I saw something today that was kind of cool, but also kind of creeped me out.  It was this cluster of yellow dots on my siding. When I got closer, I saw the dots were moving…. and when I got even closer, realized they were baby spiders.  You can click the pic for a closer view….
I did some online searching and discovered this:
In late summer or early autumn many spiders mature mate and produce eggs. The common Garden Spider lays from three to eight hundred yellow eggs that she cements together and covers in a dense layer of coarse protective yellow silk and detritus. When spring comes the following year, bundles of tiny yellow spiderlings with a black spot on their rear end can be found.
If disturbed, the bundle of babies will ‘explode’, with individual spiderlings dispersing away from each other on tiny silken safety lines. Once the danger has passed they climb back up the web and form a clump again. Before emerging from their egg sac, the spiderlings moulted once. Once emerged, they remain together until they have moulted yet again and grown big enough to be independent.
I know they are only garden spiders – but I have more spiders than I need in the garden. I disposed of the little critters.
Please in the future, refrain from this sort of post…my skin is crawling!
I had this same thing happen to the outside of my car. They were easy to get rid of. I told them to hang on, but they didn’t.
interesting, but yuck and I’m glad you disposed of them!
LOL… “I told them to hang on but they didn’t.”
So Allison, exactly how did you ‘dispose’ of them? Garden hose?
That is absolutely disgusting. And majorly creepy. It gives me the willies. I don’t like it. Not one bit.
I scooped them quickly into an empty plant container, and dropped it into a plastic bag and tied it. But those little things are FAST and a few escaped (hanging from the bag) so I dropped that back into another one and think i got them all…….
I just found two bundles of those little guys hanging from a Hosta plant leave. Coolest little buggers…Didn’t have the heart to kill them. After all they kill all the other pests that eat on my flowers. I spray for the big spiders every year but these guys are no big deal.
awe…. How could you? Didn’t you ever read “Charlotte’s Web”?????? 🙂 (LOL)
I think they’re so cute! I know, I’m the odd duck…
I cant Thank You enough for posting this information. I saw these spiders on the side of our jeep and it gave me a fright. Thank You again!
We have a really big beautiful one right outside our kitchen window and she has not one but TWO egg sacs on the side of our house. I have no intention of killing them because they eat so many bugs. She is magnificent!!