It does seem like one of those extra-spidery years at my house, too. I leave one of those long plant stakes by my door and clear my way with it in the morning when all the new webs are up or I end up with spider webs across my face. I guess on the bright side, think of all the insects they are eating! The webs sure make a mess, though- after every storm there is tree litter stuck in spider webs all along the eaves. I don't care for that part of the deal.

The ones currently conspicuous in the garden are Cross orb-weaver (Araneus diadematus). The sometimes large spiders that become more evident indoors in late summer and autumn are usually Giant house spider (Eratigena atrica). They seem to remember where they have been - last year I put a distinctively tawny colored male outside several times before it finally stopped reappearing a short time later. I had to dump it out way down by the street corner before it didn't make it back, once and for all. Quite remarkable!

Here the biggest nuisance factor may be that what I call "speck spiders" (as well as somewhat larger, also rounded ones) build webs from walls and other surfaces down to the floors inside my house and garage, apparently specifically to catch and kill the house spiders - the carcasses of which then start to pile up on the floor.

All 2-3 kinds of indoor spiders also generate cement-like poops whenever remaining in one spot for a time, which are hard to remove.

http://www.spiders.us/species/araneus-diadematus/

http://www.spiders.us/species/eratigena-atrica/

I agree, way more garden spiders this year than usual. I also leave a house with a stick to clear my paths before resuming work in my yard. Every once a while I do walk into a web and than do a silly dance to shake it all off to the amusement of resident deer watching me. I got bitten by a spider few days ago. Not painful but left me with a quarter size itchy bump on my forearm for couple of days.

thanks for the info - Ron. Will take a couple of photos and you can identify! lol The photos make great screen savers if you don't want anyone to mess with your computer. Enith, got a bite on my middle finger and have almost finished with 5 day of antibiotics for red, itchy, swollen hand with very painful cellulitis. We do try to move the web carefully out of the way - but third time in same place - whack!

Some people have gotten Lyme disease from spider bites. Especially in the PNW they have found the disease organism that causes Lyme disease in spiders, mosquitoes, and flies. Of course the most common is the deer tick another member of the arachnid family, along with spiders. If you get the typical bullseye red, clear, red after the bite, consult a doctor fast.

Especially in the PNW they have found the disease organism that causes Lyme disease in spiders, mosquitoes, and flies

!

Had no idea - will look into it - get bites all the time. Thanks for the heads up!

It was like this at my house in 2012. I remember it well, it was our first year in this house and those guys were everywhere. They had webs strung from the trees to the front walkway. If I'm thinking about it, I walk through the yard and garden waving a hand in front of my face. I probably look like a crazy person to passers-by. Not as crazy as a web across the face though, then I turn into swearing, flailing crazy person. I do try to leave them alone as much as possible though.

I hate walking thru one of their webs and getting a Spiderman mask. And then wondering if the web's maker is crawling down my neck.

The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug seems this year to be a small fraction of its presence in previous years. At least in my neighborhood. Maybe the spiders are increasing in number with this new food supply and helping to balance things out. All things considered, I'd rather have the spiders.