This summer I’ve been thinking about ways to make our backyard more nature friendly. One of the things we love about our area is the abundance of wildlife. Whether its seeing turkey, snapping turtles, or porcupines crossing the road or our “pet” snake Spikey we enjoy seeing the critters. So I’ve been thinking of ways to have a yard that is fun to play in while also maintaining some critter zones.

Well the critters are really testing me now. We just discovered a very creepy and LARGE spider living in the skylight on our porch (you NEED to click on the picture to see it full size). I don’t mind spiders…until they get big and hairy with fangs and strange markings. While mulling over what to do with this scary beast I remembered a great website…What’s That Bug? People email the WTB folks and get the creepy crawlies identified. Summer is their busiest season so rather than wait for my email to be read I went to their spider page and found my answer. Our new house guest is a Golden Orb Weaver. More specifically a female who is about the maximum size of 1 1/2 inches. They are known for making a silk stripe across their web which looks like it has writing in it. Completely harmless despite the scary appearance. They are usually found in gardens, but our pioneering spider picked a perfect spot where flies and bees often collect.

So now I’m having a change of heart. The spider is harmless, interesting, and doing a good job eating up some of the annoying flies that frequent our porch so we’re planning to leave her alone. Next time you see a scary insect, try looking it up before you squish. Most of them only look dangerous and provide something interesting to watch with your kids.

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