Whoever said Out of Sight, Out of Mind never had a spider disappear in the bedroom.
Ha! At some point in time, we’ve all experienced this very uneasy, uncomfortable feeling. Not fun, is it?
Fall is a time when we get to wear our favorite flannel shirts or cozy sweaters. We even get to enjoy a pumpkin spice latte (see earlier blog post). AND we see more spiders. Webs stretched across every corner of our porches. Circular webs outside our windows or in our gardens. Then there’s the one’s at night intertwined among tree limbs evoking the terrifying thought of running through face first. Not cool.
So why do we see more spiders in the fall, you ask?
Here’s what’s going on:
- Spiders have grown up – hatched early in the year and spent the summer growing from tiny spiderlings, they’ve now reached the size where you can’t miss them
- Mating season – fall is prime time for many spiders to reproduce
- Seeking shelter and warmth– cold-blooded, so as temps decrease, they seek warmer environments
- Food source – their primary food source of flies and mosquitoes are still active
*Tidbit: Orb-weaver spiders are members of the spider family Araneidae. They are the most common group of builders of spiral wheel-shaped webs often found in gardens, fields, and forests. The English word “orb” can mean “circular”, hence the English name of the group.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orb-weaver_spider
Knowing the reason for the increase, I will picture the orb-weavers I see as Charlotte (even it they’re male). The loyal barn spider of the beloved children’s book, Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White. The author named her Charlotte A. Cavatica. The middle initial “A” stands for “Aranea” (Latin for spiders). Her last name refers to the species name. I think it will bring me some peace thinking of her.
Here’s the fun surprise. A short video summary of the book, Charlotte’s Web. Maybe it will help you too if you’re not a fan of spiders.
Question: Spiders: do you love them, fear them, or admire them from a distance?
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