The Comeback!

   Several years back, Son mentioned that we had no orb weaver spiders.  "It has been years since I have seen one." he said.  I thought about it for a few moments, then, had to agree.  Where had all of our spiders gone?  I mean, it is not like these spiders can hide very easily.  With webs that span about 6ft and the spider being the size of your hand, it was unreasonable to think that we were overlooking them.  We just had no spiders!

  A few years later, I was over the moon with excitement to find a single web!  Woohoo!  They were making a comeback!  That year, I carefully watched over the egg sac until the little ones all emerged.  We had babies!  From that point on, more and more of the spiders survived and now we have almost too many! (Nay, you can never have too many orb weavers!  Three webs are stretched across the back deck making going out that door a bit tricky.  Son and I never want to tear the webs.  Several more are between the fig trees and greenhouse.  Those are pretty safe as I just use the back door to the greenhouse.  And then, more are hanging in trees, down in the marsh and in the gardens.  (It is a good thing that I like these spiders!) 

  Today, however, Son came to me and said "You know how we think these spiders are big? You should see the ones behind the shed!"  Well, that meant one thing!  Yep, I grabbed the camera and followed him to the back side of the workshop.  Oh, my goodness!  There were webs strung everywhere!  And spiders!  Lovely spiders dotting those webs!  He took several photos for me since his height gave him and advantage.  He could get clear shots of the spiders.  Not to be outdone, I wriggled my way under the webs to get a "front view" of the creatures.  I was in perfect bliss!

  It is good to see the orb weavers have made a comeback.  These are the Golden Silk Orb Weavers that will leave their lovely golden egg sacs affixed to the shed, wall or branch come this month or September.  Then, I shall have to say goodbye to my beautiful friends and hope that the little ones stay safe over winter.  So glad they are back!

 

Several Hundred Spiderlings!

   While out in the garden this morning, a blotch on the back wall of the laundry room caught my eye.  Hmmm?  Why in the world was there a brown spot on my nicely painted house?  Grrr!  After all my hard work getting the painting complete, now something has to put a blemish on it!  Time to investigate.

  My blemish turned out to not be something terrible but something good, at least in my view.  An orb spider had chosen the corner of the back wall to be the spot for her egg sacs.  The golden orb had now come full term and a hundred or so baby spiders were huddled close to their previous home.  The spiderlings were waiting to get strong enough to disperse and find their own niche in this world. 

  The tiny spiders were not bigger than a pin head and were perfect replicas of their mother.  She was still nearby trying to guard her precious egg sacs but was weak and weary.  It was time for her to rest in peace knowing her little ones were out and about.  She will never see them reach maturity.

  While some folks would fret over the hundreds of baby spiders, it does not bother me.  In fact, I am happy to have them in the garden. They are free pest control and will bring me no harm as long as I give them space.  Too many people have a pointless fear of spiders and this comes from someone who has been bitten numerous times (even by highly venomous spiders).  If you respect them, they will be happy campers and leave you be. 

Just Your Neighborhood Spider Colony!

   Son and I have been doing some carpentry work inside the house since we are still seeing the lingering rains from Tropical Storm Claudette.  Apparently, this is the "storm that never ends" as it keeps dumping rain on us.  While doing the work, it is sometimes necessary to trot to the shed for tools.  This is easy enough to do since the laundry room door is just about 15 ft from the shed door.  It is almost just a matter of going out one door and stepping into another with just a small back deck in between the two.  Easy peasy except for the fact that you have to dodge numerous spiders on the way.  It seems that every last egg that the orb weaver had in that lovely egg sac has hatched and nary a one of the "children" wanted to move far from their childhood home.  Now, the back deck, the doors, the pathway to the shed and everything in between is one huge spiderweb dotted with the soon to be 4 inch spiders.  I feel so guilty when I inadvertently break one of the long anchor threads and the web starts to dangle.  

  One of the spiders insists on draping her web across the back door.  The screen door has several of the long anchor threads leading from it to the pear tree.  With Son and I trying to work, we have to use that door often. He and I have taken to "unhooking" the web strands from the door and wrapping them on the deck railing in hopes that the spider will take a hint.  Nope.  She patiently rebuilds the web to the screen door.  It seems she never learns!

  While most folks would be a bit squeamish about having so many spiders so close to the doors, I appreciate them.  The wet weather has created perfect breeding spots for mosquitoes.  The spiders are great about catching multitudes of those pesky, blood-thirsty mosquitoes each night.  Personally, I would rather have the spiders than the mosquitoes any day!  Carry on, Mrs. Spider.  We are happy to have your whole family as neighbors!

A Million Critters

   Have you ever thought of how many critters go unseen when we are out in their territory?  Some are so camouflaged that we pass right on by without ever a sighting.  They hide!  It is all about survival for them.  Being a predator or a prey, each has a great need for camouflage.  I was thinking of this when I was on the pier during the predawn hours.  How many critters are out there in that marsh?  How many sets of eyes are watching my every move?  How many are waiting for me to leave so they can go about their lives without being interrupted?  Just how many?

  Well, along about sunrise, I got an inkling of at least how many of one type of critter were there.  As the sun rose up over the pines, the rays glided over the marsh and illuminated every spiderweb in its wake.  As far as the eye could see, there were spiderwebs.  I am assuming there were millions upon millions of webs so there had to be that many spiders.  At night, if you take a strong flashlight to the pier, millions of eyes will light up across the marsh.  It is a pretty amazing sight seeing all of those glittering eyes!  Many of these spiders are wolf spiders and their eyes glow like turquoise gemstones.

  So, if there are millions of spiders in the marshes around the Bayou, think of how many other critters go unseen!  The world is an amazing place.

As Our Main Course, We Have SPIDER!

  Early this morning, I needed a break from gardening so the front steps offered a shady spot.  From there I could watch the clouds building over the Bay while I sipped my lemonade.  It is also from there that I could listen to the sweet sounds of the baby wrens peeping in the hanging basket just above my head.  The tiny birds get so excited when they hear the slightest noise as they think Mama and Papa are bringing food.  To me, there is nothing better that babes of any ilk.

  The parent wrens had no problem entering the nest while I was just an arm's reach from the nest.  They have grown accustomed to my presence and just disregard the idea that I might harm them.  I delighted in seeing the birds flit in, pop a morsel in a gaping mouth and dart out again.  The search for food  was never-ending!  As I watched, I became aware of just what the birds were proffering as foodstuffs.  A few caterpillars, a few odd bugs and a lot of spiders. SPIDERS!!!  It seems that wrens have a thing for spider meals.  After about the fifth spider serving, it occurred to me that perhaps spiders were easy to find and easy to obtain.  Every nook and cranny about the bayou has some sort of eight-legged critter lurking therein.  Wrens being the busy, little hunters they are, have no problem snatching up the tidbits.

  Obviously, spiders are nutritious.  Otherwise, those feisty baby birds would not be growing so fast.  Another week and they will be ready to fledge.  Learning to fly will be the next big step in their survival training.  With that comes the lessons on hunting...perhaps even hunting spiders.  For now, however, the birds are snug in their nest as the storms are building.  Mama Wren is a wise bird to build her nest by the front door!

The Disappearing Act!

  Overnight, we had a heavy fog lay in across the Bayou.  It so thick that at one point I began to think it was raindrops on the roof but it was merely the fog accumulation dripping from the tree limbs.  This morning, the fog lingered as I strolled about the place.  The walk to the pier was pointless as nary a thing could be seen other than "white" so I headed around to the back behind the canebrake. Since I could see no further than about twenty feet ahead of me, I figured that perhaps some critter would still be out and about.  No critters were found other than spiders.  The ground behind the canebrake was littered with webs ranging from twelve to fifteen inches in diameter.  These were webs of the local "funnel-web" spiders.

  Each web found had a distinct funnel-like tube in one corner.  This funnel housed a small spider that was waiting patiently for some bug to either alight on the web or crawl across the surface.  The spider then darts out to see what is causing a ruckus on its web.  If the commotion was due to a suitable prey, the spider bites it and waits a few moments before dragging its breakfast down the tunnel.  It does not devour its prey in the open as that would alert other potential victims to the use of the web.  

  These spiders belong to the family Agelenidae and are venom specific which means they are pretty much harmless to big, ole humans.  They are relatively shy spiders that scurry away rather than stand their ground if something is deemed a danger.  In fact, it is often very difficult to see one as even a shadow will scare them into hiding.  I was fortunate this morning as one particular spider did not think I was a menace.  Most of the webs seemed empty as the spider was far down in its funnel.  One, however, sat happily at the entrance and allowed me to photograph it from just inches away!  

  Our funnel-web spiders are not to be confused with those in other countries that can be highly venomous.  Even if you could catch one of ours and it did bite you, it would not be too bad.  Our spiders are "lightning-fast" so catching one would be a feat!  In just a blink of an eye, that "oh, so bad" spider will dart under the first thing available to hide!  Personally, I rather like them.  They make interesting webs, especially when covered with an early morning fog.  They are also great about catching would be pests.  Carry on, Little Spiders!  You have no reason to fear me!  I am so happy you let me photograph you!

Fall Spiders!

  Fall has just got to be right around the corner if for no other reason than I am ready.  Down here in the Deep South, we don't "get" fall like everyone else so we "make" fall.  Wishful thinking can do amazing things!  As soon as August ends and September rolls in, we immediately "fall" everything! Decorations are put up, spices are hauled out and, oh my, the leaves start to change colors!  No, wait.  That is not here.  We have leaf color only it is green.  That green usually hangs around until about January but our wishful thinking doesn't mind.  It is fall.

  Today, I found another giant orb weaver spider.  A huge, palm-sized beauty had strung her web between the groundsel bush and a pier post.  This was yet another black and yellow garden spider like the shed door guardian.  I love these gigantic spiders simply because, while they appear intimidating, they are rather docile.  I also love them because they are harbingers of fall!  Yep, Pop always said that finding these spiders and the huge webs meant that fall was right around the corner.  Pop was smart with the ways of nature so I am grasping to his bit of wisdom here.  My spiders herald fall.

  As I was sitting admiring the beauty of the latest spider find, I pondered if Pop was on to something. The best thing I could do was look up about the critters.  Sure enough, it seems that the spiders stay hidden until they are ready to mate and lay eggs.  The female spins her large web and waits for a suitable husband to wander by.  After his visit, she usually eats him for dinner and the proceeds with weaving a lovely cocoon for her eggs.  This golden orb will house her babies until the next spring.  Fall is the egg-laying time for the orb weaver spiders.  Ahh, good to know!

  So, Pop was right once again.  The "Fall" spiders are coming into view so all is right with the world.  Those of us that have been fall ready for the past few months are happy to know that "our" time is nigh!  Happy Fall, y'all!  Let me go check for fall colors...yep!  The Fall Spiders are here with all of their beautiful hues!

The Crowded "City"

  I like living where and how I do.  For most folks, this life would probably seem hard compared to the standards of today's society.  I do things "the old way".  It suits me.  I grow most of our food and can it for use during the winter months.  We catch fish, shrimp and crabs to go along with the fruits and vegetables.  The old cast iron wood stoves supply our heat during the winter and open windows cool the house during the summer. I am happy living on the Bayou.  I would not fare well in the city.  I get agitated with the hustle and bustle of things and love the quietude of the Bayou and woods.  I love hearing the frogs and toads singing their nightly serenades, the owls calling back and forth from the tall pines and the mullet splashing in the calm waters.  I love finding baby rabbits under the brush piles, large alligators sunning on the mudflats and even the raccoons raiding the muscadines.  I like waking before dawn to watch the sun rise up over the pines and sitting on the pier in the evening to watch it set again.  I like the smells of the Bayou..the magnolias, jasmine and wild honeysuckle, the orange blossoms and peach blossoms, the lemongrass as it wafts in the breeze and, yes, even the "low tide" smell that some find offensive.  I just belong here.

  I sat thinking about this, today, as I watched life in a different big, crowded "city".  While working in the gardens, I moved a container that held bell pepper plants.  Under the pot, in a space about one square foot, an entire city of critters had made their homes.  In fact, even after some scampered to parts unknown, I counted six spiders, fourteen pill bugs, eleven snails, one centipede and about a dozen tiny ants.  They were so crowded that the critters were literally crawling all over each other. The spiders were stalking the pill bugs, the ants were biting the snails, the centipede would have made short work of the spiders.  Each seemed oblivious to the other's feelings which made me ponder if that is how it is in large human cities.  I hope not.  I'd like to think that we all can show kindness to everyone but, then again, I live in my own little world down here and do not have to deal with any hullabaloo from others. Yep, I like it...it suits me just fine.


 

Spiders...keeping us healthier one mosquito at a time.

  Here lately, it seems as if I hear a lot of folks complaining about spiders in their homes and in the gardens.  "I hate spiders!" they exclaim.  In an equal excited state they add, "The only good spider is a dead spider." Sorry but that is one of the stupidest things I have ever heard.  When I try to extol all of the ways a spider helps us, I get the "Well, you have never been bitten by one!" Sorry...yep, I have.  A Black Widow left a decidedly painful bite on my leg.  A number of Wolf Spiders have chomped my feet and hands.  Some yet unidentified spiders have tasted my blood.   As matter of fact, I get bitten quite a bit but have no reason not to like spiders.  The benefits they provide do, indeed, outweigh their demerits.  

  I was down checking the old skiff to make sure the pump was still working after the rain overnight.  I was surprised but happy to spy several nice sized webs still intact in spite of the nasty weather.  The spiders were doing their jobs!  Each web was filled with mosquitoes, midges and gnats.  Yep, even though it is November, those pests still abound on the Bayou but the spiders were working overtime in inclement weather to keep them in check!

Look closely and you can see a number of mosquitoes, midges and gnats entrapped in the spider's web.

  If you are one of those folks who are a bit squeamish about spiders, consider this.  How often do you hear of someone getting bit?  How often do you get bitten by mosquitoes?  It is a fact that more people die from mosquito bites than spider bites.  Mosquito bites are known to spread quite a few deadly diseases.  That said, I think I like spiders even a bit more.  
  
  With all of these thoughts blasting through the brain this morning, I peered over at the spiderweb and thanked all the spiders for doing their part in keeping us healthy.