Spiderweb Management

Hello, I’m Amanda McNulty with Clemson Extension. I despidered the windows flanking my front door about six weeks ago. I used a soft broom to gently sweep the windows clean then left the broom over the railing so the spiders could migrate to the boxwoods. Now they’re back with reinforcements, time to repeat the process. What I should do is hang hummingbird feeders as hummingbirds need protein from insects and spiders to supplement the nectar and sugar solutions they depend on for most of their calories. Anyhow, I’ve been disappointed – as I’ve had no writing spiders -- the ones that make webs with a zigzag marking called stabilimentum. It’s fun, well, for me, to poke at the web gently and see the spider shake it, warning you to leave her alone. More fun for me than cat videos.