Now that Halloween is over, we can take down all the spooky decorations. However, here in the Pacific Northwest there is one seasonal artifact that you shouldn’t take down and you needn’t be scared of at all. Have you noticed the beautiful and elaborate webs of the garden orb weavers? How do they make these webs? And why are there so many of them all of the sudden?
If you’ve spent time outdoors recently, chances are you’ve seen one or more of these active spiders. Garden orb weavers are named after the intricate, circular web they build. There are almost 3,000 different species of orb weavers, found all around the world. In Western Washington, the most common orb weaver that you might see is the garden orb weaver. This species is also common throughout the United States and much of Western Europe.
Although they are relatively common, that doesn’t make them any less fantastic. A giant spider web might be a nuisance when you accidently walk into it face first. But if you can spot it before you break it, take a second to marvel at the architectural design of these tiny creatures.
Many orb weavers build a new web every single day. At nightfall they consume their web, rest for a short while, and then rebuild a new one. This is why we see so many fresh webs every morning.
Garden orb weavers are most visible in the fall, but they are actually around all year. Most of the year they are smaller and harder to see. They are at their largest in early autumn, just before laying their egg sacs which will hatch next spring. It won’t be long before these marvelous webs will disappear for the winter. So enjoy them while they’re here!
Some of the above photographs of orb weaver spiders are in the public domain.
Just when I thought they were gone for the season, I saw a Gi-Normous orb weaver on my front porch - Even bigger than the one we have at Pacific Science Center. Now where's my camera?
ReplyDeleteLooks like as long as these spiders are stalking the land our mealworms will not be safe.
ReplyDeleteDo they survive the mild winters in Seattle?
ReplyDeleteSeattle winters are mild enough that many plants and animals, including orb weaver spiders, can survive the winters if they luck into a very, very special microclimate. For an adult spider to get through the winter, it needs to not only avoid freezing, but have access to prey.
ReplyDeleteHouse spiders can get by on the occasional bug in our homes, but for outdoor spiders this is a big challenge.
Most insects are in non-active stages during the winter, so an orb weaver would need not only a safe, warm spot, but one that hosts bugs. For example, a protected compost pile might produce its own heat all winter, and host a few fungus gnats. A porch might radiate a bit of heat from the house, and maybe have a few active earwigs or bees.
So a few orb weavers probably persist, but most die off and let their babies take over in the Spring.
My favorite type of spider <3 Their so beautiful
ReplyDeleteI thought maybe this post would share photos of the many different orb weavers.
ReplyDeleteWe had a beautiful one living in the window above the front door for months, but we noticed it had expired today. I was hoping we could get it back outside if it survived until the spring
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