Garden Spider
There are many different types of garden spider, most of the time these spiders are found in the lawn or garden but can also be found within the home as well. Garden spiders include the following: meshweb spiders, crab spiders, running crab spiders, wolf spiders, nursery web spiders, comb-footed spiders, stretch spiders, orb-web spiders, sheet web spiders, dwarf spiders, sac spiders, and buzzing spiders. Most all of garden spiders are orb weaving, which basically means that they are known for their orb looking webs.
The most prominent time for a garden spider is during the fall. The main difference between the variations of the garden spider mostly has to do with their appearance and there are in fact quite a few similarities.
Garden Spiders
The garden spiders weave large flat webs suspended between plants, across paths, along window and door frames. They are generally found outdoors, although they may find their way indoors as fall progresses to winter. Some garden spiders tend to prefer wooded and shrubby areas, while others prefer sunny areas around houses and tall grasses. The Garden spider is actually most noted for spinning webs.
There are many different types of garden spiders, as listed above, however two common species are the European garden spider and the Argiope garden spider. The European garden spider is recognized by its large tan and gray body with mottled tan or brown markings across the back, which is also highlighted by five or more large white dots forming a cross like shape. The Argiope usually is yellow or black with two rows of three white spots along its back. The Argiope also spins their web with a very unusual zigzag pattern in the center of it.
The Final Act!
The female garden spider will sometimes eat the male spider after mating, but not usually. Rather the male garden spiders will usually mate with several females, and then often die from starvation and exhaustion, since they spend little effort feeding while searching for females.
The garden spiders diet consists of whatever they can catch in their webs. The garden spider will eject poison into their prey and eat almost all of it, eventually sucking out the liquefied contents of their prey’s body. The Garden Spiders is not aggressive and they are not poisonous to humans. Because they are not aggressive spiders, it is rare that one would actually bite a human. In some circumstances if they feel threatened or if they are pressed up against human skin, in that rare occasion they might bite a human. Even though garden spiders are not poisonous it is still important to seek medical attention, just in case the species of the spider is not identifiable.
Written by Jim on June 15th, 2006 with
72 comments.
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I have a black and white garden spider…what is the best thing to feed them and should I keep the habitat at a certain temperature…I caught her 4 days ago…this morning when I woke up, she had laid her eggs and of course put the sack around them…any more information would be very helpful…thank you…Shawn
I have a black and yellow Argiope on my deck. I noticed a small brown spider close to her for the last few days. Is the brown spider the male version? Good article.
What kind of spiders live in new york? i think i got bit from one i have two little round holes. but not swelling or pain, so could that be a spider bit?
Note: Here is a line of gibberish if I ever heard one. Whoever posted this is trying to sell you on type of antidote and trying do it by inducing fear. It is posted just to demonstrate how people can take advantage of a situation such as this. Best advice, see a doctor and don’t be afraid to contact the doctor with any questions at all!
Here is the gibberish posted below:
Miss louis, you are extremely lucky is not likely this incident has happend, i must advise you to take medical assistance immediatley as their is small chance the poison of this spider has developed potent liquid into your bloodstream may take several hours. As you have already mentioned are obvious swelling of the markings of this spider, i suggest is prominent swelling, it is now been researched at our university colorado, the findings proven at each individual arachnid species will inject an amount poison preferable to the opposing enemy as such “you are the threat” therefore it is clear this type species has made the incision precisely in causing instant death or immminent as may take possibly few week or more, with the poison actively working its way to the heart in the blood, once is fully circulated around the body, i am sorry miss louis but you are in grave danger; i insist you seek an antidote immediatley.
please will you give me your contact details and i will have an antidote sent to you at once.
**URGENCY**
——— End of Jibbersh ————————
Don’t panic, simply consult a doctor but do not fall for some antidote given by someone other than your doctor.
I think I have been bit by a spider but I am not sure . Please send me a list of symptoms of the most common symtoms of spider bites
sincerly,
Barbra
Yes, the male Argiope is a lot smaller than the female, and mostly brown rather than black/white/yellow.
I have three puncture marks on the top of my foot, it is not ichy but painful when I walk, no other symptoms, a little swelling at first but now it is read around the puncture marks. I was in my garden with sandels on….will not do that again. This was four days ago. Would appreciate any comments.
We caught a female european garden spider and now feed it all the insects we can catch. What should we put in to make a good habbitat? The last garden spider we caught was male and we kept him for about a year.
I got bit by something in my backyard and it is very possible it is a spider bite. We have had multiple spiders this summer. I have never had anything like this before. I didn’t realize that I had a bite until I noticed a red area below my big toe and it itches all the time. I have had it for about a week and I have been putting cortisone creme on it but nothing seems to help. Has anyone else had this type of bite and might know what it is?
I have a purple and pinkish bite, But…. I dont know if its a spider bite. It has three holes in it and it is not causing and pain I have no Idea wat it is.
My mom has spiders in her house. How can I tell what kind of spider it is? It seems to be the same kind but I am not a spider expert. I am deathly afraid that it is a brown recluse spider and not a garden spider. I don’t want to run the risk of any of us getting bitten. Please help!
i have a yellow and black spider approx. 3 inches long. its web is about two feet in diameter with a zig zag pattern in the middle of the web. i was wondering what type of spider this is and is it poisonous? it sort of resembles a garden spider. it eats anything even a dragonfly. it also kills the male variety.
We have a small dog (peek-a-poo) who is about 14 years old. While walking her, I noticed she immediately jerked her paw back. She then began limping and was in severe pain. We were out of town and had to take her to a local vet. He thinks she was bitten by a crab back spider, which he said were common in the NC foothills.
After a week of prednisone and antibiotics, she recoverd. This was actually the 2nd time this happened in the same location. The 1st time she had to be rushed to an emergency vet as she was swelling quickly and again in severe pain. Thought other pet lovers would like to know about this. She was being walked in very short grass in the daylight!
Can anyone tell me what kind of spider is all black with white spots on just the body, could it be a garden spider?
I found an orb weaver that is similar in size and web structure to the common araenia genus. This species has a definite reddish cast to it’s coloration, however, rather than the common brown coloration. Is anyone familiar with this species?
Jessica,
Is the body shiny and round?
I have a garden spider that built a web several weeks ago while the weather was nice – now the temps are dropping. I wouldn’t want her in the house but I’m wondering what will happen to her. I’m in Ohio and it’s getting into the 40’s at night now. Does she hibernate or is she just going to die? She’s on a patio with no bushes – just cement – should I try to relocate her to a bush out front or just leave her alone for now? Thanks
We live in Florida, and this year found a beautiful garden spider off our fence. I watched her build her web, and she was a good eater until she mated. She seemed not to be feeding, except I think she ate her mate. Haven’t seen any babies.
It’s about a week since she mated, and today a medium-size shiny black wasp was harrassing the spider, and was stung. She is hanging on to her web by one leg. Is this normal behavior for wasps?
We also have another garden spider with a mate. We’re just hoping this one makes it.
I’ve spent all summer enjoying these ladies, and hope they keep visiting.
Can you define the wasp? Is that “normal” for them to kill like that?
Thank you
Jo
I have a mark right on my chest…it has what looks to be a puncture mark and it has a round white marking around it. Could this be a bite or am I being paranoid?? thanks so much!
Melissa
I noticed 3 small holes…talking tiny lil holes on my right arm about 2 days ago. Over the course of the next 2 nights the spot where I was bitten started itching..mostly during sleep.Then Today I noticed that I have 4 mosquito looking bites. The 2 on my arm and 1 under my eye are a little bigger than a dime. When you feel or push on them they feel hard. One is where I was bitten…one below the first area…one on the back of my hand and the other under my left eye. I assume it’s a spider bite. Should I go to the docotor or is there some over the counter medicine I can take?
Thanks
In the last week Ive found 2 red spiders in my basement,all red except what looks like abrown abdomen,would appreciate the help.
When I was about 10 years old, I was climbing a large oak tree in Florida, chasing a baby stork. At some time during the chase, a large spider bit me on my left wrist. The fang marks were almost the diameter of pencil lead and spaced more than 1/8 inch apart. I assumed it was a garden spider as they are very common in that part of Florida (Auburndale). The bite was directly on a large vein on the inside of the wrist.
When I finished chasing the stork and came down from the tree, I noticed the bite and a large welt on my wrist, extending from my hand to my elbow, on the inside. And it was beginning to itch.
By the time I was home, a large block away, I was itching all over my body and turning red. My mother, a nurse, tried calamine lotion, which did not help, of course. She described my behavior as acting like a mad dog. EVERYTHING itched!
She took me to the emergency room, but even before we got there the itching was beginning to lessen. After a shot of epinephrine I vomited, but felt much better and went home.
I never saw the spider, but based on the bite it had to be large, like the Orb Weavers and Garden Spiders that were so common there. I don’t know much about centipede bites, but I don’t believe it was one of those.
BTW, my cousin and I had caught the stork once, let him go, and were chasing him again when I was bitten. But as I approached the stork that second time, he turned his head sideways and struk me in the face with his sharp bill, grabbing my nose by the bridge and giving me a little shake! Imagine if he had kept his bill open and struck my eyes instead of grabbing the bridge of my nose. I have a lot more respect for wildlife now, and for spiders!
Ted
I’m not sure what bit me. I didn’t feel the bite. Perhaps it’s a garden spider?
I realized that night when taking a bath and saw 12 bite markings which were in a 3 dot triangle pattern set of 4 following in a backward c formation. The next day it was swollen and red all around it. So after about a week I went to the dr. which he then gave me an antibiotic. But still no clue to what insect may have bit me.
Could you please help?
Thanks Irene
i found black garden spider with red on it’s back..i would like to know what i can feed him/her..I’m old and lonely and this is the closest thing i have to a pet..any info would help very much thank you..
garden spiders are very cool
The first Golden Orb Spider I encountered was a giant black and yellow marked Argiope. I was chasing one of my mongrel dogs who had gotten off it’s leash when I saw something catch in the light… I was bent over climbing into a clearing of brush and I look off to the side and see the most beautiful massively huge spider web I had ever encountered in Kansas… Then as I stood up to marvel at the web.. I realize I am face to face with this HUGE spider!!! At the time I will admit that it frightened me very much!!! I screamed and fled in the opposite direction. The next day I returned to the same location and watched the spider for a very long time. I watched her mend her web, bask in the sunlight, and even feed. They truely are amazing creatures. Very tranqualizing and hypnotic. I do not have an arachniphobia by any means… I used to raise European King Scorpions and I had a couple tarantulas when I was younger… But when I saw a spider so large just “chillin in my back yard” it caught me off gaurd and nearly scared the life out of me.. Especially after a near face to face collision!! I found another one the day after on my front porch. They truely are magnificent beauties to marvel at.. Especially these particular types. Nonaggressive and nonvenomous.
Hi there, I’m from NC and I just found a huge female golden orb spider- a black & yellow agriope I believe. I just wanted to make sure they are not dangerous, I have 2 young children and will have my 2 pre-teen nephews over this week. I watched her for about 20 minutes today, and took many pictures of her. I’d like to try to feed her but I’m not sure what to throw in the web, we have a lot of beetles & junebugs?? As far as size goes she’s the biggest I’ve ever seen, about 3 inches in length and leg span of 5 inches. The coloring on her is mainly black with a yellow and white pattern on the top of the body, she seems to stay on the web with her head facing downwards. I’m a little scared of spiders after being bitten by a brown recluse almost 3 years ago which left me with a raspberry sized scar near my eye, so I just wanted to verify that this spider isn’t a danger to me or my family. I’ll be sending a picture in as she is quite beautiful!!!
Julie
y do these garden spiders shake thier webs??
i have one of these spiders BLACK & YELLOW with SPOTS in a Cage i just got it out of my Garden.. can you tell me if this spider can do okay in a 10 gal Fish Tank.. i love the way it looks ..
This SITE is the TOP SITE on SPIDERS i have EVER FOUND …
I love your Site … It is the BEST SITE i have Found on SPIDERS
my neighbor has a black and yellow spider on her porch and i was just wonderin if it was poisenouis
Better pics of a garden spyder. I Found your website to find out what kind it was and…….. found it
Thanks, Kent
I got bit by a spider in my backyard last night on my upper right thigh…
I took some benadryl like I usually do if I get a spider bite, and I’m usually fine a few hours later but today I’m still feeling itchy…and like the venom is crawling through my body. At first I felt numb in my legs and in my arms..tingling. I’m still itchy, feeling crawly and sick to my stomach. I have a small round bite with a bump in the center of it and I live in central Illinois. Please tell me if this is serious enough to seek medical attention
I found a big one of these in my boxwood shrubs in front of my house. I was researching the web. It really sticks out. I’m going to spray my shrubs to kill them because I have a spider problem to begin with too many.
i need help finding out what kind of spider was in my bed i lve in up state new york and i have a child very allergic to bug bites. the spider is about the diameter of a knickle ,black and furry looking with a white line down the body and at the very end of the body a white dot. please if some one can give me any idea
terry
i found two different nests of these orb weavers in my backyard in the spring,and have discovered many of them now in the fall,and they are huge,i have one female whose body is the size of a quarter almost
Hi, I live in Central New York and have found what I THINK is a garden spider outside my window, but I’m not sure. It is about 2 inches in length including legs, is mostly a brownish gold color with yellow and brown striped legs. It has an orb web that is hanging close to some grape vine outside my window. I’m just curious if anyone knows if this is definitely a house spider? It doesn’t really look like any of the pictures I have seen, but it is similar to some. Any help would be appreciated.
just wanted to send in a pic of a garden spider thats just off my front porch….I live in the country in Georgia and my house is surrounded by acres of wooded area, I have so far found over 10 garden spiders just around my house, I really dont like spiders in general, but the garden spider is a beautiful species….just wanted to share the picture!!!
Pictures of a garden spider.
If anyone see’s a yellow-black-silver spider i just want to let you
know this is a female jumping spider. i have never been bit by one and i know there not poisonus.
I have a rather large Argiope Garden Spider on my front porch. It feeds with the assistance of my porch light. I leave it on sometimes to attract bugs for it (Don’t worry. It’s an energy efficient bulb).
I like how it’s body changes shape when it has had a lot to eat. One morning I noticed it had caught a large locust, and took all day to eat it. By the next morning, it was twice as large and was a completely different looking spider.
Does the amount of food eaten determine the amount of offspring? I ask because it now has three eggsacks stashed away under a ledge beside it’s web.
I’ve always liked these kind of spiders because they’re “friendly” spiders, have “showy” webs, and grow quite large. Anyway, that’s my two cents.
Here’s our spider. she’s been living on our window for about a month now…i think she’s a garden orb..so we named her Orbie.
Her sack appeared a week ago, but i transplanted it to the wooded area so my husband would stop freaking out over it(he hates spiders).
Hi,
First, let me say in response to the gibberish posted above.
That is a version of the old Nigerian scammers, I can tell by
the way they write . Wow, guess they are everywhere.
I have a large brown spider outside my window, and I think
it’s just a common garden spider. It’s large compared to most
other ones around here , so I did some research to find out
if it was poisonous or not, and it isn’t. Thanks for the great
site about spiders.
I have grown attached to a garden spider that sits outside the top of my slider next to my outside light . She has been able to catch alot of bugs, and is real fat. However I worry about the freezing temps . Can I bring her in or is it to late . She seems to be slugish . Lisa
i live in Tennessee and i have not seen garden spiders for 2 years ,
can you tell me why i have not
First of all..nice site. I have a flower bed in from of my back deck and I have at least 12, yes 12 garden spiders out there. They have all built separate webs on each flower. I can add some pics if you want …It is crazy. I have left them alone but they multiplied like crazy and now there is one by my sliding glass door. Should I be concerned? I dont want to just go out there and kill them but I dont want them coming in the house. Advise please…..
Thanks
Eric
my sister ,brother and I were walking around as we noticed a lil bug sorta like a long roach we found in the house. We kept it for a day and put in a lil hotel empty shampoo bottle and put a little toilet paper in the bottle to because the bug liked it. We named it BUGGY we were sad to let it go but we had to so BUGGY could live.I will never forget it BIG black eyes!!
Jessica,Rob,TIA
Hi, I was bitten by a spider and a mosquito on my left foot about 3 days ago,my foot swelled and started to itch, it feels likes it on fire it burns so painfully as well as the itch. It hurts to apply pressure on it so walking is difficult. I have one bit on top of the arch of my foot which at the time it itched but no longer 3 inches above the heel of my foot is another bit that I also that was a mosquito bit,now not so sure it looks like 2 tiny whole this was also itchy,also turned a little purple and outlined in red spreading an 1/2 inch around the puncher wound. I also have 3 wholes just to the side of my ankle,this is were the swelling started and spread over the foot as well as the pressure and pain has and also itches. unable to place in shoes even a sandal. very sensitive,swelling,itchy,painful,can feel pressure building up,as well as a senses of numbness to it,un able to move foot like usable.
what should I do? besides putting on calamine lotion on which only helps with the itch to a point. I also have been taking allergies pills to see if that will help and advil,as well as a ice pack and keeping it elevated.
i have a spider and its a garden spider and i dont know why but there is a baby spider behind and the garden spider is a female and i dont know what to do.
we have alot of garden spiders outside my house in the summer and they are realy creepy! What should i do if i get bit by one?
Me and my friends LOVE to catch spiders and we’ve noticed that there are lots of garden spiders around my house. I love examining the colours on their backs! We catch Daddy Long-legs and throw them into their webs and watch them wrap them up! I am terribly afraid of spiders but I enjoy facing my fears! This site is awsome and I am not so afraid to catch and/or observe these spiders now that I know they are not poisonous to humans! Daisy (The brown and black garden spider I caught) is amaizing!
Thanks a bunch!
Sincerly, Katie G
Hi. love your WEB site on SPIDERS–NO PUN INTENDED! I’ve kept
many spiders as pets, or as welcome guests in my yard. Years ago,
found a BEAUTIFUL ARGIOPE, kept her in a big jar to study her. Soon
released her in some woods in a large park. Currently have what I
believe are two female recluses, in separate jars, which I feed bugs
to. I don’t kill them, nor do I let them go, to bite somebody. Plus I am friend to many common, harmless cob-web house spiders of the
same species. I appreciate SPIDERS. I respect them. And also
appreciate the people here, that likewise have a fastination and an
appreciation for them! GOOD SITE! THANK YOU!!! Sue Johnson
A few weeks my dog, courage, and i were playing in the backyard when i noticed 2 verrryyyy big nasy spiders. i described them to my father, but he wasnt a help cuz he couldnt remember the type of spider. i was really curious so i asked my step dad and he told me it was a garden spider!!! I looked it up to double check and i fouund out it was an argiope garden spider!!! A few dayz ago i found a brown egg sack thing and did some research on it. while i went to let courage in, i saw ANOTHER egg sack. does that mean there are 4 spiders or only 2 that have mated twice?
Sometimes if you don’t notice the garden spider and you walk by, they will shake back and forth on their web because they feel threatened. Or they just drop down. These spiders have the ability to change sides of their web in an instant without walking around the edge. Pretty to look at but would not like one on me.
IS this a garden spider? I live in Texas, it’s length is approx 10 inches. Please help identify.
Thanks
We have three Yellow garden spiders on our foundation. We are having part of the foundation rebuilt and after it is complete we have to paint. I need to relocate the spiders and eggs sacs, do you just scoop them up (with or withou the web?) and where is safe to set them free. I thought about my parents house. They would love watching them. It is heavily wooded, but my mother is an avid bird lover…will the birds eat them??
I am 13 weeks pregnant and my husband thinks I am crazy. But our 3 year old still talks about our first spider last year, “Charlotte” and when she died she went to our great God. So, these are like pets…What can I do? I refuse to kill them…thankfully my husband agrees. Please help.
I found a Spider web in the corner of my fence it was huge, the spider was SO LARGE I have never seen a spider this bis most of the web was a real silkey white with a zipper in the middle. The egg sac was about the size of a half dollar and the web around that was gold the spider was black and had a pattern of 4 yellow dot’s on it the leg’s where all black. I have no idea what kind it was the pattern is different from the garden spider and the color was a little different. PLEASE HELP!!
wow. okay. te person who asked about the shiny black spider with the red spot. No, it’s not a GARDEN spirder. It is a Black Widow. Back off of it. AND PEOPLE, quit catching them for your enjoyment. They didn’t spend the last month mating so you can step in. If they’re sluggish, they’re coming to the end of their journey, do not step in. do not move their sacs. Enjoy them but leave them alone. My own kids wouldn’t do that.
I live in the city, Atlanta Ga, actually right by the airport and usually once a year my mother and I will find a beautiful garden spider webbed in the front yard usually in the same place if not very similar. I didn’t think anything odd until this year because for years, we’ve actually had two ponds and variety of different bushes in the yard that grew up well, this year we have managed to have at least fourteen garden spiders all the same just in different sizes all through the yard. I find them to be actually amazing but is it normal for so many in the same yard, and all of a sudden this year?? Love the web site, gave me a lot of insight I didn’t know. Thanks
Tammie- I have noticed the same thing this year. I live in Alabama and I kept telling people…wow… this summer there seems to be a lot more spiders around and a lot bigger spiders. they seem to be everywhere on my property. We have lived in the country (same land) for 22 years and I have never seen anywhere near the amount of big spiders as this summer. Maybe we did not have a cold enough winter to thin them out. I don’t know. They are beautiful though…once you get used to how big they can get and realize they are not dangerous!
Found large web with Garden Spider attached to frame of our back porch – never saw one before here in Southern Illinois. Just a note – spouse was bitten by a small spider in the house a few years ago. At the time the bite was painful. Bite became very infected and went to ER for treatment and then to family physician. It would not have healed on its own.
Hi we have a beautiful yellow and black garden spider in our box bush in front of front porch and my 4 year old daughter and i feed it grass hoppers everyday but she keeps asking if she can hold it but i want to make sure it is safe anyone know? i know there not poisonous to humans but wanna make sure thanks.
Henry (daddy) and Faryn
Eric from Tennessee,
The reason that you haven’t seen a garden spider lately is because they’re all living in my yard or my neighbor’s yards – in Middle Tennessee. We love them!
I can’t believe anyone would want to kill a spider in their yard or gardens, as mentioned above. Most of them are the good guys that benefit your garden. People who spray poison to kill the things they don’t like about nature are killing nature, herself. Outdoor plants like boxwood’s, trees and gardens are homes to insects, spiders, birds and other beneficial creatures. If someone kills all the beneficials, they’ll be run over by the not so beneficial creatures.
hey i just caught myself a pretty big garden spider, but… its two front legs are extremely short but it looks almost exactly like the ones in the pictures except for its legs and it’s body is wider. can you tell me if this is normal and if it’s still safe to raise this thing
Sincerely,
Derreck the young spider lover XD
my mom has caught a garden spider i was just wondering if it is deadly?
I have the European Garden Spider that built a web several weeks ago while the weather was nice – now the temps are dropping. I wouldn’t want her in the house but I’m wondering what will happen to her. I’m in Montana and it’s getting into the 30’s at night now. Does she hibernate or is she just going to die? She’s my motorhome, between the top of the window and the mirror, – should I try to relocate her to a bush out front or just leave her alone for now? Thanks
I think this is a garden spider but really unsure so if you can tell me what it is and how to get red of it in a safe way for myself and the spider I would appreciate it.
Thank you.
Amy
i was cleaning out my shed (witch is located in my back yard) and came across a couple of black spiders about the size of a quarter maybe a little bigger.i live in new york city and dont know much about spiders,i want to know what kind of spider it is because the kids play back there and i dont want them to get hurt.pls help..it was black about the size of a quarter,did not jump it just walked nice and slow,and i found it behind/under a piece of wood in my shed that has not been cleaned in about ten years..thanks
Could I get an answer to # 43? I have the same situation on my porch. Will she die are live through the winter? What will happen to her if I put her an a safe place inside my house? Should I leave her sack outside are bring it in too. I have a glass fish bowl with a screen top that she can stay in through the winter.
i like the garden spider, i’m doing a project on it. do all spiders have poison?
HI. Enjoy your Web Site! I have some questions. My captive adult
female ( HOGNA GENUS ) WOLF SPIDER, “SUBURBAN” just rolled
an egg 2-14-2010. I’d like to keep a couple females and maybe
some males–all separately. Plus, I’d like to release the other
spiderlings somewhere safe, for them.
My QUESTIONS: How long before the SPIDERLINGS hatch?
How long do the ride on their Mother’s back?
When can they begin hunting for prey, after they deboard her?
And will “SUBURBAN” continue living long after the SPIDERLINGS
have scattered? THANK YOU.