

19. that's not her in the photo I posted - just looks like her. Some type of orb weaver

I think.

will check out the video in a bit

edited for clarity

[Avalux]

21. Ha ha. I've seen that before.

Hilarious! :D

[Flaxbee]

18. do you know why one would spin a web three nights in a row across

my storm door, and then decide to sit tonight out? Could it be because she got enough (probably more than enough) food the last three nights? I see her - she's just hanging out near my door. Was asleep for a while, now she's in spidey-attack pose.

I'm just calling her "Girlfriend" for right now :D

[Avalux]

20. Yep, she's probably not hungry. Webs are hard work, she needed a rest.

I bet tomorrow she's got a new web. Enjoy "Girlfriend", when Lily went away, I was sad. :hi:

[Flaxbee]

22. yes, those stink bugs wiped out her web in a little under two hours last night

The two nights before she was busy, too. The storm door is all glass, so I can watch her from my doorway build the entire thing. Pretty freaking incredible.

Girlfriend deserves a Friday night break! Hope she got a margarita or martini or something to relax with.

I'll be sad when she's gone, too. :hi:

[Kali]

24. I have one kind of like that working out by the front gate...

my camera kind of sucks for this, should have had somebody shine another light on things:









here is a tarantula from last summer, they are my favorites:

[Flaxbee]

26. looks familiar - there are a lot of orb weavers out there ...

we have a few others in the corners of our porch, but Girlfriend got smart about the porch light :D

Is that your photo of the tarantula? Nice shot. How'd you get it?

Tarantulas are cool. Have you ever seen photos of a cobalt blue tarantula? They're in SE Asia, mostly.

[bigwillq]

25. Nice pic

:thumbsup: