Barn Spiders

Many people have grown up reading about Wilbur the pig and how Charlotte, a friendly barn spider, saves him from the slaughterhouse. Charlotte’s Web is written by one of the most critically acclaimed children’s story writers of all time, E.B.White, the same writer behind another classic, Stuart Little.

In the novel, Charlotte saves Wilbur by spinning a web that says something wonderful about Wilbur. Wilbur becomes famous and even wins a prize at the county fair. The book was eventually adapted into a movie in 2006 staring Dakota Fanning and Julia Roberts, who voices Charlotte the spider.

Barn spiders are brown and yellow spiders that have striped legs. They also have a marking found on the underside of their large abdomens which is usually two small white marks inside a black circle. However, the colors of their markings could vary from one spider to another. These spiders commonly reach an inch to three quarters of an inch in size, and like most orb-weaving spiders, they do not stay in one web for a long time. They take their webs down and spin a new one every night, recycling what they can from their old web. Barn spiders are nocturnal, so they hide during the day and hunt for food during the night. They usually just say in the center of their webs and wait until insects get trapped in them.

Barn spiders do not really like other barn spiders. If two barn spiders come into close contact, they become violent. They can live in one structure, but with a given distance. These spiders are known to be seen in wooden structures and rafters such as farms, sheds and barns. They are also commonly seen in boat houses near lakes. They prefer to stay in cool and dark areas that likely have a lot of small insects that they can prey on.