How do I help my spider friend through the winter?
October 24, 2022 11:05 PM Subscribe
A fat orange spider has taken up residence next to the walkway on the side of our house since summer. Now that winter is almost here, how do I make sure my little spider friend is comfortable?
I can't emphasize enough how much I dislike spiders in general, but I've become very fond of this one. I even looked through many horrifying photos of spiders on Google Images to learn that this one is likely a female cross orb weaver. Warning: spider reference photo. The markings on my spider friend are more vibrant and pretty though.
During the summer, my spider friend spent most days perched in the middle of a web that she spun between the fence and the fronds of a pampas grass plant in our garden. As the weather started to cool down, I noticed she was spending more and more time huddled on the fence, in a sheltered little corner where the pickets meet a rail. I got scared that she was dead but she moved her leg when I brushed it with a leaf.
I never see her on her web anymore, she's always huddled in the same place on the fence now. I don't want her to leave or struggle during the winter, but I'm not sure what a spider needs. Maybe she doesn't need anything from me at all? But what will she do when temperatures drop to freezing (we live on the southern coast of BC)? Should I stick a little box to the fence for her to live in? What will she eat when all the flying insects stop flying? I know she ate well during the summer, and she is still very plump and round now, but will she go hungry?
I can't emphasize enough how much I dislike spiders in general, but I've become very fond of this one. I even looked through many horrifying photos of spiders on Google Images to learn that this one is likely a female cross orb weaver. Warning: spider reference photo. The markings on my spider friend are more vibrant and pretty though.
During the summer, my spider friend spent most days perched in the middle of a web that she spun between the fence and the fronds of a pampas grass plant in our garden. As the weather started to cool down, I noticed she was spending more and more time huddled on the fence, in a sheltered little corner where the pickets meet a rail. I got scared that she was dead but she moved her leg when I brushed it with a leaf.
I never see her on her web anymore, she's always huddled in the same place on the fence now. I don't want her to leave or struggle during the winter, but I'm not sure what a spider needs. Maybe she doesn't need anything from me at all? But what will she do when temperatures drop to freezing (we live on the southern coast of BC)? Should I stick a little box to the fence for her to live in? What will she eat when all the flying insects stop flying? I know she ate well during the summer, and she is still very plump and round now, but will she go hungry?
Best answer: I also live in a location friendly to orb weavers and enjoy their beautiful markings, and am sorry to tell you that you will almost certainly not get another summer with this same spider. She'll probably make an egg sac if she hasn't already (if she's still plump and round, maybe not yet), and then at some point you just won't see her any more.
Next year, different spiders!
It's true though, some really do stand out, and I've also had favourites.
posted by inexorably_forward at 12:15 AM on October 25, 2022 [7 favorites]
Next year, different spiders!
It's true though, some really do stand out, and I've also had favourites.
posted by inexorably_forward at 12:15 AM on October 25, 2022 [7 favorites]
Best answer: She'll likely lay her egg sac on that fence. If you keep an eye on it next year in spiderling season you may get to greet her children.
posted by away for regrooving at 12:48 AM on October 25, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by away for regrooving at 12:48 AM on October 25, 2022 [5 favorites]
Response by poster: Oh gosh. I'm sad to learn that I'll soon be saying goodbye, but also glad that she found our garden to be a comfortable home. Now I really wish I'd taken some photos while she was sitting on her web. I'll hope she does have some babies around here and at least one will stick around for next summer.
posted by keep it under cover at 12:52 AM on October 25, 2022 [24 favorites]
posted by keep it under cover at 12:52 AM on October 25, 2022 [24 favorites]
Best answer: I am experiencing this exact same situation! I've become hugely attached to an orb weaver spider who set up home in the shrub next to my front door in early September. To the point where I'm proudly displaying photos of her on my socials like she's a favoured niece. (Much to the horror of my mildly arachnophobic mother). I spend quite a lot of time just hganging out and observing her doings. It's fascinating. I too ran the research to see if I could shield her from the visscitudes of first frost but it seems that we must let nature take its course :(
I'm instead now looking forward to a hoard of juveniles in spring.
posted by freya_lamb at 1:52 AM on October 25, 2022 [12 favorites]
I'm instead now looking forward to a hoard of juveniles in spring.
posted by freya_lamb at 1:52 AM on October 25, 2022 [12 favorites]
Well, if you would like a gorgeous bit of nature in your home, you could buy a terrarium and set it up as a bioactive vivarium (extremely rewarding). Add plants, the kind of wood feature your spider friend likes, etc. Then, you know, mainly you have a terrarium, but you could try bringing your spideress into it to see how she does.
In the US, lots of pet stores have tiny vials of fruit flies you can buy (but that link is to a mail order supplier in Canada).
If the spider passes, you then have a beautiful micro ecosystem, and potential frog home.
posted by amtho at 7:31 AM on October 25, 2022 [3 favorites]
In the US, lots of pet stores have tiny vials of fruit flies you can buy (but that link is to a mail order supplier in Canada).
If the spider passes, you then have a beautiful micro ecosystem, and potential frog home.
posted by amtho at 7:31 AM on October 25, 2022 [3 favorites]
This thread is unexpectedly moving. I'm so glad you made a spider friend, and I hope you have more spider friends next year.
(We also get big orb weavers, and as long as their web doesn't actually block my front door -- as it has in the past! -- I just love seeing them.)
posted by BlahLaLa at 8:40 AM on October 25, 2022 [7 favorites]
(We also get big orb weavers, and as long as their web doesn't actually block my front door -- as it has in the past! -- I just love seeing them.)
posted by BlahLaLa at 8:40 AM on October 25, 2022 [7 favorites]
→
Don't worry, she will. But it's always sad to see them go.
We usually see the big spiders up until the end of October, then early-mid June we get thousands of these yellow and black spider hatchlings (cw for arachnophobes: a lot of spiders). They set up adorably tiny but perfect orb webs all over the garden.
posted by scruss at 2:28 PM on October 25, 2022 [3 favorites]
hope she does have some babies around here
Don't worry, she will. But it's always sad to see them go.
We usually see the big spiders up until the end of October, then early-mid June we get thousands of these yellow and black spider hatchlings (cw for arachnophobes: a lot of spiders). They set up adorably tiny but perfect orb webs all over the garden.
posted by scruss at 2:28 PM on October 25, 2022 [3 favorites]
Love this thread, and I hope you get another spider pal, OP. Best of the web, indeed ; )
posted by widdershins at 9:15 AM on October 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by widdershins at 9:15 AM on October 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
(CW: links to spider videos/pics)
We had a wolf spider last fall who didn't make it - she was in the garage, and was GIGANTIC. She knew when we opened the garage door to get out of the way of the car, etc. But this year we had this wolf spider who had about a hundred babies on her back and it was maybe the coolest (and creepiest) thing I've ever seen.
I love that you've had a spider friend this summer. We also had a cool orb weaver on a tree and I was keeping an eye on her and then she just disappeared a couple weeks ago. Here's to next spring's arrivals 🥂
posted by getawaysticks at 12:01 PM on October 30, 2022 [2 favorites]
We had a wolf spider last fall who didn't make it - she was in the garage, and was GIGANTIC. She knew when we opened the garage door to get out of the way of the car, etc. But this year we had this wolf spider who had about a hundred babies on her back and it was maybe the coolest (and creepiest) thing I've ever seen.
I love that you've had a spider friend this summer. We also had a cool orb weaver on a tree and I was keeping an eye on her and then she just disappeared a couple weeks ago. Here's to next spring's arrivals 🥂
posted by getawaysticks at 12:01 PM on October 30, 2022 [2 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
Recommended reading (based on childhood memory) - Charlotte's Web.
posted by aniola at 11:17 PM on October 24, 2022 [34 favorites]