This is the time of year that the spiders go into full web production outside and they begin coming into the house for the winter. This lovely specimen hung outside our dining room window for several weeks. At first, I thought he was dead because he never seemed to move. Then one day I noticed his jaws moving as he devoured an insect at least as big as he was.
This year they actually began coming in very early. They started appearing in the master bathroom in late August and continued to appear more frequently throughout September. They’re easy to spot on the retro pale pink tiled bathroom floor. Hardly a day goes by that I don’t manage to eliminate at least one of the arachnids. And they are in all sizes from less than a dime in circumference to bigger than a pickle jar lid. Some are hairy and black, and some are spindly and so light they would escape detection if only they would stay still.
I believed they came inside early because the weather was so incredibly hot. We had weeks and weeks of heat index in the 100’s. I thought they were trying to escape to the air-conditioned inside. My husband believes it is because there will be an early winter. The day he said that our temperature was 96 with a heat index of 110. I hoped he was interpreting the spiders’ behavior appropriately.
Now, with the first hurricane of the season forming just a hop, skip, and a jump from the Alabama coast I am afraid he was correct. The spiders may be sensing the torrential rains and storms that a hurricane can bring as far as west central Alabama and chose to spin their webs out of the wind. I hope not.
Wishing you a chance to enjoy the crisp fall days of October and November wherever you are and escape the equally fall weather of hurricanes and tornados. Stay safe and enjoy!
Enjoyable reading, Kim, if at your expense!
Fun! Not quite as big as an Australian Huntsman – dinner plate size!
Hope you have no more impacts from the hurricane! Spiders are tolerable.
We had a plethora of the grayish-white spiders in our house. I used to catch them and release outside.but we started having pest control spray every few months, so they’re mostly gone. A garden spider lived outside my kitchen window one summer. I named her Charlotte, lol! The worst spider I ever encountered was a wolf spider in my house. Not where I live now. It was night and I almost stepped on it. I almost died on the spot. 😵💫 Enjoyed your spider take. Stay safe from the hurricane.
Hoping you stay high and dry as the hurricane approaches!
Love those Orb Weavers–and how you tied in spinning spider webs with Spinning Romance!
Karen (Hulene Bartell)