spider

It looks like an orb weaver. I get them as well. They build those magnificent orb shaped webs that are engineering marvels. Very beneficial to have them around.

I try not to disturb them - to the extent that a couple of days ago I couldn't get to my side gate without going through the house, cos a spider had b web right across the pathway!

For some reason not known, there were hardly any orb spider webs strung up in the garden this year. Also not one of those long legged beasties has scuttled across the lounge carpet either this year. Yet there have been lots of reports of big spiders.

I've no idea what this kind is, Dorjac, I didn't want to get that close! and didn't take note of the web shape. I've seen several spiders, or at least webs, in the garden, always in the most inconenient places! but I've only seen one indoors - sadly, i saw something move out of the corner of my eye and reacted instinctively.

It's best to leave them be. They eat all those pesky bugs that attack your plants. They can give a nasty bite. they only live for a month or two.

I usually do leave spiders alone, indoors and out - one place I lived had a spider lurking under the bathroom sink: I used to sweep and mop round it, but one day it suddenly moved and I reacted instinctively - lol and apologised to it after!

There are times when I have to break a web cos i need to get into a corner that it's built across, but normally I'll go out of my way to avoid that. One time I went back into the house, came out the front door and used the side gate to get the shed to avoid breaking the web across the path!

Same here Dorjac!

Fran, when my grandsons were tots, we used to have a big garden spider in the greenhouse and we called her Mabel. Every time they came to visit we had to go up the garden to see how Mabel was getting on!!

I remember the Common Cross spiders, not seen any of those for ages, at least not recognised any as being that type - not even sure if that's a proper name, but they were common and they had a big cross on their backs. I remember them as being rather rounder than this one, but that could be wrong.

ps: just thought of asking Mr Google: got a Wiki for "garden spiders" and the first pic looks very like this one: female Araneus diadematus - Cross Spider, but not "Common" - I remember the old ones as being a bit greyer, but again, that could be dust in the memory track!

Shirlwhirl, that took me back- we had one lived under the gas fire. We called it Horace. It used to come out every evening about half past ten for about ten minutes, but one evening the cat ate it...