Spider mites are not the same thing as Spiders and are plant pests, although the Spider Mites do make webs. They are most prolific during hot, dry weather. The link below should provide some good information that will help you determine if you have Spiders or Spider Mites.

Here is a link that might be useful: About Spider Mites

Thanks Kim. Looks like my webs are friendly. Think I'll keep them. The link was most helpful. Thanks again....

the webs are always there..

all you are noting.. this time of year.. is that the spiders have gotten bigger.. and so have the webs..

and the dewy mornings.. make them all 'show' ...

enjoy them for there own beauty ... i especially like the ones that have a vortex like tunnel... with the predator usually lurking down in there ...

i used to take a leaf of grass.. and see if i could ever so gently;.... move the web.. to make the spider come out to strike.. but does that take a steady light touch ...

ken

rhizo,

did you see the link that kim sent? It was very helpful. But my guess is that yours are like mine. The good kind.

It seems to be a late summer phenomenon, those gossamer spider "fairy blankets" everywhere. gets kinda ugly when they cover the hostas and get full of fallen leaf and tree trash tho.

Sandy

Glad I'm not the only one...tell me I'm crazy and I'll agree but ...last week I spotted a hosta leaf folded in half - I placed my hand underneath and unfolded it but came away with a sack of eggs attached by a whisp of filament that was attached to the mother spider!

I was mortified that I would harm it, so I used a stem of another leaf to "transfer" the sac AND mother to a safer location (but NOT a hosta lol)...it took minutes to accomplish this as the poor mother was probably freaking out as she scurried about, but never venturing too far from the sac. I spoke to her (yah, I know, I'm crazy) and reassured her . . . And successfully transferred both by ensuring they were attached again. I watched a few seconds to make sure all was right with mom spider and that she settled down.

The spider is little, yellow dot of a body...harmless looking, kind of cute.

I wish I had looked before I touched the leaf...I would have left it alone! When they hatch, there will be a colony of "mini-me's" which is OK with me. . . As long as they don't insist on visiting indoors, they can hang out in my garden.

No, I didn't look at kimmsr 's link because it didn't sound remotely like spider mites. I know who creates my webs. :-)

Fairy Blankets. Don't you just love that?

I do do some cleaning out of dead leaves that have collected in webs as large "mish-mash" balls. Especially in my roses. Because moisture collects and sits in all that mess and then here we go with mildew. It's hot and humid down here in Ga. And powdery mildew is just waiting to happen in these parts of our great nation...