Orb weaver, yellow sac spider or something else?

[Meowzer]

Hi all;

I have a spider living in a web on my garage wall... a HUGE web and pretty big spider. I haven't gotten a picture of it since I just moved and have no clue where my camera is. It appears to be a yellow colour though, it is out at night in the middle of it's web and during the day it disappears (I think I saw a couple of legs sticking out just under the garage roof when I went to look in day light).

I really, really don't like spiders, actually it's not that I don't like them so much as I'm terrified of them.

Is it possible it's one of those horrid yellow sac spiders? I've read they don't actually spin webs though? If it IS one of those I guess it needs to be killed, but if it's nothing venomous then I suppose it can stay as long as it says where it is and doesn't come IN here. I'll just have conniptions every time I go in the garage and have to walk under it.

Will try to get a picture if it's needed, but like I say it's not out during the day.

Thanks!

[joeysgreen]

It's likely an orb weaving spider or jewel spider. It should be more than happy to just sit put in it's web and won't be a bother to you. In exchange for you being uncomfortable with it's presence, it'll offer you some mosquito control

Ian

[Meowzer]

Well that's ok then! Mosquito control is handy too since we have FAR too many of them this summer. Thanks!

[GONESNAKEE]

I've actually noticed way less of them the last few weeks & way more Dragonflys around in the same time frame.
Much rather have the pretty predators around than the bloodsucking parasites thats for sure, Mark

[Stan Schultz]

... I have a spider living in a web on my garage wall... a HUGE web and pretty big spider. ... It appears to be a yellow colour though, it is out at night in the middle of it's web and during the day it disappears (I think I saw a couple of legs sticking out just under the garage roof when I went to look in day light). ...

Yes, a photo is definitely called for here. If the abdomen is cigar shaped it's one species or another of Argiope. If the abdomen is round there are several closely related spiders, the commonest one in Alberta being some species of Aranea.

Go to your friendly, neighborhood, public library and look for a copy of Levy and Levy's little Golden Guide Spiders and Their Kin. Or, one of the larger bookstores in the area should have a copy for sale for about $10. Fascinating little book! And, once you take an honest look at what you've been fearing all these years, they're really very fascinating little creatures.

And, leave the back porch light on this evening. Catch a moth and throw it in the spider's web. (Kids get a particularly big kick out of this!) You'll get to see a little nature drama at work here.

... I really, really don't like spiders, actually it's not that I don't like them so much as I'm terrified of them. ...

Any idea why? I can never understand how anyone can be so terrified of something that's so friendly and helpful.

__________________________________________________ ___________________

I know I'll never understand women. I'll never understand how you can take boiling hot wax, pour it onto your upper thigh, rip the hair out by the roots, and still be afraid of a spider.
__________________________________________________ ___________________

[Meowzer]

Any idea why? I can never understand how anyone can be so terrified of something that's so friendly and helpful.

I'm not sure really.. I LIKE spiders, well, kinda. I mean a lot of them have some really nice colours and markings on them, and the webs they make are incredible. I even held a tarantula at Pet Expo a couple of years ago... I was shaking like a leaf the entire time mind you, but I held her and she was fine, she just walked to the middle of my hands and sat down (or whatever it is spiders do that's akin to "sitting"). Yet somehow one comes near me and I scream like a banshee, do some sort of stupid dance and run away. I seem to remember having a nightmare as a young child about being covered in spiders, maybe that has something to do with it... or they just have too many legs. Centipedes freak me out even worse than spiders do, which why I assume it's the legs.

I find it just as stupid when people freak out over rats because they don't like the tails. Guess it's why phobias are irrational.. you KNOW they're stupid and yet you can't help it.

Haven't been out to get a picture of him/her yet, the other night it was really windy so the web could have even blow down. Kinda hope not because it looked like it was a lot of work spinning it!

[bluebman52]

I'm in the exact same boat. I used to have a pet tarantula, but I HATE spiders if I cannot see them and have complete control of where they are. I was fascinated by my tarantula when I had him, and I would watch him for hours, but only because I knew where he was at all times and could see him.

I also have a very large spider living on my patio. I'm pretty sure I've narrowed it to an orb, but I've never seen one this big. It's grey with black marbling on his thorax and makes one hell of a large web. I don't have a camera at this time so I'm unable to get a picture.

Actually, now that I think about it, I've seen a LOT of these around lately. Roughly the same size, but a couple that I've seen have been almost a rusty brown/orange colour. Same size web, and they've been around my condo complex.

I'll see if I can get a semi-decent cellphone picture without freaking out and running away

EDIT: I got a picture of the web, but couldn't get close enough to get a picture of the spider:

[Stan Schultz]

One and All -

Prepare yourselves! We are now approaching the end of summer, and all the biggest, scariest spiders have been eating themselves silly for months. Now they're mammoth and everybody and their dog is going to be submitting queries and photos of "Wow! You ought to see the spider I have in my garden, garage, back yard, etc.

Virtually all of these will be some species of orb weaver, mostly of the genus Aranea. ALL ARE HARMLESS!

If any of you are truly interested in learning a little about them I would strongly suggest you check out Levy and Levy's little Golden Guide entitled Spiders and Their Kin from your local public library. Or, buy a copy from a local bookstore, about $10.

Enjoy your little 8-legged sci-fi monster!

[Meowzer]

Got a couple of pictures of him/her tonight... the rear end.. that's not an egg sac is it?! I can't handle an egg sac!

[chulaivet1966]

Hmmm...this one looks very similar to the one that I refer to in my first post today being "new kid here...generic questions" (awaiting approval from admin still)
Same bulbus body and legs appearance.
Good pic...

Got a couple of pictures of him/her tonight... the rear end.. that's not an egg sac is it?! I can't handle an egg sac!