Comments on: Garden Spider

By: Emily

Emily — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 02:51:35 +0000

I have red back spiders in a rabbit hole in my rental . We covered the rabbit hole with an old bin lid and later we opened it and saw three red back spiders.

By: Jane Lockerman

Jane Lockerman — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 14:12:48 +0000

We have had a garden spider in her web all summer attached to our kitchen window. It has been so interesting to observe her. Our two year old grandson loves to watch and sing the spider song with me. What will happen to her this winter? We have noticed she is not as active on cold days as she is on warm. Will she stay on her web or go somewhere for the winter?

By: Jessie Lou

Jessie Lou — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 16:08:22 +0000

Hi,
I’m at university in Writtle, Essex, UK and found a spider with boyfriend (who is terrified of them ) by my bathroom. Its got a huge abdomen and is a light brown, tan colour with thin legs and a white pattern down its back. I would like to know if it dangerous – at the moment its in a jar. I’m OK with spiders but this one is actually kinda freaking me out. Do we even get these spiders in the UK and why in my room?? If its meant to be a garden spider… Please someone help me!!

Jess

By: Stacey

Stacey — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 21:50:27 +0000

Hello,

need some help…We were driving home from a hockey game in Livonia Mich(we live just over the Line from Toledo, Oh in Mich) and a spider came from the inside of my van sliding door, then another, then another!!!! According to my freaked out daughter….it was black w/ maybe some red and green on the body about the size of a peanut. I just killed them…didn’t look at them.

Are these spiders harmless? could there be a nest in my door?? We sprayed down inside the door to take care of any more “friends”!!! I hope we don’t see any more…I’m not sure I’ll get my daughter in the car to go to school tomorrow!! If anyone might know what this spider might be or if it is harmful please respond!!

Thank You!!
Stacey

By: Claudia Nangle

Claudia Nangle — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 07:48:33 +0000

I have spiders around plants and they make a triangle web. It is thick and very sticky! If it is near a plant the plant starts to show some damage or a part of it dies. I hate these spiders!!! They ruin my plants. They don’t sound like garden spiders and they don’t come out in the daytime, only at night. If anyone has any info on these pests please email me with some info. They also like to hide in crevices during the day. cnangle [at] comcast.net Thanks!

By: spiderman

spiderman — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 19:29:41 +0000

love this spider it looks so quick and agile, just like spiderman.

By: Bill H

Bill H — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 12:27:02 +0000

Jennifer,
Without spiders our homes would be invaded by flies, stink bugs, mosquitoes, and all sorts of other bothersome insects. I suggest you not kill the spider and allow Mother Nature to survive and thrive.

By: jennifer

jennifer — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 14:50:21 +0000

Hi, I am Jennifer, if you are looking at this comment i have a garden spider that is venomous and i call it the deadly viper it’s a female i shut all my windows so it can’t get in my house so any ways you people are crazy by loving spiders in the name of god it is trying to kill you kill it before it kills you or the babies GOOD NIGHT!!!

By: Spidey

Spidey — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 09:33:08 +0000

Ara is right. Pat, Colli you are mistaken. I don’t believe there is a single spider that is poisonous, meaning that if you ate it you would get sick. Transmission of toxicity is through injection of venom, unlike a poison which is absorbed through consumption. Pat, next time you spout off about someone’s discrepancy it might be wise to at least look at a wiki page….

“Venom is the general term referring to any variety of toxins[1] used by certain types of animals that inject it into their victims by the means of a bite or a sting.[2] Unlike poison, which is ingested or inhaled into the victim’s tract, administration of venom is usually directed into the lymphatic system itself for faster action.”

Thus Spiders ARE NOT POISONOUS. They are VENOMOUS! Yet most spider venoms do NOT have a significant reaction in humans to cause concern or create need for medical attention, but you never can be certain or too careful when it comes allergic reactions like anaphylaxis. That’s why if you get bit by something it is best to get it checked out especially if your unable to positively identify what envenomated you. Or if pain, discoloration, nausea, etc. becomes present after the bite. Better to be safe than sorry.

By: Ara

Ara — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 11:40:22 +0000

Good information but for some reason my head hurts from reading that last comment by Pat Colli, no offense. After reading the comment a few times to understand it and eventually taking some Advil I decided to add my own. The vague part about “poisonous” garden spiders in the article and Steven Ward’s comment might have been understood better using different terminology. At least it helped me prior to this site.

Probably, like many that ended on this site I had some interest in spiders since I’ve been literally running into them a lot lately. \

________
Q. Is this spider poisonous?
A. No, spiders are NOT poisonous, they are venomous. Technically all venoms are a poison however not all poisons are venoms. Many times people get confused because someone says that a spider is poisonous while another says it is venomous. Any type of animal like a spider or snake that injects a toxin into your body is venomous. If you touch or eat a toxin from a plant or animal and become sick, then it is poisonous. Spiders that inject toxins from fangs, snakes and some lizards are venomous while plants, amphibians, and fungi (mushrooms) are all poisonous. So as a rule – poison is ingested (eaten), venom is injected. Poisonous toxins – chemicals that are harmful to the body – must enter the body through the mouth, venomous toxins enter through the skin.
VENOMOUS OR POISONOUS?
Just to straighten out a common misconception!! Spiders are venomous NOT poisonous. Poisonous means if you ate it, you would get sick, venomous means that it injects its venom into you.
________

So depending on the spider and it’s anatomy if venom is injected it can be anywhere from life threatening to ones that have little or no risk at all. But like the write-up states, it’s good to take pre-caution; some people can have allergic reactions, etc.
Venom or no venom, I still can’t stand walking into any type of spider web.