Dependable Erection

Friday, September 05, 2008

This guy opened house right above my mailbox earlier this week. Hope the postman doesn't mind.

Nice photo! You've got Argiope aurantia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_garden_spider

One summer, we had a Wild America experience when one of these spiders took up residence at my doorbell. We named her "Door-a-bella." She diligently ate and tended to her web. She grew quite large and then suddenly slimmed down after producing an egg sac. After that, she built a special little web in which she suspended herself until death. Surely the neighbors think we're creepy like the Addams Family, because I left the web and egg sac alone until we witnessed the springing forth of hundreds of tiny baby spiders!

But a doorbell is one thing, a mailbox another. Maybe you can relocate your spider?

By --Lisa S., at 6:07 PM
We usually get three or four of these guys scattered throughout the yard and garden this time of year. I've got one more above the front door guarding what appears to be an enormous grey/brown eggsac, probably an inch in diameter.

By Barry, at 9:48 AM