Garden spider - Ask Extension
Hi. This spider made a home in our garden, is it poisonous? What kind is it?
Knowledgebase
Garden spider #852403
Asked October 06, 2023, 3:06 PM EDT
Hi. This spider made a home in our garden, is it poisonous? What kind is it?
Trumbull County Ohio
Expert Response
Hi,
Your spider appears to be a very common black and yellow garden spider, although the upper legs could more usually be a shade between yellow and dark brown. They are considered beneficial for gardens. Their venom is toxic to insect prey but they are considered relatively harmless to humans if they bite. They are shown is spider #8 on the linked Ohio spider guide which has more information: https://birdwatchinghq.com/common-spiders-in-ohio/. They are also on page 21 of the ODNR field guide, although the pictures are not good: https://ohiodnr.gov/static/documents/wildlife/backyard-wildlife/Common%20Spiders%20of%20Ohio%20Field%20Guide%20pub5140.pdf. There is great variation between the many pictures of them I search.
Thank you for your question.
Your spider appears to be a very common black and yellow garden spider, although the upper legs could more usually be a shade between yellow and dark brown. They are considered beneficial for gardens. Their venom is toxic to insect prey but they are considered relatively harmless to humans if they bite. They are shown is spider #8 on the linked Ohio spider guide which has more information: https://birdwatchinghq.com/common-spiders-in-ohio/. They are also on page 21 of the ODNR field guide, although the pictures are not good: https://ohiodnr.gov/static/documents/wildlife/backyard-wildlife/Common%20Spiders%20of%20Ohio%20Field%20Guide%20pub5140.pdf. There is great variation between the many pictures of them I search.
Thank you for your question.
