{"id":74383,"date":"2024-09-03T10:48:32","date_gmt":"2024-09-03T14:48:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thelaurelofasheville.com\/updatestage\/?p=74383"},"modified":"2024-09-03T10:48:50","modified_gmt":"2024-09-03T14:48:50","slug":"the-observant-gardener-late-summer-spiderwebs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thelaurelofasheville.com\/updatestage\/outdoors\/the-observant-gardener-late-summer-spiderwebs\/","title":{"rendered":"The Observant Gardener:<\/strong> Late Summer Spiderwebs"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"

An orb weaver\u2019s web. Photo by Judith Canty Graves<\/p><\/div>\n

By Judith Canty Graves<\/p>\n

Do you know what an orb weaver is? It is a large spider that catches its prey in a circular web. Every year, starting in late August, I notice many orb weaver spiders and their webs around my yard. When the light hits the webs in just the right way, they are absolutely magical. Other times, when the light comes from a different direction, the webs are invisible.<\/p>\n

Orb weavers are not aggressive spiders. They will leave their web if you approach, so they are not dangerous to humans and pets. The best places for their webs are near flowers and vegetables, which attract many insects. I tend to give them as much space as they need in my garden in order to encourage their web-building activity. I appreciate their ability to capture many insects in their webs.<\/p>\n

Recently, I wanted to cut some hydrangea blooms and I noticed an ambitious spider had created an amazing circular web between two branches of one of my hydrangea shrubs. I was grateful I had noticed it before I accidentally disturbed it, so I gave it a wide berth.<\/p>\n

Around the same time, I also noticed a silvery web hanging over my compost bin. It looked like a Christmas ornament floating in the air. I grabbed my camera and sat down in the dirt next to the bin to photograph this incredible design with the spider in it. As I admired the intricacy of this web that was glistening in the light, I moved quickly to photograph it because I knew how fleeting the light can be. Later that afternoon the direction of the light had changed and I could no longer see the web.<\/p>\n

An invisible web is one that insects will not notice before they fly into it. Once they do, the vibrations of the web strands notify the spider that prey has entered the web. The spider will bite and paralyze its prey, then wrap it in a silk cocoon to consume later.<\/p>\n

Late summer is when the orb weavers are mature and capable of spinning enormous, complex webs. Most of the web is created using a non-sticky spider silk made of protein, but the final layer is sticky for capturing prey. If a web gets destroyed during the day, the spider will build a new one overnight.<\/p>\n

All these spiderwebs appearing in late summer got me thinking about how beneficial spiders are for gardens and gardeners. They are voracious eaters that trap all kinds of annoying insects, such as mosquitoes, aphids, flies, beetles and wasps. The orb weavers protect you and your plants from many pests.<\/p>\n

These spiders are very active this time of year, especially in the evening. When the light is right, their webs\u2019 intricate details appear. If you have a garden, be sure to notice them and appreciate the beauty and ecological balance they bring to your yard.<\/p>\n

Judith Canty Graves is an award-winning columnist with a home garden in Asheville. Follow @TheObservantGardener<\/a> on Instagram to see new garden photos daily.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Do you know what an orb weaver is? It is a large spider that catches its prey in a circular web. Every year, starting in late August, I notice many orb weaver spiders and their webs around my yard.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":74385,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[62,106],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-74383","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-outdoors","category-recreation"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Observant Gardener: Late Summer Spiderwebs - The Laurel of Asheville<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Do you know what an orb weaver is? It is a large spider that catches its prey in a circular web. 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