Happening unseenInsects
How orb weaver spiders spin a new web after dark
When: July to October
Many orb weavers eat their worn web and spin a whole new wheel in about an hour after dark, so the crisp web you find at breakfast is often brand new.
Why this time of year
Orb weavers reach maturity in late summer, so that is when the spiders and their webs are the biggest of the year and the easiest to check morning after morning.
How to notice it
- Find one big round web today and note its exact spot, between fence posts or across a gap in a shrub.
- Check the same spot early tomorrow: torn and sagging, or perfect again?
- Look for the spider at the hub or tucked in at the edge on a signal line.
- At dusk, side-light the web with a flashlight and you may catch construction in progress.
Try this with kids: Find the same web tomorrow morning: did the spider rebuild it overnight?
orb just means the wheel shape; these round webs are the classic kind
Safety
- Watch without touching the spider or tearing the web; orb weavers are harmless to people.
Sources
- blogs.ifas.ufl.edufemales eat their old webs during the daytime then spin a new web each evening; a large web takes only about an hour to build; adults conspicuous in late summer
- insectlab.russell.wisc.eduorbweavers mature in late summer and fall and are easiest to spot in their large circular webs; harmless to humans
In the guide for July, August, September, October