


Garden Orb Weavers
You know the big scary looking spiders that hang out in the middle of those huge, perfectly round orb webs, the ones that stretch between tree branches and shrubs? When we think of spiders, it’s usually an image of an orb-weaver that appears in our minds. If you can just get past how big they are and look closely at the beautiful webs designed by these miniature architects, you may appreciate what they do for your garden landscape. Orb weavers come in different colors and sizes and act like little pest control technicians, eliminating pesky garden insects.Orb-webs and Catching Prey
Creating an orb-web is a primitive trait which has been lost by many spiders of today. As different spider species have evolved, they’ve become predatory instead of using a “let’s make a beautiful web and sit-and wait??? technique. Many have become hunters, and jumpers, and ambushers. Garden orb-weavers rely on their web creating abilities for catching prey. At night an orb-weaver consumes the circular middle of her web and then in the early morning, she rebuilds it with fresh new silk. If the webs are destroyed, orb-weavers will build again, usually in the same spot; especially if the area where she built her web was successful in catching flies, mosquitos, and other insects. When an insect gets caught in her web, she injects her venom and then wraps the prey in a small cocoon and waits until it dies before consuming it.
The Yellow Garden Spider has a distinct web with a vertical zigzag.
Orb Weaver Mating and Reproduction
Female orb-weavers make the big circular webs whereas the males are usually roaming around, looking for whatever female they can find. Once the male has found a female orb weaver, he creates a small web near or within her web and then begins his courtship; he plucks at the strands in her web to entice her into coming closer into his web. Just in case she isn’t in the mood, he has a safety drop line, ready for a hasty escape. After mating, the male dies……and sometimes it’s because – she eats him. Female Garden orb-weavers live on average one to two years and usually lay their eggs in the fall. Come spring, when the weather warms, the new spiderlings hatch and begin a life cycle of orb-weavers all over again.Pest Management
Orb-weavers are beneficial spiders feeding on unwanted insect pests. If you can avoid removing them and let the spiders perform a little pest control, your plant life will surely benefit. Orb-weavers hang outdoors, literally, in the middle of their webs. They are non-aggressive but will bite if threatened however; their venom isn’t strong enough to harm humans. If you really can’t stand the site of their majestic webs, hosing them down regularly will keep them from building again but as with all spiders, you have to eradicate them with direct contact. Treating with traditional or organic pesticides gets rid of insects, the orb-weaver’s food source, and thereby eliminates the chance of new spider webs forming around your home. Call today at 1-800-986-1006 for help with a spider infestation. You’re also welcome to complete the form below and a caring Hearts Pest Management representative will contact you shortly.Locations
City Services for Pest Control in Los Angeles
Agoura Hills | Northridge | |
Alhambra | Pacific Palisades | |
Arcadia | Palos Verdes Estates | |
Beverly Hills | Pasadena | |
Burbank | Pomona | |
Calabasas | Rancho Palos Verdes | |
Cerritos | Redondo Beach | |
City of Industry | Reseda | |
City of Los Angeles | Rolling Hills Estates | |
Claremont | San Marino | |
Culver City | Santa Fe Springs | |
Cypress | Santa Monica | |
Diamond Bar | Sherman Oaks | |
El Monte | Sylmar | |
El Segundo | Tarzana | |
Encino | Temple City | |
Glendale | Toluca Lake | |
Granada Hills | Torrance | |
Hacienda Heights | Venice | |
Hidden Hills | Walnut | |
Hollywood | West Covina | |
La Verne | West Hollywood | |
Long Beach | West Los Angeles | |
Malibu | Westlake Village | |
Manhattan Beach | Whittier | |
Marina Del Rey | Woodland Hills | |
North Hollywood | ||
City Services for Pest Control in Orange County
Aliso Viejo | Laguna Hills | |
Anaheim | Laguna Niguel | |
Brea | Lake Forest | |
Buena Park | Los Alamitos | |
Capistrano Beach | Mission Viejo | |
City of Orange | Newport Beach | |
Corona Del Mar | Orange | |
Costa Mesa | Rancho Santa Margarita | |
Dana Point | Rossmoor | |
Fountain Valley | San Clemente | |
Fullerton | San Juan Capistrano | |
Garden Grove | Santa Ana | |
Huntington Beach | Tustin | |
Irvine | Villa Park | |
La Habra | Westminster | |
Laguna Beach | Yorba Linda | |
City Services for Pest Control in San Diego
4S Ranch | Rancho Penasquitos | |
Poway | Scripps Ranch | |
Rancho Bernardo | ||
Descanso | Ramona | |
Julian | Santa Ysabel | |
Pine Valley | ||
Bonsall | Hidden Meadows | |
Escondido | Pauma Valley | |
Fallbrook | Valley Center | |
Carlsbad | Pacific Beach | |
Coronado | Point Loma | |
La Costa | San Ysidro | |
Mira Mesa | The City of San Diego | |
Otay Mesa | ||
Cardiff by the Sea | Oceanside | |
Carmel Valley | Rancho Santa Fe | |
Del Mar | San Marcos | |
Encinitas | Solana Beach | |
La Jolla | Vista | |
Alpine | Imperial Beach | |
Bonita | Jamul | |
Chula Vista | La Mesa | |
East Lake Chula Vista | Lakeside | |
El Cajon | Santee | |