What the Hell are these things?

[bamabob]

Spins a huge sticky web like a spider, have never had these before this year.  Have to clean them out of the trees before I can mow.  Pretty creepy riding through a web these spin. 





Smaller than a dime, shaped like a crab, here's one in his web before I cleared it out so I could mow without being creeped out.  These webs can span 4-6 feet, spanning from one tree to the next closest object.

[hikerman]

Bob I have no idea! But I would venture to say that they must be Bugs from Hell!

[hikerman]

Hey Bob, did a little searching. These  things are crab spiders.

[bamabob]

that's what I thought also, but they don't look like this image nor do they match the description and they spin one heck of a web!
they can vary in color from white to yellowish to greenish.



BamaPat is freaking out over these things.

[GusRobin]

BamaPat is freaking out over these things.

I don't blame her, they look like something from Stephen King

[hikerman]

There must be several different types but I found one exactly like your type and one that was red and white....both labeled as crab spiders.

[bamabob]

I think I found  what you're looking at.   Listed as crab spiders in Google Images, seems logical but these do spin one heck of a web.  I hope that's what they are since the description I posted earlier has them as non-threatening to humans but non-webspinners.

[hikerman]

They look like little monsters or prehistoric.

[teesquare]

Shame their legs are not big enough to steam and dip in drawn lemon and butter....

[hikerman]

What was that old movie with Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy about little aliens that buzzed around? They look like those aliens.

[bamabob]

Ha, you're right.  Batteries not included.

Knowing they are not harmful to us or our pets is a relief.  BamaPat can rest at ease.  (I hope!)

We try not to over-react to wildlife, (including bugs & spiders).  When we first moved South we continued the Terminex insect control program the previous owners had.  After not seeing any results we discontinued it.  The following year we had fewer insects.  Started seeing a population of lizards, tree frogs, birds and other wildlife that are natural predators of the insects we were trying to control.  Balance of nature.....

a couple of years ago we saw an invasion of beetles on a crepe myrtle.  Instinctively got the insecticide and sprayed them.  Later looked them up and found that they were Soldier Beetles.  A beneficial bug that is know as "nature's toothbrush". 

[Roget]

I don't care if they are harmless. I don't want to meet up with any of those.
Creepy little buggers.

[smokeasaurus]

As soon as I build a chicken coop, we are going to get a couple of chickens. They will eat all the bugs outside and we have the kitties to handle what gets inside.

[DWard51]

Spins a huge sticky web like a spider, have never had these before this year.  Have to clean them out of the trees before I can mow.  Pretty creepy riding through a web these spin. 

His back looks like the hockey mask Jason wears in the movies......  Two eye holes, 2 nose holes, and 6 holes for the mouth.  And we know how those movies ended, just saying...

[tlg4942]

Bob,
Did you just move to the south? Those are here every year although I' ve only seen them in yellow.
They are pretty much in the same panic as us when they "catch you" on your mower. It's a fairly dangerous moment for the whole neighborhood .