Garden spiders often live in gardens, trapping flies and some pollinating insects in their webs. These spiders can use many tall structures to build their webs, including trees, fences, walls and windows. They live in forests and fields with plenty of tall plants. Anywhere that has a large amount of insects can attract garden spiders.

Unlike other orb spiders, garden spiders do not build large clusters of webs. Instead, they build one, large, complex web and rebuild parts of it every night. Their webs are easy to distinguish from those of other spiders because they have a unique stabilimentum in the middle—a dense line of webbing that extends in a zigzag from one edge of the web to the other.

Garden spider webs can extend from objects as far as three feet apart. This spider species usually lives near sunny areas with little wind to threaten its webs. It is common in gardens and around houses because it can build webs between the plants and hide in the shade against walls. Garden spiders tend to remain around one location throughout their lives.

Garden spiders eat insects, trapping them in their webs and injecting them with venom to kill the prey. Occasionally, they’ll also eat small lizards. Their venom is not dangerous to humans and feels similar to a bee sting. They’ll only bite larger animals if touched or threatened. Otherwise, garden spiders will usually hide from people.

These spiders lay eggs inside egg sacs and hang them on the web. One egg sac can contain as many as one thousand eggs. The male spider dies after breeding and the female remains on the web near the eggs. However, the female spiders also die while their eggs overwinter. In the spring, the eggs hatch and some of the young spiders stay on the web. Others produce a strand of silk that acts like a sail, blowing them to other locations.

Though they are frightening to find outside your home, garden spiders can be beneficial because they control insect populations. However, Aptive is equipped to remove these spiders quickly and conveniently in your home.

Garden spiders don’t usually move indoors but they can wander inside accidentally. Since they often live around the outside of a house, their webs might attach to doors and window frames. An open door or window can let them in to search for other insects that flew inside. Indoors, you might find garden spider webs in attics or other low-traffic areas where they can catch insects, undisturbed.

If you see a garden spider in your house or garden, don’t panic. Despite their large size and frightening colors, they are harmless to humans and pets. They even keep other insects under control. Of course, most people don’t want these scary pests hanging around their home. If you see spider webs inside or outside, call Aptive Environmental to begin a customized spider control plan.

You can also follow these tips to avoid attracting garden spiders to your home:

1. Knock down spider webs as you find them around the outside of your house.

2. Sweep and vacuum attics, garages and other storage areas frequently.

3. Use a jar or other container to relocate the spiders to a different area, away from your house.

4. Seal all cracks and holes in your walls, windows and doors to keep them out of your house.

5. Call your local Aptive branch for a same-day garden spider solution.