Wondering About Webs
Photo credit: M. Jackovich Question: Every summer I get spider webs on the underside of my porch roofs. I do not see any spiders when I inspect them close-up. I use a leaf blower to get rid of them, but they reappear within a few weeks. I have a yellow porch light that remains on all night. The first freeze usually puts an end to the infestation. What are these insects and how do I prevent them from building these webs? --M. Jackovich Answer: While it is hard to identify the culprit without a good picture of the spider making these webs, we can make some educated guesses! Cobweb spiders in the family Theridiidae make somewhat messy webs like this, so they could be the culprit. When webs get covered in dust, this is a sign that the spider is no longer maintaining them, which may be why you haven’t seen any spiders on them. This family of spiders includes spiders which are harmless to humans, as well as black widows. However, black widows are rathe...