As an animal and nature lover, I see the extent of my yard boundary to be that where I create a positive environment for that which I care for. Not every spider is invited, unlike with cats. I recall the first time I found a Jewel Spider on the property. I was frightened. It had a cat face on its back. I looked online till I found and identified it as a Jewel Spider.
Then, I asked my neighbours if they had them too. They did. One of my neighbours was bit by one. The swelling of the bite settled down after two weeks. We had quite a few. I decided I would support about 5 adult female Jewel Spiders a year on my home. If the population exceeded that, then we would transport them to the watertower.
When spiders live on your property, the owner needs to direct them to good locations to make a living and to be set up in a secure place where the web anchors will not get disturbed by accident ie. running through it with a lawn mower. A nicely grown spider can eat 80-120 aphids off a web in a day. An excellent place to get them to set up shop is around your rose bushes. I love looking at the web, even with aphids as I know the next morning, the web will be all clean.
There was the year I met Henrietta. Henrietta set up on my front porch. I walked out the door and by accident the two of us met. She did a Miss Muffet on me. I panicked and threw her a few meters ahead. She landed on the sidewalk. Well, I felt really bad. I checked her and I had hurt one of her legs. I called my husband and had him transport her over on the deck just beside and sort of above my roses. I told her I would share my home with her. She could have my deck and roses area. I felt horribly sorry I had caused her infirmity.
Each day, Henrietta grew. Henrietta was a light brown color spider with darker brown markings for her legs and cat face on her back. She maintained a very large and impressive web over my roses. When we would sit on the deck, we would check on her. I, without meaning to, talked to her every day asking her how she was. Either she was out on the web or in her La-Z-Boy chair she constructed herself just under my deck rail. I had to be careful to not accidentally put my hand there. It took a few weeks, but I trained myself to be careful.
While I was on the deck in the evenings, Henrietta would not leave. She just hung out in her La-Z-Boy chair. If it was nearing evening, I could watch her repair and adjust her web. That year, I did not know what a benefit it was to have a spider on my rose till I observed night after night the fine work she made of catching all the aphids. Her web had an 18 inch spread across the rose.
I became rather fond of coming to the web and talking to her. Whether she was listening or not, I can't be sure. I think she was. This is why: when you encounter a spider and they feel threatened, they bulk up to look purposely larger than normal. Henrietta did not. She seemed perfectly relaxed. She would sit there listening to me or continue on with her work while I talked. Because of the spider friendship we had, I decided to encourage future spiders to stay with me in locations I would pre-select. I even saw Spider reinforcement sets at Lee Valley.
That fall, there was a burst of aphids in mid-September. It is perfectly timed to be the last feast for spiders just before they lay their eggs. I know that in that last growth burst, that Henrietta was storing up and preparing to lay her eggs and depart this earth. As I saw her body become large and heavy, (she was the size of a toonie) I told her I had enjoyed her friendship, and that I wanted to bid her farewell. Some three days later, I did not see her anymore.
I could not help but be sad. However, I looked forward to the next year I would get a few more Jewels. I love my roses, my adopted spider, and the deck. Somehow, one piece of that was missing, but could be cultivated yearly for its natural resonance.
Jewels come in all appearances. The next year I had Blanche welcomed and she moved into the same location. She was a blonde Jewel with very light markings.
Then, I asked my neighbours if they had them too. They did. One of my neighbours was bit by one. The swelling of the bite settled down after two weeks. We had quite a few. I decided I would support about 5 adult female Jewel Spiders a year on my home. If the population exceeded that, then we would transport them to the watertower.
When spiders live on your property, the owner needs to direct them to good locations to make a living and to be set up in a secure place where the web anchors will not get disturbed by accident ie. running through it with a lawn mower. A nicely grown spider can eat 80-120 aphids off a web in a day. An excellent place to get them to set up shop is around your rose bushes. I love looking at the web, even with aphids as I know the next morning, the web will be all clean.
There was the year I met Henrietta. Henrietta set up on my front porch. I walked out the door and by accident the two of us met. She did a Miss Muffet on me. I panicked and threw her a few meters ahead. She landed on the sidewalk. Well, I felt really bad. I checked her and I had hurt one of her legs. I called my husband and had him transport her over on the deck just beside and sort of above my roses. I told her I would share my home with her. She could have my deck and roses area. I felt horribly sorry I had caused her infirmity.
While I was on the deck in the evenings, Henrietta would not leave. She just hung out in her La-Z-Boy chair. If it was nearing evening, I could watch her repair and adjust her web. That year, I did not know what a benefit it was to have a spider on my rose till I observed night after night the fine work she made of catching all the aphids. Her web had an 18 inch spread across the rose.
I became rather fond of coming to the web and talking to her. Whether she was listening or not, I can't be sure. I think she was. This is why: when you encounter a spider and they feel threatened, they bulk up to look purposely larger than normal. Henrietta did not. She seemed perfectly relaxed. She would sit there listening to me or continue on with her work while I talked. Because of the spider friendship we had, I decided to encourage future spiders to stay with me in locations I would pre-select. I even saw Spider reinforcement sets at Lee Valley.
That fall, there was a burst of aphids in mid-September. It is perfectly timed to be the last feast for spiders just before they lay their eggs. I know that in that last growth burst, that Henrietta was storing up and preparing to lay her eggs and depart this earth. As I saw her body become large and heavy, (she was the size of a toonie) I told her I had enjoyed her friendship, and that I wanted to bid her farewell. Some three days later, I did not see her anymore.
I could not help but be sad. However, I looked forward to the next year I would get a few more Jewels. I love my roses, my adopted spider, and the deck. Somehow, one piece of that was missing, but could be cultivated yearly for its natural resonance.
Jewels come in all appearances. The next year I had Blanche welcomed and she moved into the same location. She was a blonde Jewel with very light markings.
