I'm always happy to see the orb weavers, if not overjoyed by walking through their webs in the morning when I'm not quite awake. Watching them build their structures every evening is fascinating, especially when one decides to try to overtake the front yard by starting at the roofline and extending to the wild persimmon tree in the middle. They're ambitious little buggers.
Their hunting style is pretty cool, too. Attaching themselves to building structures usually, they generally situate themselves in the middle of the web--an intimidating presence at about a half an inch to an inch in size--and face downward, waiting for their prey. They hunt at night, eating a massive amount of mosquitos, yay for orb weavers! If not in the center of the web, they're hanging out nearby off to the side with a thread of silk attached to them as a warning system, like a bell on the door of a store. Also awesome. So, if you see one in your yard, take moment to watch them work.
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| Orb weaver doing what it does best. |
