Why Northern Illinois Sees More Spiders In Fall

If you've been spending any time outside in Northern Illinois lately, you may have noticed something hanging around that wasn't nearly as noticeable a few weeks ago. Spiders. Lots and lots of spiders. I've now got at least four orb-weaving spiders living around my backyard, and I'm hearing similar stories from coworkers. And while nobody in my house is particularly freaked out by them, one of our backyard spiders has developed an annoying habit of rebuilding its enormous web directly across a path we use all the time. So why does it suddenly seem like Northern Illinois has become one giant spider web? Photo by Juan Pablo Mascanfroni on Unsplash brown spider on web in close up photography It's Because, According To Spider Schedules, That's What They Do Right Now According to University of Illinois Extension, late summer and early fall are prime time for orb-weaver spiders. These spiders are around much earlier in the year, but they've spent the spring and summer growing. By September, they're bigger, their webs are bigger and we're much more likely to notice them. Those enormous, perfectly round webs are especially impressive in the early morning when they're covered in dew. Orb-weavers typically build their webs between sturdy supports such as plants, fences, trees and other structures, essentially looking for a good location where flying insects will wander into their dinner trap. And that's another reason you may be seeing so many of them. There are plenty of insects around for them to eat. Photo by Ivan Ivanovič on Unsplash a close up of a spider on a web For Those Who Are Freaked Out By And Hate Spiders, There Are Some Positives The good news is that orb-weavers are generally considered beneficial and are not aggressive toward people. If you walk through a web, the spider is generally far more interested in getting away from you than in biting you. They're essentially free pest control with eight legs. Plus, their venom won't really hurt you, and their bite feels like a mosquito bite. So how long will our backyard spider invasion last? Probably not too much longer. Orb-weavers really prefer the warmer months, and their numbers and activity will decline as temperatures drop. We should expect to see considerably fewer of them after the first hard frosts of fall. Northern Illinois typically begins seeing its first frost around October, although the exact timing varies from year to year. Until then, watch where you're walking. There may be a spider waiting to give you a face full of free pest control.