How to identify and get rid of garden spiders

Spotting a large yellow spider in the middle of a giant web can make most people stop and stare. A yellow garden spider suspended in its web across your window or between your tomatoes can look intimidating, but these arachnids are more of an ally than an enemy when it comes to pests.

Yellow garden spiders spin circular webs that can often span across vegetation or along the eaves of a building. Females typically make the larger webs, and roaming males can sometimes make a web inside the female’s web. He initiates mating by plucking on a few strands of her web, but he has to be careful. If he isn’t appeasing to the female, she may end up eating him instead of mating with him. That’s why he spins a safety line to quickly drop away from her, just in case.

Females will lay their eggs in an egg sac in the web and the eggs can remain dormant through winter and then hatch in the spring. Some of these tiny spiderlings will spin a line of silk and be caught away with a breeze, floating away to new places.

The term garden spider can be referring to several species of spider, but the yellow garden spider, Argiope aurantia, is one of the best recognized spiders in gardens.

Yellow garden spiders are best recognized by their large bulbous abdomens and black and yellow patterns. Their webs are often large and they create a zigzag pattern in the center of their web. They are solitary creatures and many of them in one area can indicate a large number of pests that are available for them to eat.

How big are garden spiders?

Yellow garden spiders can grow to be about 1 inch in body size and even large with their leg span.

Garden spiders are widespread across the United States, thriving in a variety of habitats, but they are particularly common in gardens, meadows, and fields where flying insects are plentiful.

Garden spiders aren’t typically considered a pest, but they can be unsightly if they are living around your home. Here are a few strategies you can try to keep garden spiders from creating their own Halloween decorations on your house:

• Web relocation: Gently remove the web with a stick and relocate it to another part of the yard if it's in an unwanted area.
• Habitat alteration: Reduce clutter and dense vegetation near your home to make the environment less appealing to them.
• Manual removal: If a spider is in an undesirable location, carefully capture it and release it away from your home.
• Pest spray: A spray like the one Pestie offers, can be applied inside and outside the home, keeping garden spiders from invading your indoor areas. A Pestie subscription plan gives you pro-grade protection all-year long without dealing with a pest control company.