The black and yellow garden spider is a large and bold specimen, and quite shocking to encounter in the garden. What is their role in the ecosystem? Are they venomous? Read on to find out!
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This orb-weaver’s body can grow to the size of the diameter of a quarter, or even a bit larger. Once you’ve seen one in the garden, you’re likely to have them for a long time!
Let’s get the good news out of the way: They are very beneficial to the garden and are NOT venomous to humans.
This means there’s no reason to kill or relocate these ladies away from the garden. In doing so, you weaken the ecology, the web of life in your garden that reduces your workload.
Black and Yellow Garden Spider Habitat
The first time we saw these spiders was on our honeymoon trip to Hawaii. Awestruck by their size and beauty, we didn’t know what they were, and assumed that they were a tropical wonder. We named them ‘zipper spiders’ for the zipper-like finish down the center of the web.
Some people call it a ‘writing spider’ because it appears to be writing when it creates the zipper, or zigzag.
What a surprise for us then, when these spiders (Argiope aurantia) joined our ecosystem at Tenth Acre Farm in Ohio, in the same year that we took out the grass and installed our front yard garden. I suppose they prefer gardens over grass, like many other living beings in the ecosystem!
First we saw one or two of them in a patch of sedum flowers, but now their territory covers most of the front yard and has started to spread to the backyard.
The Spider Fear Factor
The garden spiders in sedum flowers, with unknowing moths fluttering above!
Many people have an aversion to spiders and fear seems to be the common first reaction upon seeing spiders.
However, with a desire for nature connection, we can seek to transform that first reaction from one of fear to one of wonder.
It’s important for adults to model this behavior for children, because this is when children learn to either have fear or cautionary wonder about the natural world.
This change in attitude and instinct about spiders comes only with education. The reason why we react with fear is because we can’t identify what the spider is, and we don’t know if it could hurt us or not.
When the adult has done the work to identify what poisonous spiders reside in the area, and can identify them easily, then running across a yellow and black garden spider is a really exciting thing, since no venomous spiders exist that look anything like it.
Then there’s no reason to be afraid!
Incidentally, there are only two dangerously venomous spiders in my area — the brown recluse and the black widow. Luckily neither of them look anything like the garden spider.
On a similar note, there’s only one venomous snake in my area — the northern copperhead, according to this field guide by the Ohio Division of Wildlife.
Can you name the venomous spiders and snakes in your area?
Would you like to learn how to grow a food garden in an ecologically friendly way that keeps our wild friends safe? Check out my award-winning book, The Suburban Micro-Farm.
Getting Over Your Fear of Spiders
Education is the primary source for getting over a fear of spiders. Most of us have never given a thought to what a spider’s purpose is. Some view spiders as just another insect (Actually, they’re arachnids!), and especially don’t appreciate seeing them in their house.
Luckily, this orb-weaver will never be found in your house. But on that note, if you are especially fearful of insects in the house, killing indoor spiders is a sure-fire way to have MORE insects!
Spiders are hunting predators, and will keep your house free of any of the creepy-crawlies that breed quickly and take over the house. If you have spiders, then there are enough prey insects to keep them fed — all the more reason to keep spiders around!
I have a rule that spiders can live in the house as long as they stay on the perimeter. If they seem to be crossing rooms and spaces that I traverse regularly, then I will get out our handy bug catcher-transporter, and put the spider outside; NO KILLING NECESSARY.
Black and yellow garden spider in camouflage.
Black and Yellow Garden Spider Webs
The large spider we typically come across is female. She builds a complex web, usually overnight, that can take the entire night to build.
These spiders are active in late summer and throughout autumn, and their webs are commonly portrayed in Halloween decorations. Sometimes we don’t think about why we have certain traditions!
These orb-weavers (orb meaning round) produce webs with wheels and spokes. The spokes are non-sticky and used for walking, while the round “wheels” are sticky and for catching prey.
Garden Spider Diet
What does our garden friend eat? All manner of flying — or hopping — insects that cross her path: flies, bees, wasps, mosquitoes, aphids, moths, beetles.
Learn 13 facts you didn’t know about bumble bees!
I even watched one catch a grasshopper that was hopping through the currant bushes and — wham! She got it. Took her an entire night to eat it!
Garden spiders instantly inject their prey with a venom and wrap it up like a mummy. She will wait for the venom to pre-digest the food before she begins to eat.
Most predators are carnivores and will not distinguish between what you think are good and bad insects, but as long as you keep providing food and habitat for the beneficial insects, nature will balance things out in the end.
The black and yellow garden spider egg sac is hanging in calendula flowers.
Garden Spider Reproduction
The males are much smaller and build smaller webs near or connected to the female’s web. Once they mate, the male usually dies.
The female will create a roundish, papery-brown egg sac, which contains 300-1,400 eggs. The eggs usually hatch in autumn, but remain dormant in the sac until the following spring. So if you see one of these, don’t disturb!
Check out this site for more information about Argiope aurantia, and to see pictures of the males and baby spiderlings. The babies are fun to find in the springtime when they emerge from the brown egg sac!
Here’s a video I took of the orb-weaver putting the finishing touches on the “zipper” of his web in our currant bushes, like she’s doing needlepoint:
Looking for a field guide to bring along on outdoor trips?
I recommend the Field Guide to Insects & Spiders of North America and the Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians.
Have you found the black and yellow garden spider in your garden?
Read next:
- 5 Reasons to Grow Yarrow in Your Garden
- 5 Weeds You Want in Your Garden
- Comfrey Fertilizer: Does it Really Improve Soil?
Misti says
The first time I encountered these spiders were when we moved to and lived in Florida. They freaked me out for a long time but I slowly came to appreciate them. However, it is still not fun to walk into their web after they’ve built it across a trail!
I saw a couple of them down by our pond a few weeks ago. Florida also introduced me to crab spiders, Gasteracantha cancriformis, and in turn we have a couple in our Texas yard too.
I think the most beautiful to have would be a green lynx spider…but I’ve never seen them in a yard, just out in the wild.
Peggy Nice says
I beg to differ with the Ohio Dept. of Wildlife quote about the copperhead not being poisonous and likened to a bee sting! First of all, bee stings can be deadly if one is allergic AND having just barely survived going into shock after a copperhead bite earlier this month, I can say first hand you shouldn’t play around with thinking the bite will be nothing. I couldn’t breathe within 20 minutes after being bitten and had to be intubated! And spent 3 days in ICU!!! Had no way of knowing I would have a potentially deadly allergic reaction to a copperhead bite. Wear boots and be on the lookout.
Stephanie says
Yrs I was going to sat the same thing about the copperhead. We have a ton of them here in Alabama and they are very deadly. They are absolutely nothing to play around with. And they are very aggressive.
Sharon Lobb says
I agree as well! My mother was bitten several years ago and her doctor told her she was very lucky it was only an angular bite over her ankle bone. He said that she would have been dangerously ill if a full dose of venom had been delivered. She got to the emergency room in 15 minutes and had to stay hospitalized several days. She was otherwise healthy and strong with no venom allergy. Anyone with a compromised immune system or smaller stature as a child would be in grave danger if bitten. I’ve never seen anything anywhere (until now) that says a bite isn’t dangerous.
As for the garden spiders, they are docile beautiful creatures. They are susceptible to drought, probably because of loss of insect prey. When it’s very dry here, I take a mister and softly mist their webs. In response, they ‘bathe’ and spread the fine droplets over all their limbs. They seem to be appreciative, but that’s just my perception, I’m sure.
Penny says
Beautiful!
I’m the designated spider-saver at our house.
Amy says
Every house needs one 😉
Rachel says
This spider is indeed a wonder. I remember growing up in Texas and seeing one in our bushes. She was at 6-8 inches from front to back legs and her body was probably 4 1/2 inches in diameter. She was – to date – the biggest garden spider I’ve ever seen, and my brother and I marveled at her for many minutes. Eventually, I ran inside to get my camera and came back out and she was gone. But she has stuck in my memory all these years.
Brian says
Growing up in Detroit Michigan in the 1940’s and 1950’s, large black and yellow garden spiders were commonplace. Some of the kids called them “banana spiders” because of their coloration. The grade school science teacher would display the large orb webs on black paper. We enjoyed putting grasshoppers in the webs and watching the spiders grab them and cover them with “silk”. These beautiful and interesting spiders seem to have disappeared; my children and grandchildren have never seen any.
Amy says
I like the sound of the education you experienced with the spiders. I think education is the key. Kids aren’t growing up seeing spiders, and can’t identify them, know what they eat, or know what they need for habitat. Consequently, there are fewer spiders because lawns aren’t good habitat for them, and most people’s first reaction is to kill them. So sad, thanks for sharing your memory – those spiders ate well!
Diane Forget says
I a
Live in the Detroit area and my husband just found one in our small yard garden. We did not know what it was but now that we do we will be careful not to hurt it. I am hoping to find a nest of babies this fall and watching for them in spring. I was just ready to do a bunch of clearing and pruning but now will do it slowly and carefully so as not to disturb! Thanks for the info!
Sydney says
I stumbled on this post and am glad to report a lovely yellow orb weaver living between a tomato plant and an upright support for the now-defunct cucumber vines. A neighbor has one, too, in the shrubs around her house.
I’m not so fond of the wolf spiders. I suppose they are so plentiful because we don’t spray the yard and have a pretty good area that is left unmowed as well, and that is OK. They can stay in the yard, under the deck and in the garage. But not in the house. My daughter and a friend of hers have both been bitten, apparently in their sleep, and both ended up with large, tender, swollen areas, enough to merit trips to the ER. The docs treated them as antibiotics and antihistamines, and they cleared up with no problem, but still, once around is enough!
Amy says
Congrats on finding the elegant orb weaver in your garden! I hope he isn’t where you need to reach to pick tomatoes – not that she would hurt you – but could give a good scare!
Spider bites are no fun, I have to agree. And I, too, am not excited when I find them inside unless they stay in a corner. Although, are you sure it was a wolf spider? They aren’t poisonous nor are they usually very active inside houses.
My spider catcher is an empty glass salsa jar. I trap the spider on a flat surface with the jar. Then I take a piece of thick card stock and slide it under the jar to cover the opening. Flip, and carry outside for release 😉
Judy Poor says
Amy, we have a few garden spiders in our backyard and are having a new roof put on, we are afraid the ladders and workers are going to disturb or unknowing hurt them. We love looking at them and do not want them harmed . any ideas on how to possibly move them to other areas or how to protect them? Thank you for your time
Amy says
I’ve never tried moving the spiders. I’m not sure if that would be successful or not. Hopefully the workers will do their best to avoid your plants that the spiders are using for habitat!
Kirsten Mia says
Great Picture of the orb-weaver, I had one in the middle of my tomato patch once, I read up on them and left a wide circle alone around it as it grew and thrived all summer. I had read some where that ii’s bite can be painful and can make children and elderly people sick but its bite will not usually effect a healthy adult. Because of its voracious appetite for bugs we chose to let it alone and warned the children and garden guests away from it.
As for the big spiders in my house… they do not fare so well in my clutches! In my old house I had tons of spiders on the outside of the house making webs all day long, but then again they were outside so I left them alone….
I guess you can say I have a love/hate relationship with spiders.
Joy, Kirsten
Amy says
Thanks for sharing your experience with spiders. It has taken me many years to learn not to freak out. I only hope that my catch-and-release method for spiders I find inside is helping me build up some good karma to make up for all the spiders I made my dad kill for me as a kid. I cringe whenever I hear, ‘kill it!’ because catching-and-releasing these important creatures is so easy!
Michelle says
Thank you for speaking up for the spiders Amy! I am trying to teach my children to respect and not automatically kill spiders. In fact, my youngest just recently asked to watch the movie “Charlotte’s Web” (we read the book years ago, wonderful!). Anyway, I love the reaction of all the farm animals in the barn when she first introduces herself to Wilbur, and how she informs them just how horrible it would be if she and her kind were not there to eat all the flies and such.
Amy says
Thanks for the reminder to check out Charlotte’s Web! I haven’t read or watched it since I was a kid, but I’m sure there are lovely nuggets of truth in there for adults and kids alike.
Emily says
Spiders can be as lovely as butterflies. They just don’t get as much good press. Thanks for contributing toward correcting that imbalance. I often let them stay in the house and when I put them out I may use a cup but I often just use the closest thing – my hand. I have never been bitten doing that (and yes, I know which are significantly venomous) although I have been bitten by a spider twice in 60 years. Both times was accidentally grabbing it weeding – and nearly crushing it. Each time it felt like a minor bee sting, and once the pain and swelling lasted about an hour but less time than a wasp sting.
Amy says
Thanks for sharing your experience! No one wishes to be bitten by a spider, but it is most often a minor inconvenience.
Heather says
We have one of these in our back yard right now. We call her “the tenant.” She’s the first garden spider we’ve had in several years. About 10 years ago we had half a dozen across the back of our small house. Being a bit squeamish when it comes to spiders, I proposed that they could live here provided they remained off our back porch. Woke up one morning to a huge web, and an equally huge spider, hanging right across the threshold of our back door, just at eye level. She’d spun her web right across our back door! I’ve never closed a door so quickly! My husband took her web down and encouraged her to relocate to the bushes.
Amy says
Haha. That would certainly be shocking. I love your name for her 🙂
Elizabeth says
I love garden spiders! ?❤
Wilma says
I have one in a tomato plant now. I just reach around her and pick my tomatoes. I’m sure I bother her more than she does me. She is very interesting to look at.
Howitt Cook says
I had one last year in the chicken coop. she left 2 egg sacks. I saved them both and took one to the barn and one to the garden. this year there are three spiders. One at the garden gate one above the shop door and one at the barn. Garden gate has three egg sacks and counting. I point them out to visitors and ask “I wonder how many mosquitos one of these spicers has to eat to get this big?” the common answer is one of wonder. I want more next year.
Amy says
It makes me happy to know that you are nurturing these amazing creatures 🙂
Michael says
I have only seen maybe three of these spiders in my life, until I moved into a house in the country. I now I have six of them near my garage, in a row of webs. I have never seen more than one together, let alone SIX. Maybe I have a lot of bugs by my garage? I don’t mind them, and they are fun to watch, but It does concern me that they are so close to the house. They can have 300-1400 spiderlings each… Times six! As magnificent as they are, I don’t want thousands of spiders by my garage door. Should i relocate them?
Suzanne says
I was wondering the same thing. The spider comes back every year to the back glass door to our deck. Has left two egg sacs this year. Where do I move them to. She must have relocated herself after our big wind and rain storm a few weeks ago. Getting ready to redo our deck so I really don’t want to destroy the egg sacs just need to know what to do with them.
Amy says
My guess is that you have a lot of spiders in one place because an egg sac or two hatched there and the offspring didn’t stray far. The good news is that they have pretty much zero interest in being indoors, but I can see why you wouldn’t want spider webs across your garage entry 🙂 You could try relocating them, but one thing I am not sure of is if the adults overwinter. I understood that the adults don’t survive winter, only the spiderlings inside the egg sac do. I could be wrong about that, but it might be worth moving the egg sacs to a protected spot (like in some brush or plants off the ground). Let me know how it goes if you decide to try moving them 🙂
Cindy says
So glad to have found you, we Enjoyed watching our garden spider in all her glory and her magnificent webs that she built last summer we had her up until the first freeze and saddened by the day she died leaving behind two large egg sacks but my concern is now that another spider has built a Web around her sacks I keep trying to relocate him but he keeps coming back what do I do to ensure the safe hatch Of our charlottes babies
Amy says
This spider is certainly an opportunist! While he may get a few of the babies, many more will likely get away. I’m certain this type of predation is why there are so many babies hatched from an egg sac. Nature can be harsh and quite unattached to emotion. I’m certain you will see a new little baby Charlotte 🙂
Sharon Lobb says
Since I was a child we a population of garden spiders around my house. They are beautiful, docile, industries creatures that fascinated me throughout my life. I have even been able to video the entire egg laying process from start to finish. A few years ago we had a fairly long drought and the next year there weren’t any at all. They have not reappeared since. Is there a source that you know of where I might purchase eggs to repopulate my property? I miss having them to observe and protect. During droughts, I have even carefully misted their webs with a very fine, tiny mist of moisture. They raise their forelegs up high in the air to catch the mist without fear. I’d love to have them back.
Amy says
I’m not aware of a source for purchasing eggs. Hopefully you will see them again someday!
Naomi H. says
We have three of these gorgeous spiders in our orchard. Two of them appear to have had vicious fights with interlopers and appear to be dead. Why would they kill each other like that?
Amy says
Nature is harsh 🙂 Carnivores tend to be vicious about territory as well as about what they constitute as food.
Beverly Stanley says
I just came across my garden spider about 30 minutes ago. She didn’t scare me. I guess because I don’t decide to kill something like this from the start. I just won’t do it. I right away was in awe of how amazing it was and also how beautiful too. My spider can’t seem to finish her web because it’s very windy. She looks like she’s hanging on for dear life. I’m glad she’s here. I can sit on my couch and see her through the window. What a beauty!
Tommy says
Just wanted to make a distinction because I’m a bit of a stickler for these things: spiders are venomous, not poisonous. You ingest poison, venom is injected into you. Also, ALL spiders are venomous, including the garden spider, though their venom is very weak and not likely to cause more than redness and swelling, and pain usually less than a bee sting. =)
Joni says
We enjoyed these amazing spiders on our property at one time. We had very tall field grass and the webs were human size. The spiders were sometimes the size of a small hand. Always had to move slowly because they blend in so well until you are right up upon them. One year my sister and I were picking berries in the heat of summer in our swim suits. Later the same evening I noticed my hip was sore and itchy. I looked down to discover two distinct puncture wounds and plenty of red swelling. I called my sister and amazingly she had a bite in the same spot and the same two marks. We had brushed aside several of the spiders that day…..never felt a bite. Which is amazing considering the size of the spiders. Can’t swear it was the orb spider, but they have those two fang looking things, so….they seemed the guilty party….lol.
Mary says
I just met up with a beautiful garden spider this last week in my raspberry patch as I was picking. I think we were equally startled! I backed off of the area I was picking, which had the tallest spikes with the most perfect berries, and watched as she repaired the web I had disturbed. I had not seen one of these orb weavers since I was a little girl, so am delighted!
melanie says
I found mine about an hour ago and was totally terrified! thank you for all the information i am proud to say she will stay as a welcome friend right next to the house. as long as the dog leaves her alone and she stays out of the house i will definately enjoy watching her!
Gayle Crick-White says
I have 2 garden spiders–one in my flower garden and one on my front porch. Luckily we don’t use the front door, but we do plan to paint out there soon, so am wondering what to do. She has her beautiful web, right where we need to paint!! I have found one egg sac in a bush where she used to be, before she moved to her “condo” on our porch. I get up very early and have watched her repair her web several times. She is a hard worker, and has a voracious appetite–insects are plentiful out there apparently–she eats all day!! I have enjoyed reading all the comments and stories about this beautiful spider.
Amy says
If you can wait until after a frost to paint, she will probably have died by then. The adults don’t usually live through winter. But I also bet you would be able to move her to a nearby bush.
Sherry says
I have never seen a garden spider in my 60 years until yesterday. It has spun a web on our gazebo that looks like a corkscrew. It is a beautiful spider which I will leave alone. My only concern is whether it is harmful to a few stray cats in the neighborhood, one of which is quite inquisitive and mischievous!!
Hannah says
I really liked this blog post, but you may want to update it because in the instances where you wrote “poisonous”, what you meant was actually “venomous”. It’s a common mistake, but if your intent is to inform, that should be corrected.
Poisonous = You bite it, you are harmed
Venomous = It bites you, you are harmed
Lovely pictures, as well!
Toni says
We have a dog rescue in Texas. A couple years ago, this stunning, beautiful yellow, green, black spider built an elaborate web on our porch. I enjoyed watching her. One morning, she was gone so was her web.
This year, one built a huge web across one of the kennel doors. I explained that she could build one & live undisturbed along the side of the kennel, bit not on the door. It disappeared. Then a week later, at the far end of our kennels was another spider & web. Part of it was on the door. We got along just fine, then she was gone.
Two more have built web’s now. One on our porch, the other on the long side of a kennel. The one of the kennel moved up, under the tin covering & now there’s a large egg sack.
Amazing animals. I am typically not afraid of bugs, I find them fascinating! We had black widows the first year we moved here. They did not fare well as my husband killed them. He was concerned they might bite the dogs …
Wonderful page! Enjoyed your descriptions, pictures & video.
G.W. James says
I have 8 wonderful indoor/outdoor cats that love to play all around the house & I would hate to see any of them get bitten by any type of insect. Are these Garden Spiders harmful to pets? My neighbor has a
Basset Hound that is outside; sometimes day & night. Would these “Non venomous” spiders attack one of these pets if disturbed by them?
Sharon Smith says
I have outside dogs and cats. I also have had garden spiders over many years. From my experience, they are completely non-aggressive. Any reach toward them and they drop instantly on a long web string and disappear. Checking later, you’ll find she has returned. I mist mine very gently when there’s a drought – hot summers here in the South. I have also been known to drop an unwashed, empty tuna can directly beneath the web, hidden from outsiders’ view. The can attracts flying insects which help to fill my spider’s nutritional needs in the driest years when there are substantially fewer insects.
Mine have generally built their webs about 3 feet off the ground and prefer holly bushes. My dogs/cats steer clear of the holly stickers, so everyone is happy. But I have never seen any aggressive behavior from a garden spider. They avoid confrontation with people and I’m pretty sure, animals, too. Birds find them to be a tasty snack and I think that has heightened the spiders’ instinct to simply flee from threats. If you don’t make any moves toward them, they regard you quietly as you do them.
larry vilkoski says
I live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I just seen a yellow and black big spider on my bush, it’s been there for 3 days. will it bite and should I leave it alone? scared it will come in my house. no one has reported one in Wisconsin, is that true?
Michelle Lobato says
I had a garden spider in my front yard and I left it there because I figured it was beneficial. IT DECIDED TO RELOCATE TO MY FRONT DOOR. I dont want to kill it, I just want to know a safe way to get it away from the front door.
Barbara Buchenberger says
I’m conflicted. I was enjoying the skinks on my patio and I understand the zippers eat them! Skinks provide insect control so not sure I want a crop of baby zippers.
Jessa says
I live in Chicago, and my brothers found one in our backyard yesterday. It was still in the same spot today, adding to its web. I walked around the yard for a bit, and found another one. They’re both about the same size, not too large but certainly not small. Could they both be male? Now i’m not a big fan of spiders, but there is something so intriguing about these spiders. I’ll leave them be, won’t try and relocate them.
Deborah Reed says
You are so wrong about the bite of a copperhead being similar to a bee sting. When my son was ten years old, a copperhead bit him on the foot. I rushed him to the nearby emergency room of the local hospital. He was vomiting, had red streaks running up his leg and was in so much pain that he had to be sedated. The local hospital then rushed him by ambulance to a major hospital forty miles away. Our son almost lost his foot and was in the hospital for four days with pain medication and antibiotics (the anti-venom serum is sometimes more dangerous that the actual venom from the bite). At the age of thirty-eight, he still has the snakebite scar on his foot.
Loyce Stultz says
well I’ve read everyones comments and have to disagree, when I go out of my way to instill monarch butterflies in my gardena and then find 3 of them webbed and bundles by these spiders, then I go a little crazy. Moved those spiders elsewhere. I began with a lot of monarchs this spring and happy to find that there are still at least 3 left and not in the webs. I’ll begin earlier in the spring moving those spiders and they also left huge balloon type egg holders on the side of my house,, capable of 100’s of spiders. Yuk! they are lovely in their own sort of way though.
Vicki Warren says
What an absolute joy to find this website. I am a lover of pretty much all spiders as I know their helpful ways, and I am the elected “relocator” when we find one in our office at work. This year I have the most remarkable crop of garden spiders all around my house, most notably around the back screen porch where they have both eaves and plants to anchor to. At last count there were a total of twelve, although one of the webs appears to have been disturbed and has not been reoccupied or rebuilt for several days so I am afraid she may have become dinner for a bird. Is it true that there are certain bird species that find our lady particularly delectable?
Amanda Redmon says
Hello! We have a 3 of these beautiful garden spiders in our flower beds here in North Carolina. We love watching them, and our boys think they are so cool! One of the pretty ladies relocated to our front door and has been hanging out in her web there for 3 weeks now (we say hello and goodnight to her every day ?).
She has two egg sacs on either side of her web, and I am curious as to what to do. I don’t want anything to happen to her or to the eggs, but when they hatch they will be right at our entrance. Any advice?
Thank you!!
marcia louise says
to my delight, I am blessed with the presence of the black and yellow spider, a month ago she did her egg sac, last week she did another, I understand about reproduction, yet never seen the presence of a male, I look at her 10 times a day, how long after fertilization does she build egg sac?
Steve P. says
Have one hanging from my eave near my study window. It is about four inches long and hangs upside down. At first, I was a little shocked to see a spider this close to my house. But, after reading up on them, I decided to let the spider do her business as we live in Louisiana and have plenty of little critters. Hopefully, she will rid this area of some of the mosquitoes which are the unofficial state bird of Louisiana. Apparently, most spiders only live about a year which is unfortunate. More scared of roaches than spiders.
Cassi says
I have one of these by my back door. I noticed the other day she has made 3 very large egg sacs that are under the eaves of my roof. Should I be concerned that these will get into my house??
Ellen says
They will not get into your home, they are beautiful creatures with gentle tendencies…..If you need her to move, please gently locate her to a grassy area or garden.
Catherine says
I had a female garden spider that made her web on our back deck but on the door. We loved feeding her and we considered her our pet. She left 3 baby sacs in the corner of the door outside our home. I really don’t want to move them but am a little concerned they may just be too close to the house. I don’t necessarily want an infestation. Has anyone encountered this? Should I try moving the sacs?
Amy says
To my knowledge, there isn’t really a safe way to move the sacs. Mom has set up the best system she can to help them succeed. I’m not sure I would worry at this stage. Three sacs is pretty many, but it’s not typical for many of them to survive. Nature is a rough world – if they did, there would likely be some cannibalization to ensure only a few remain in the “territory”.
Jo-Ann Fiscina says
My husband and I sat down to breakfast and were startled to see a large yellow garden spider in its web on the window screen outside our kitchen. It appeared overnight, just as you said in the article. We identified it through your article and photos and are working on getting over our fear of these critters. We recently moved to a house with a large garden near the water on the Eastern shore of Maryland. The location of its web will allow us a perfect view of her activity as summer winds down. We have herbs and flowers in pots on the deck near the window but the garden is a distance away in the front of the house. I will be on the lookout for her extended family.
Jonathan says
My friend found one of these spiders in her garden with a snake it had caught and killed. Never seen anything like it before. She posted it on Facebook
Annie says
I’ve seen three of these big beauties this summer. One right across our front glass storm door, where we can watch her constantly. She has been there all summer. We also have one across our dining room glass french door, which we never use and one just adjacent to the second one, between a dining room window and a swing, which I haven’t used for several months. They are all beautiful and we’ll be very sad when they die, but I am especially concerned about their egg sacs which are located on, or near, the doors. I’m afraid these locations might not be the safest places for them to overwinter. I wish I knew how to help protect the egg sacs from predators. We have several barns to which I might try relocating the egg sacs, to, hopefully, protect them from birds and wasps. Any advice is welcome.
Shirley Waddell says
I have a comical story to share about this type of spider and the enormous and beautiful web she weaves. I came home from work late one night and I had my hands full, yes bringing my work home with me. I must have accidentally turned off the outside lights that a.m. I am deathly afraid of snakes & spiders. Anyway I walked into this huge web and I felt something huge in my hair and this web wrapping around me. I started screaming and then my imagination ran wild as I thought I felt hundreds of spiders crawling in my clothes. I immediately begin tearing my clothes off, kicked my shoes off , after throwing all my office work everywhere. It only took me seconds to find myself buck naked on my walkway as all the neighboring home lights came flashing on.
Rex Hamann says
Thanks for this great post! We had one of these beauties in a potted plant over the summer…in fact, the plant is still doing fine although it’s down to its last blossoms, but the spider’s egg sac is still there and I wish to preserve it so it flourishes next year. Should I keep it where it is, or should I move the pot to a place in the garden where it will be protected a little more? Right now it’s on a hook on the garage soffit and I’m afraid it will be too vulnerable to the vagaries of winter if I leave it there. Quick question: just what is the gestation period for these spiders? Thanks again.
Betty says
I moved into my home on 5/27/2020. There is a beautiful garden spider living right behind the front door. I love watching her! Now about a week ago I noticed 3 new smaller ones moved onto my porch also. I like watching the big one shake the web! I guess that’s to attract her prey . She doesn’t bother me and honestly she’s a great educational experience for my twin boys.
Emma says
I had a spider get caught in the web, and my grandpa had gotten it out of there before we think it was bitten. Hopefully it wasn’t, once he got it out of the web he just let it be and we thought nothing of it. A few days later there is a hummingbird wrapped up in his web in a cocoon. Please be careful where these spiders are at if they are near any type of birds, try to just relocate them farther into the woods.
Robert says
I just used a small garden rake with plastic times to gently relocate a 3″ B&Y from the outside wall of my front door to some bushes. Thanks! PS: I found a nice site on how to relocate creatures:https://askentomologists.com/2015/10/11/how-do-i-relocate-insects-and-spiders/
Andrea Morgan says
We have been fascinated by the life cycle of the Garden spider hanging on the front porch screen door. It has deposited 2 egg sacs in 2 areas quite far from the web. My grown daughter calls every week and always asks about Charlotte!
Cherie Chase says
9-10-2021 Question: we have lived in north Texas for 2 years and had our first beautiful Black and Yellow garden spider in our back yard this year. She had a beautiful web attached to our fence with the other end attached to a plant. Later we noticed her egg sac attached to the fence where the web was attached about 2 weeks ago. We recently had a big rain storm for a few days. When it was over we went to look for her to see how she did, the web was totally gone, only the web sac was left attached to the fence. Do females usually take their web down and leave the sac soon after it is attached? Would the rain have destroyed her web? We hope she is still here somewhere in our back yard. Thank you for your webpage and knowledge of spiders.
latanya whitehead says
I just found one in my flower bed yesterday in Gary, Indiana. I was amazed and scared at the same time. I just watched it and left it alone. Last night and looked it up to find out just what kind of “creature” it was. I had never seen a spider like this one before. I figured that it was there due to the large presence of flies on this one plant I have. Thank you for the info… it was an interesting read. (Of course I took pics of it!)
Kay says
I never seen such a beautiful and large spider but this Summer we had one out on our front porch. My son pointed out her web and I, of course, took pictures of her. She was missing 2 legs! I felt so bad for her but I couldn’t help but talk to her like I do to the dogs around here. I nicknamed her Lady for she was absolutely gorgeous! I haven’t went outside to see if they’re any sacks, but after the rain and wind storms.. I just hope Lady is safe and hopefully we will see her again.
Found smaller ones in our garden and of course yelped from shock at the sticky webs haha. I love researching the different kinds of animal life.
My son never had seen a stick bug before until today and I’ve made friends with plenty of praying mantis and leaf bugs.
Anyways 😄 I digress, thank you Mrs Amy for sharing your information!
Ruth says
Aug 2023 We Live in WNY .. and we saw a Garden spider in our Garden this year .. Have never seen one of these Spiders so we had to look it up to make sure it was a danger to our Grandsons.. We will watch for more to appear.. and be careful around them ..
Dr D says
I have seen five of these spiders in different areas of my yard and Garden in the last month. I’m happy to know they are beneficial to the garden. One has been keeping me out of my hoop house Garden because I just wasn’t sure. Now I will just work around her. When I water she always jumps off her webbing up on the top of the hoop so I don’t wash her off so she’s pretty smart. I live in midwestern West Virginia close to the Ohio river.