December 09th, 2021

Persistence can be an admirable quality.  We've all heard the stories about determined people who, even in the face of brutal adversity, refuse to give up and ultimately succeed.  The stories of  soldiers, explorers, firefighters and other hero's who defy the odds inspire us.   Bearing all that in mind, I should be impressed by the creator of the web whose picture I present to you here.

Perhaps you recall the story about the wasp situation that we sometimes have here? I'll nutshell it for you.  On the back of the house, these crazy wasps keep trying to build a nest in the exact same spot.  I knock it down and spray, they build it back. Over and over and over.  I would say that it's a familiar little song and dance except that I actually enjoy singing and dancing but I do not enjoy knocking down a wasp nest.

There is the obvious reason of course, I do not want to be stung.  Wasp stings are especially nasty.  But also, it kind of breaks my heart to destroy someone's little home. They worked so hard on it!  I honestly do not think that they are aware that they are inconveniencing us (nor do they care). It's a safety thing.  If we cannot safely use our back door without risking wasp stings, then the nest has to go.  And so it did, over and over, rinse and repeat.  Until we started the house project.  I haven't seen a single wasp in the backyard since.  Kind of an extreme solution but I'm ok with it.

This is the same sort of situation only with a spider. And frankly, I like spiders better than wasps.

​This spidey has chosen the courtyard walls in front of the house to build her web.  It's quite elaborate and impressive in size stretching from one of the entry posts to the wall with all sorts of strings and loops and designs back and forth, up and down, around and around.  covered with morning dew it's actually kind of pretty:

The architecture is elaborate and impressive both but it makes the entrance of our house look more like a haunted house than a cozy welcoming home.  Which is why, earlier this week I was outside with a broom, gently tearing down all of her hard work, I apologized throughout the destruction.  I even made suggestions of other places that might work just as well (or even better) for her web and be more acceptable to our lifestyle, which is largely spider free.

This is not the first time I tried to relocate this particular spider.  Her first, equally impressive, web was by the front door.  Overnight, she created this incredible web which stretched between the actually door and the light fixture beside the door.  Any time someone came in or out they had to do battle with web strands and, for some folks, the fear of a spider dropping down on them  unexpectedly was more than they could bear. So the broom and I got to work and I strongly suggested that she build her home elsewhere.  Obviously I was not specific enough because while yes, the web was moved, it was still not in a good place.

She must has seen the wisdom in moving to a new spot because I only had to tear down the web by the front door one time.  Her new favourite spot by the courtyard entrance has now been swept away twice.  It may help to deter unwanted guests and honestly it was very in keeping with the season during Halloween, but I really do not want that web to be everyone's first impression of our home.  

My relo suggestions to her (as I ruthlessly destroyed her web) were valid,  a nearby tree or shrub was one reasonable idea.  I wouldn't even mind quite as much if her web was at that far back or distant corner of the courtyard.  Just not center stage.    While I am only a little squeamish about killing a wasp - they are after all nasty tempered creatures  - spiders capture and devour insects that I would rather not have around anyway so her existence is not the objection.  It's all about placement.  

I do not know what sort of spider she is and in truth I've never seen her, only her handiwork.   It's like magic.  We go to bed at night web-free and wake up in the morning to this amazing creation.  I wish there was some sort of human/spider communication system.  I feel terrible every time I destroy her web and I cannot help but be impressed by her choice to turn around and rebuild it every single time.      Clearly we are equally determined.  She wants to be there just as much as I do not want her to.  It's a standoff.  I guess we will see which one of us blinks first.

Poor little spider, just living her little spider life and along comes a giant with a broom to destory it.  To her I must be like Godzilla!  Uhoh,  does anyone remember how Godzilla was defeated?  


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