Like many of us, I'm sure, we're always inundated at this time of year with outside spiders making nests, spinning big cobwebs, messing up the siding, etc. They usually collect under the overhang and on the porch.
I take a broom and sweep them down, but is there any type of spider repellent available so that the little critters don't stop at our house and adopt us in the first place?
Dora
Yes, sweep the (free) real spiders and cobwebs away, to make way for some Frank's Nursery & Crafts FAKE cob-webbing and spiders, to get that seasonal look just right!
I've never heard of any. Since I figure their food supply is other insects, the key may be preventing *them*. Spiders are interesting enough to provide some intellectual(?) stimulation, and they *do* capture other small critters. However, it's no fun to walk down the sidewalk near a tree and have to pick spiderweb from one's hair for the next 2 blocks. With some well-advertised exceptions, they're pretty harmless to people. Many spiders (Free Fact) spin new webs every day. When your power is out for days, and there's no TV, watching a spider is pretty cheap entertainment. :-)
I suppose learning to appreciate their place in the grand scheme of chaos is out of the question,?
zhan
Sorry to pile on but the spiders you have may just be a blessing in disguise. They are very useful in catching pesty insects like ants, roaches, mosquitoes, flys, moths, etc. Eliminating your spiders may make your house a haven for other insects. Think about it: if those insects cant go into your neighbor's homes, guess where they will end up. Unless posonous, an eyesore or grossly big, what pain do they cause.
Mi 2 sensamilia, fito
I love those giant orb spiders and their webs. I have two gigantic webs outside my front windows. Ordinary garden spiders. They lay egg cases and I always have a nice supply of them every year.
The >Like many of us, I'm sure, we're always inundated at this time of year with
Although I do nothing to discourage our rather large spider population here, one thing is for certain -- they do NOTHING for mosquito control. We have had a major mosquito problem this year and even with a bazillion spiders. Seems the wolfies have been pretty prolific in the garden this time around -- I've been finding the little buggers everywhere this year.
I'm on the fence about their use as a fly deterrent -- I was actually bitten by a small fly a few days back. Couldn't believe it -- I've NEVER been bitten by a fly before and this thing actually drew blood!
An interesting item in tangent to this thread -- since cooler weather has moved in over the last couple of weeks, I've seen a sharp decline in the spider population as well as most other insects naturally. Surprisingly, we've also seen several crane flies flitting about in the yard (and the house for that matter) which is a change -- before now we'd rarely if ever seen one over here, although I did see a bunch in a grassy field across the street (used to be a house but it was torn down back in the spring).
Oh well -- going back to lurk mode. :)
James
I do appreciate spiders in the grand scheme of chaos, Zhan, and I enjoy the orb spiders on my Carolina jasmine, roses, and azaleas. The only ones I've stomped are the black widows that insist on making their homes next to the spigots and garden hose caddies. It's also great to see all the spiders' webs sparkling with dew in the grass in the morning, but it's a pain to catch and haul outside all those little spiders that gain access to the house where they spin their webs in corners and nooks and crannies around the house and drive Barb crazy. How do they gain access when we have screens on all the windows and the doors are never left open? Are they able to invade when they are small enough to come through the screens? Inquiring minds want to know!
John
I recall seeing a TV program about Black Widows once, it was mentioned that those spiders tend to build near a reliable water supply, because that's what attracts the kind of insects Black Widow's like. Trouble is, they tend to get annoyed when someone puts their hand, foot, or other body part too close to the Black Widow and makes the spider think that he/she needs to protect themselves.
I think that if I regularly found Black Widow spiders nesting on my property, I'd buy stock in Raid and Black Flag, and make good friends of ALL the exterminators within a 50 mile radius! I just couldn't hack the stress of wondering when someone would get bit.
~Shelly~
Let's hope a black widow never comes near you. If one does, you would be willing to risk your own life with neuro toxins in order to keep them dead. Oh well, takes all kinds.
Well, in my idle moments I suppose it's fascinating to sit and watch a large spider spin its complicated web. At other times, however, I don't like guests getting slapped in the face with cobwebs when they walk out onto my covered deck.
BTW, I've never spent time studying, but I've not seen spiders snagging ants and roaches. Have I been missing something?
Dora
- who doesn't care for creepy-crawlies, especially in the house, even if they are in the overall scheme of things. To each his own.
That's what the black widow is using. Takes all kinds.
They probably hitched a ride in on your clothes or groceries. But I wouldn't tell Barb that. ;-) Spiders are my favorite in the insect world. They do bother me though when the babies are balloning around and I get a face full of silk.
zhan
I love spiders - they are our friends. Please don't kill out friends..
In article , snipped-for-privacy@iosuefhk.net says... :) If one does, you would be :) willing to risk your own life with neuro toxins in order to keep them dead. Oh :) well, takes all kinds. :) :) The true risk is the drive to the store for the insecticides. But I'm sure her kind, assuming she falls into the category as all, is a careful driver.
In article , snipped-for-privacy@giveitup.com says... :) BTW, I've never spent time studying, but I've not seen spiders snagging ants :) and roaches. Have I been missing something? :) :) Wolf spiders, jumping spiders and even brown recluses are know for running about snagging their prey without a web, which include all the crawling insects such as ants and roaches..even small reptiles.
I had never really thought of that before, but you're probably right. The babies are certainly small enough to avoid notice unless one was specifically looking for them. Barb isn't really afraid of spiders, but they drive her to distraction when they decide to spin their webs between the screen and the window - particularly when it's just before company arrives and she hasn't noticed the webs earlier.
John
Well, maybe not ants and roaches (don't have any, thankfully) but lots of other little things. Here is a link to pictures of some of my seasonal cohabitants (Joe and Jolene) this year. They are fascinating to watch:
Oh, gimme a break. While it's very St. Francis to love every living creature, and rabbit on about "places in the natural world," humans and their dwellings have a place, too. A good rainstorm "naturally" kills far more insects (or arachnids) than anyone tidying their porch could. Spiders are interesting. They have their place in the natural scheme of things, which *isn't* spinning webs inside my car. Many people find all spiders creepy. Few want to host snakes in their basements, however beneficial their habits (mostly) are.
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