The Not So Itsy Bitsy Spider!

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Black and Yellow Garden Spider-Argiope aurantia

What would you do if you came home and saw this spider under your eaves near your front door?

My bet is – a spider this large – about 1 inch –  would at the very least – freak you out a bit … if it didn’t send you into a tailspin trying to find anything within reach to knock it and its beautifully crafted web to the ground!

This particular spider image was sent to me by one of my South Jersey customers and I am pretty sure this critter was sent to an early grave.

It is, in fact, a Black and Yellow Garden Spider – its formal name is Argiope aurantia. Black and Yellow Garden Spiders are harmless to humans.

Because they are large, many people fear them; however, not only are they harmless, but they do a lot of good. These spiders eat large amounts of insect pests, such as flies, mosquitoes, and aphids.

Myths and a few fatal poisonings have made many people afraid of spiders. The only dangerous spiders in the northeast, however, are the very rare black widow and brown recluse spiders.

If spiders are sending you into a tailspin –  give us a call!