# Orb Weaver Infestation - suggestions needed.



## PrettyHate (May 29, 2013)

I live in Ottawa, but am in Winnipeg for most of the summer due to work. My fiance is back home in Ottawa and has informed me that spiders have taken over our balcony (again). 

Last fall when we moved in I spent a good chunk of the day cleaning up empty webs and more spider egg sacks than I care to think about. I was able to catch and relocate a few residence, and from what I remember of them, I believe them to be some kind of orb weaver (probably the black/yellow variety. Sorry, no scientific name. I am too lazy, and just want to finish writing this so I can go and have a bath).

Anyways, there are HUNDREDS of them, and while I dont have a problem with any one small spider, I do have a bit of a problem with hundreds of them and their subsequently hatching egg sacs. We would like to be able to open up our doors/windows and not have to worry about having stealthy spiders invade our home. Never mind that if one of those big boys decided to drop onto my head while I am sitting outside on the balcony, I very well might die.

Herein lies the "problem"- we need to get rid of these spiders, or reduce their number at the very least. I am wary about the types of chemicals we will need in order to do this. At first I thought we could use Pyrethrin (which I liked the idea of because it is natural)- but then found out that it is meant mainly for insects and not spiders.



			
				 DrAce said:
			
		

> Marigolds contain pyrethrin chemicals, which are 'natural' insect repellants (and insecticides) and my understanding is that these primarilly affect insects, not spiders. I believe it interacts with the spiricles on the insect, which tarantulas lack.


So, that being said, what is the most effective chemical to get rid of these guys? Are there any other natural plant oil that you know of that are effective on spiders? (I would rather go "natural" than heavy duty chemical).

If it were me having to do this I would be out there catching everyone that I could before giving the area a spray. Unfortunately, I wont be heading home for a while and my manly man needs to prove and protect himself ASAP.

My Ts are currently here with me in Winnipeg, and will not be making the journey home to Ottawa until the early to late fall. Will this be enough time for any residual chemical to dissipate thereby making it safe for my gang to come home? 

Much thanks in advance.


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## Curious jay (May 29, 2013)

I'm guessing Araneus sp or an Argiope sp. users like Ciphor and them in the true spider section will be able to chime in with good info, these threads are about to become very common lol. If its Araneus sp. they're gunna be hatching out till late July, but orb weavers rarely leave their web unless food is scarce.

Personally, I'd leave them to it the majority will balloon to a new location, the ones that stay will make for good pest control when the gnats and mozzies start harassing you late evenings.

---------- Post added 05-30-2013 at 04:49 AM ----------

I'm guessing Araneus sp or an Argiope sp. users like Ciphor and them in the true spider section will be able to chime in with good info, these threads are about to become very common lol. If its Araneus sp. they're gunna be hatching out till late July, but orb weavers rarely leave their web unless food is scarce.

Personally, I'd leave them to it the majority will balloon to a new location, the ones that stay will make for good pest control when the gnats and mozzies start harassing you late evenings.


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## freedumbdclxvi (May 30, 2013)

I may be wrong, as I am tired and just starting to get in to the study portion of true spiders, but I believe true spiders have spiracles in lieu of a swcond set of book lungs.  Not sure that deterrent you mentioned will still work or not but, if it does indeed affect spiracles, maybe it will?


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## The Snark (May 30, 2013)

Orb weavers are harmless. If you don't like one where it has parked, knock the web down. It will usually relocate. If you want them dead, knock the webs down repeatedly. Most will give up after rebuilding the web 3 times or so. Rarely rebuild after the 5th time. 
But my question is, why? They are wonderful, beautiful, amazing animals. Learning to live with them can be a challenge, but a rewarding one. I would personally limit my yard to 20 or so big nephila then view the place as a wonderland.

Reactions: Like 1


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## aSpiderificGirl (May 30, 2013)

I have NEVER heard of orb weavers infesting the inside of a house.  They always stay outside.  They are harmless, and awesome pest control.  They won't just drop down on your head either.  I welcome any and all orb weavers on my property 100%.


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## kean (May 30, 2013)

just saw this post in yahoo.. 

Spiders are not fond of citrus. In a spray bottle, mix water and unsweetened lemon or lime juice. Wipe your countertops with the mixture or spray down doorways and windowsills. You can deter spiders in your garden by spreading around lemon, orange, or lime peels. 

Dierct Link..
http://homes.yahoo.com/photos/pests...90b3N8bWFrZW92ZXJzBHB0A3NzLWdhbGxlcnk-;_ylv=3


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## The Snark (May 30, 2013)

Love it. Some give suggestions to get them out of one's life while others would be delighted to have them decorating the place. 
I had a mini orb web appear in my steering wheel a while back. I relocated it to the roof near the windshield then the next day it was back on the steering wheel. Next day, same thing. I knew she would give up and die if I kept it up so I put her on a bush. She made lovely webs for us for 3 months.

Reactions: Like 1


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## famish (May 30, 2013)

Think of them as little decorative lights that people hang up on their balconies and decks!  They are harmless. Enjoy them while they are there!


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## PrettyHate (May 30, 2013)

It isnt that I have anything against the weavers. I appreciate a pretty spider, an amazing web, and the fact that they eat other bothersome insects as much as anyone on this forum- however you really should see our balcony! I am not talking about 5 or 10 spiders on a 30 foot long balcony- I am talking about being able to spot 5 spiders easily at pretty much any given wall or ceiling space you look at. The amount of webbing is unreal, and doesnt even look nice as there are webs on top of webs. God help me when the babies start hatching.

Although my fiance hasnt found any inside yet, he has found a couple who have managed to get on the "inside" portion of the screen on our windows. If the window was opened, they would be able to come inside. Once again, not a problem if there are only a couple- but there are WAY more than that.

So while I understand everyone here thinks we should just live with it, that unfortunately isnt an option. If I am there when my partner decides to spray, I will try to collect and relocate as many as I can- but we cannot just sit by an do nothing. This is why I am looking for different spray options and how safe it will be to bring back my Ts to the apartment in a few months.


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## Ciphor (May 30, 2013)

I'm not going to go into to much detail but I'm going to give you some food for thought.

You need to ask yourself why you have so many spiders? Predators do not become abundant unless food is abundant. You really want to kill off something that eats hundreds of pests in its short lifetime?

They are 100% harmless and really do not want inside your home. If they happen to get inside your home, they will do everything in their power to find a way out. A lot of spiders feel the warmth escaping your home and are atracted to it. These spiders are repelled by the warmth that escapes your home. They like the wind and cold, it brings them their food.

Those thousands of baby spiders will not stay on your property. In a very short time they will release a silk line that will carry them high up into the air. Most will disperse off your property, a fraction will stay and carry on with their duty of killing pests for you. You should thank them for less mosquito bites, less crane flies, and less a lot of crap that likes to nibble on you, not kill them.

The best predator of orb weavers is hornets & birds, which you probably already have. I'm sure you kill your hornets too tho, so you are likely throwing your whole micro-fauna off balance. Just an assumption.

My advice, leave nature alone. Your messing with it only throws the balance off and bites you in the butt, literally.

Finally, don't make a mountain out of a mole hill. If they are bothersome on your back porch just grab a stick and swipe the webs, fling the spiders off your porch. There spiders, not kittens. Killing a few that are bothering you is not going to hurt anything. They die every day to predators, it's why they have hundreds of babies.

---------- Post added 05-30-2013 at 03:12 PM ----------

Sorry wanted to add one more thing about the suggestions of pesticides (natural or chemical)

You couldn't pick a species that would be less impacted then an orb weaver. They don't crawl around. They spend their days and nights on silk, and hunt on a web they create. When they are ready to move to a new location they fling out a fat line of thread and catch a ride with the wind to a new random spot. Any type of repellent would be completely asinine.

Good luck either way, and hope some of this helps you make the responsible smart choice. If you decide to kill them all off I suggest you buy a bug zapper, your going to need it.

Reactions: Like 6


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## 845BigRed (May 30, 2013)

Vacuum is a pretty ideal instrument. No chemicals and it will kill them pretty quickly while they get sucked in.

I saw it on a Billy the Exterminator episode, he was dealing with brown widows I believe.


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## Ciphor (May 30, 2013)

845BigRed said:


> Vacuum is a pretty ideal instrument. No chemicals and it will kill them pretty quickly while they get sucked in.
> 
> I saw it on a Billy the Exterminator episode, he was dealing with brown widows I believe.


I hope it wasn't the episode where he was calling common house spiders (_Parasteatoda tepidariorum_) brown widows. That was hilarious. Hey billy, they have spiky egg sacs not paper bag egg sacs.

Reactions: Like 2


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## Tarantula155 (May 30, 2013)

Ciphor said:


> I'm not going to go into to much detail but I'm going to give you some food for thought.
> 
> You need to ask yourself why you have so many spiders? Predators do not become abundant unless food is abundant. You really want to kill off something that eats hundreds of pests in its short lifetime?
> 
> ...





:clap::clap:


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## The Snark (May 31, 2013)

Here's a very nice video. For those not in the know, the reason why she is walking so tenderfooted and delicate is orb weavers are completely oriented to 'walking' with their claws on their webs. On any other surface it's equivalent to a human wearing dancing shoes on an ice skating rink. 
[YOUTUBE]-IXZFqUbFoc&feature=related[/YOUTUBE]

Reactions: Like 1


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## PrettyHate (May 31, 2013)

Ok- so since this thread has seemed to make people think of me as some kind of spider killing antichrist, and for reasons beyond me, I actually care what you people think of me, I spoke with my fiance last night, bought all your points to the table, and got him to agree to leave the weavers alone. 



			
				 Ciphor said:
			
		

> I'm sure you kill your hornets too tho, so you are likely throwing your whole micro-fauna off balance. Just an assumption.


I have never bought any kind of pesticide, or insecticide in my life, so I am not sure why you assumed that I kill wasps, babies and unicorns.

Additionally, since we live on the 10th floor of an apartment building birds that would eat the weavers and wasps are rare.

845BigRed- thanks for actually giving some advice instead of throwing the Spider Bible at me.


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## The Snark (May 31, 2013)

Since you live on the 10th floor your problem is solved in a rather gentle and pastoral way. Select the unwanteds, take them to the edge of the balcony and aid them in ballooning off into the afternoon sunsets. The idea is to get them to drop down on a web then let the other end go. A little tricky but quite satisfying.


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## PrettyHate (May 31, 2013)

The Snark said:


> Since you live on the 10th floor your problem is solved in a rather gentle and pastoral way. Select the unwanteds, take them to the edge of the balcony and aid them in ballooning off into the afternoon sunsets. The idea is to get them to drop down on a web then let the other end go. A little tricky but quite satisfying.


I am looking forward to getting some pictures of them when when I am back at home. It will be nice to have a proper ID.


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## Ciphor (May 31, 2013)

PrettyHate said:


> Ok- so since this thread has seemed to make people think of me as some kind of spider killing antichrist, and for reasons beyond me, I actually care what you people think of me, I spoke with my fiance last night, bought all your points to the table, and got him to agree to leave the weavers alone.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Lol and I gave you lots of good advice. Maybe re-read my post eh? You were talking about natural pesticides ya? I told you don't, they wont work, your welcome. You asked how to get rid of them, I told you to use a stick, your welcome. Your being defensive is your choice. You got some orb weavers on your porch. Just get a stick and get rid of them, why the heck are you posting about it lol? Common now haha.

I think after this though I'm totally going to go to the feralforums and ask how to cook a cat. 

If your a troll and you know it....clap your hands?


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