marlingardener
Central Texas, zone 8
Posts: 1964
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| Posted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 3:31 pm Post subject: Gardener's friend - Argiopes |
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We have these all over the gardens--in the flower beds, hanging around the tomatoes, suspended from water barrels, and even a large one outside the kitchen window.
They are argiopes, also known as the gardener's friend because they capture so many destructive insects. They are very gentle, non-poisonous, and shy.
If you have argiopes in your garden, count yourself lucky! Leave their unique zig-zag webs alone, and they will repay you with lots of dead "baddies".
moderator's note: added a more descriptive title to topic
Argiope, aka gardener's friend ( photo / image / picture from marlingardener's Garden )
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toni
 Administrator
Plants Moderator
Regular Plants Contributor
North Texas, Zone 8a
Posts: 11244
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| Posted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 3:46 pm Post subject: |
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I love having writing spiders in the yard, I call them all Charlotte after the E.B.White character in Charlotte's Web.
I had a huge one out back strung between two tall Cannas a few years ago, she left two large egg sacks but I wasn't out there to see the babies fly away the next spring.
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eileen
Forum Moderator
Scotland
Posts: 18013
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| Posted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 3:52 pm Post subject: |
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I don't know if we have the argiope/black and yellow garden spiders here in Scotland. We do however, have wolf spiders (among others) that do a great job of eating all the nasties for us. Spiders are always a welcome sight in the garden and I'm happy to leave them alone to do their work in peace. 
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cherylad
Regular Plants Contributor
S. Liberty County - Texas
Posts: 4177
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| Posted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 5:18 pm Post subject: |
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I had one too. I had named him Boris after a John Entwistle/Who song. But unfortunately a couple of weeks ago I accidently disturbed/distroyed his web. I thought he'd come back... no sign of him though.
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Netty
Regular Plants Contributor
Southern Ontario zone 5a
Posts: 9958
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| Posted: Wed Sep 01, 2010 12:53 am Post subject: |
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I haven't seen one of those in a few years, but we have plenty of other spiders. I leave them alone 
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Sherry8
Wisconsin...zone 4
Posts: 2321
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| Posted: Sun Sep 05, 2010 11:53 pm Post subject: |
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Beautiful spider...I do worry about my hummingbird getting caught in webs around the yard.
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marlingardener
Central Texas, zone 8
Posts: 1964
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| Posted: Mon Sep 06, 2010 12:38 am Post subject: |
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Sherrye,
Your hummingbirds should be safe--they are smart enough to recognize a spider's web and avoid it. The argiope's web has a zig-zag pattern, and the only thing we've ever seen caught in it is grasshoppers!
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