I have a GREAT crop of.......

[Just-Moxie]

Garden spiders!!
I started watching them the past 2 years. Last year I had 9 adult females, who made a dozen egg sacks. Some of the poor ladies succumbed to the local critters. My Diva game hen, she ate one. They don't usually eat spiders.
I took one spider inside, and the cats dumped it out and killed it.
In total they made egg cases all over the eaves of the buildings.

This spring, I watched for them to hatch. It is hard to tell sometimes, as the hatchlings just look like a little fuzz around the egg sack.
Now, I am currently up to 12 spider ladies. They can be interesting to watch. And some of them have already grown quite large.

I don't kill them if at all possible. I try to relocate if they will let me. They can be quite testy sometimes though, and show distinct personalities.

 

[flowerbug]

we had another thread recently asking about what was this spider and perhaps it is a garden spider...

i am trying to get tiny spiders to breed in my worm farm buckets so they can catch some of the tiny bugs that are in there. i like having a functioning ecosystem and encourage diversity where i can (i do not need any more diversity in herbivores )...

i know this philosophy works well because in my gardens i have very few bug problems (JBs and squash bugs and vine borers are three that can cause some damage).

yesterday the field to the north of us got sprayed when i was just finishing up watering. i tried to hold my breath but couldn't that long. spent the rest of the day bringing up crud.

 

[Just-Moxie]

When we moved to the property, the grass on the 1 acre was at least 4' high. Loaded with spiders and worms etc. And snakes. I couldn't identify any of them but the black widows. Since I spend so much of my days out here isolated, I get to observe many different species in their daily habitats.

 

[flowerbug]

When we moved to the property, the grass on the 1 acre was at least 4' high. Loaded with spiders and worms etc. And snakes. I couldn't identify any of them but the black widows. Since I spend so much of my days out here isolated, I get to observe many different species in their daily habitats.

we have some pretty big black jumping spiders that are really cute, one lives in the garage around some shelves and the stairs and is frequently hopping around. once in a while it tries to come in the house but we've had them in the house before and they can be carrying an egg sack and next thing you know you're trying to evict a few hundred babies.

i like spiders. we've only had a large orb weaver spider in the gardens once and that was in the era before i had a digital camera so i don't have any pictures of it on-line. it was a pretty common type of orb weaver spider, but it was so impressive and fun to watch. i can get easily distracted by watching bees, ants and spiders. as a kid i had to have an ant farm of course.

 

[digitS']

The predators are my friends.

Yellow Jackets in the garden. Bee stings are a fairly serious concern for me.

But, I asked myself what the heck was I worried about? Just leave them alone, give them room. They were there in the garden, mostly to carry off aphids. We were on the same team!

Same with spiders ... I try not to be too disruptive when I'm weeding and disturb some of the ground dwellers. I think that they recognize that I'm not really "after" them. Hopefully, they don't go too far and can carry on with their normal activities after I pass by ...

Steve

 

[Just-Moxie]

I enjoy those little jumping spiders. Somewhere, many moons ago...I heard that jumping spiders were good luck. But back then, I always had one living in every window of whatever house I was living in.
Funny thing here, in SC, I have none. But then, I have had bad luck since being here in this relationship.

 

[flowerbug]

after seeing very close up images of them i have been really liking them. they have such amazing eyes and characters.

sorry about the hard times, i hope things will improve for you and your situation.

 

[Just-Moxie]

At least they are a good distraction for me. I like watching them and how they react to their environment. I really haven't found much online about them either, abut their behaviors etc.
When a major storm came through here last year, a tropical storm or something, it was interesting to see that none of the ladies made the zig-zag on their web. They stay out, but the web was simple. After the storm, they went back to the zig zag feature.

 

[Just-Moxie]

Ahhh...I found some interesting info online regarding the black & yellow garden spider.

https://www.thoughtco.com/black-and-yellow-garden-spider-1968550

https://www.thoughtco.com/why-spiders-decorate-their-webs-1968569

https://entomologytoday.org/2013/12...e-webs-to-trap-pollen-in-addition-to-insects/

 

[Just-Moxie]

As of today, I have counted 19 garden spiders in varying levels of development. One egg sack, and it wasn't even laid by the monster HUGE spider.