The Ultimate Fly Trap Builder
She’s barely visible in this small cropped section of the home she has built in a hard to reach upstairs hall window. She has caught many an annoying buzz fly here that I couldn’t reach to swat. The flies are attracted to the light and eventually get caught in her multi-story web. It is a marvel of animal architecture.
This is an American house spider. In the photo below you see her in the act of catching a fly that was bothering me. I had tried three times to swat it, but it was too fast for me. It finally headed in her direction. I actually made a video of this, but haven’t had time to edit it and get it to YouTube. That will be coming later.
Mrs. Spider has built another story on her web since I took that last photo. You can see the various stories better in the photos below that I took tonight. This first shot is a diagonal angle in black and white.
This next one shows the actual colors with the evening sun shining in from the southwest. The spider is there. Can you see her?
I edited the photo to black and white to see if that would make the web stand out more.
Then I modified it to see if sepia offered a better contrast.
Which way does the web show up best? Did you find the spider in any of the photos? She is there, hiding, between two darker sections in the web toward the left side.
In case you’re wondering why I leave this web here, it’s because I don’t use this part of the house, the spider does me no harm, and I hate buzz flies more than harmless spiders.
Pictures and content are original and may not be used without permission, B. Radisavljevic, Copyright 2014, All Rights Reserved
American-house-spider spiderwebs photos
Image Credit » I took the photo and edited it.
Comments
thecoffeefox wrote on August 16, 2014, 8:19 AM
Interesting but gave me chills. I have issues with spiders, but as long as they stay away from me, I'll stay away from them.
thecoffeefox wrote on August 16, 2014, 8:20 AM
Also I like the Sepia one the best.
inertia4 wrote on August 16, 2014, 9:46 AM
BarbRad Spiders are amazing insects. They know how to build those webs almost anywhere. I hate flies and I think most people do. I am no big fan of any bug, but spiders don't bother me. neither does a Praying Mantis. Mainly I hate all other bugs.
BarbRad wrote on August 16, 2014, 11:38 AM
A good part of that web will come down -- the lower part, if it gets as low as my head when I'm using the stairs. The spider gets only space which doesn't intrude on my space.
BarbRad wrote on August 16, 2014, 11:40 AM
I do try to keep spiders out of the rooms where we sleep and relax. And I only allow the spiders that live in ceiling corners or windows.
BarbRad wrote on August 16, 2014, 11:41 AM
Do you not even like the ladybug? How about the butterfly?
Ellis wrote on August 16, 2014, 3:20 PM
I like spiders and have no problem living with them (none of our spiders are venomous to humans) but my partner hates them so they have to be evicted if she spots them...
BarbRad wrote on August 16, 2014, 9:08 PM
Makes sense to me.
suffolkjason wrote on August 17, 2014, 4:47 AM
I'm not terrified of spiders but there is something about a large spider running fast that makes me alarmed. Perhaps we're programmed to be alarmed by scurrying insects and slithering snakes- it would make sense.
BarbRad wrote on August 17, 2014, 4:55 PM
Let's face it. They do look creepy, and not everyone can see past that. I try to evaluate the personal threat to me before considering something my enemy.
OldRoadsOnceTraveled wrote on August 19, 2014, 11:15 PM
Personally, I could tolerate the fly better than I could the spider. Spiders creep me out. Didn't there used to be a song that went something like "I don't like spiders and snakes"? I still think of that sometimes because it's so me.
BarbRad wrote on August 20, 2014, 2:59 AM
I've never heard that song. I have heard the one about the old lady who swallowed the fly. I'll be that one really creeps you out. Does Guiness like to catch spiders?