Spiders – They Live At My House

Ok, I found this little fella hanging out on my grill this weekend as I was getting ready to cook some burgers and dogs.  I'm not exactly what you call an Arachnologist...the best terms that I could come up with were hairy, creepy, ugly, oh and did I mention creepy?  This is what I just love about summer: being introduced to new species of insects (there seems to be something new popping up all of the time).  Can you detect a hint of sarcasm here?

So I did a little research on this sucker, first by posting him on Facebook to see if any of my friends could recognize the species, and most importantly...is he poisonous?  Well, my friend Lindsay Huffman was quick to do some internet research and determined that it is called Phidippus audax, or jumping spider.

The good news, not a threat to humans....I guess unless there are a billion of them or something.  I also learned that it is not uncommon in this area, so not exotic in the least.  I also learned that it can scare the bejesus out of children and creep out concerned moms.

Have you ever found something you don't recognize hanging around your yard or garden?  If you ever want to identify an strange or unknown spider, you can check it out here.  They usually have pretty up to date info.  Sleep tight and have a great summer!