Isn't she pretty - cool spider on my front porch

[caseysmom]

She has been making this web all week and I have been watching her progress...her web is awesome and she is a beautiful spider.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v624/spumoni/103_0270.jpg
edit for size

[ramanth]

Ohhh! I think that's a garden spider. The flash washed her out, but is she bright green or yellow?

I've seen those spiders build those webs in my neighbors pine trees. :D

[grybai]

Wow! it's so perfect looking! Too bad it's not Halloween!

[caseysmom]

she is more a beigy yellow, I will try to get a picture during the daytime, I thought the web would look cool at night.

My daughter keeps trying to tear down her web and I keep fighting with her over it, she is not in our walking path or anything. This is the animal lover daughter so I am kind of surprised she is wanting to rip the beautiful web down.

I told my kids if they rip her web down they are grounded.

[K9soul]

That is spectacular! She's definitely some type of orb weaver, probably a variety of garden spider. I'm just thrilled that you also are trying to keep her undisturbed and are so appreciative of her. I'm sure she'll help out by catching pesky mosquitos and flies :). You should call her Charlotte :D.

[caseysmom]

I found this link, it looks exactly like her and it was under the garden spider category.

http://rad.sprucemoose.net/ylian/garden.jpg

[caseysmom]

Originally posted by grybai
Wow! it's so perfect looking! Too bad it's not Halloween!

I was thinking the same thing, the funny thing is part of her web, one corner, is anchored onto this clear string I have hanging down for my flying bat at halloween (that I have been too lazy to take down)

[CathyBogart]

She's fabulous! Thanks for posting her!!

[ramanth]

Well the web definitely looks awesome at night. :D Look forward to day time photos. :)

This is the kind of garden spider we get around here.

http://www.uark.edu/depts/entomolo/museum/argiope.html

[beeniesmom]

ugh.... sorry but I'm not a fan of crawly things.

[Suki Wingy]

then you shouldn't have post here.

Cool! we had one a few years ago on our front portch also that we named Boris after that song:D

[caseysmom]

Okay I had to give my daughter a ride home on my lunch hour, so I got pictures of Charlotte!

You don't know what progress this is for me! I have always been scared to death of spiders, you folks at pet talk have helped me see their beauty. It is her habitat and she is not hurting anybody, in fact she is probably hunting some west nile ridden mosquitos. Now if she ran across my sleeping bag while I was camping I would be scared to death.

I have never liked to kill any living creature, I even throw worms back on the lawn when they are on the sidewalk wiggling around. I think I should have been born Hindu or something.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v624/spumoni/103_0271.jpg

she ran in the bushes to get away from me, I got too close

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v624/spumoni/103_0272.jpg

[beeniesmom]

Originally posted by Suki Wingy
then you shouldn't have post here.

I can post wherever I want sweetheart.
Everyone is entitled to thier opinion. :D :D :D

[caseysmom]

I had no problem with your post, I am afraid of spiders also. I do appreciate her beautiful web and I think she is pretty.

[Suki Wingy]

It has taken me A LOT of my efforts not to post things like that, especially in a thread where we are admiring the natural beauty of a creature.

[Pam]

When I lived with my parents (many moons ago) we had two very large evergreen trees on either side of the front walk which led up to the door. I can't tell you how many times spiders spun webs (usually in the fall) from one tree to the other and, coming home, at night in the dark, I often walked into their webs. :eek: :eek: I would run into the house screaming for fear that the spider was on me. :rolleyes: I admire the picture that you took and I do respect the fact that they are God's creatures, but somehow looking at that web made me remember those horrible webs that I walked through when I was younger. Unfortunately I have never outgrown my fear of spiders. :rolleyes:

[cyber-sibes]

I think she's lovely too! Spiders are such interesting creatures! That is a very beautiful web, I wouldn't want anyone to tear it down either. When my son was young, he used to carry around a little basket and collect up all the wolf-spiders he could find. He still has quite a heart for them, I'm glad to say!
Good luck with Charlotte, she's very impressive.

[Vette]

Oh my. what a pretty web!
i used to have that kind of slider web right in the corner of my window. pretty smart spider.. it got very well fed with all the moths came by window my at night while i used my computer. :D

i miss that bug. it gave me something to watch as it made improments to its web.

but another spider hasnt made its home in my window cell in a long time.

[popcornbird]

While I am scared to death of spiders, that web is amazing, and really gives one something to ponder about the wonders of God's creations. I don't like spiders in my home, but outside in their natural habitat, I leave them alone. That web would look beautiful with rain drops on it. :D These kind of things really amaze me. What a tiny creature...hard to believe it can actually make that. I feel the same when I see bees. Its just so hard to dwell on the fact that those little beings make honey. God made everything with a purpose, and while I fear spiders, I must admit...they are sooo amazing at the same time.

[cloverfdx]

Wow she is beautiful :D. I had a spider simalar living in my driveway, its web was huge, i was impressed.

[caseysmom]

Just an update. Charlotte is doing fine, I think she has grown some, I have seen her eating some small bugs. My kids have pointed out to me that she has a twin in the back yard, he looks male to me, I am naming him Charley.

It must be that time of year....

[Almita]

Wow it looks so beatiful and perfect we have some of those but since it rained the web got washed out:( .

[caseysmom]

I think charlotte has grown....

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v624/spumoni/spider002.jpg

[KYS]

I am so glad you started this thread.
In my backyard I have noticed so many spider webs
and different spiders from small to large.
It was freaking me out.
I was bumping into the webs every morning when I
was watering.
I would tear down the webs
never killing the spiders that were in my walking way.
I was worried they might be poisonous.
(If it's a black widow, than I do kill them in my garage)
After reading this thread I went on the internet and
looked up spiders. Thanks to you guys I now know they
are a harmless variety of garden spiders and now I
can enjoy them instead of freaking out.

Here is one variety of spider I took a pic yesterday off.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v38/kbursk/spidersmall.jpg

[abbersmom]

Isn't that web amazing??!

[caseysmom]

I was afraid of today, the gardeners came and charlotte and her web are gone:( We have a homeowners association that takes care of everyone's front yard on Wednesdays. Hopefully she ran and hid in the bushes when she heard the blowers.

[ramanth]

Oh no. :( I hope Charlotte is okay. That beautiful web. Maybe if she rebuilds, you can put a note out that says that you don't mind her web.

Any chance for some pictures of Charlie?

[caseysmom]

I actually thought about the note thing ramanth but most of the gardeners don't speak english good here in calleeeefffoooorrrrnnneeeaaaa I don't mean that bad at all it is just the truth.

I will try to get pics of him today.

[ramanth]

I understand. I have apartment maintenence that did speak English, they just wouldn't listen. ;)

[caseysmom]

Good news! I found charlotte on the ceiling of my porch, I am wondering if I should move her to the back yard or if that would be tramatic for her?

[persianmom]

Cool picture but I really hate spiders. They scare me.

[K9soul]

Glad Charlotte is ok :). I'd probably just leave her, she can find a new suitable spot for her web and trying to catch her would run the risk of injuring her. She might even be preparing to lay her eggs, I think early to late August and even into early September (depending how warm it is), they lay their eggs in those silk sacks in cool dark corners.