Okay, here’s my attempt at sharing my spider-wrangling adventures in northern Colorado, blog-style:
My Northern Colorado Spider Saga
Alright folks, so I’ve been messing around with spiders up here in northern Colorado for a bit, and thought I’d share what I’ve been up to. It all started with my garden, actually.
It began with an itch (literally). I was out weeding my tomatoes, and BAM! Felt a little sting on my arm. Didn’t see what got me, but I figured it was probably a spider. We get tons of ’em around here. That got me thinking…what kind of spiders are hanging out in my backyard, anyway?
- First thing I did: Observation. I started just paying attention. Morning, noon, and night, I’d wander around the yard, peering into bushes, under rocks, you name it. I took a bunch of blurry photos with my phone (I’m no photographer, that’s for sure).
- Next up: the ID hunt. Those blurry photos? Useless. So, I started trying to get better pics. I bought one of those cheap macro lenses that clip onto your phone. Helped a little. Then I started using Google Lens. It gave me some ideas, but it wasn’t always spot on.
Hit a wall. Needed help. I was getting names like “some kind of wolf spider” or “maybe a jumping spider?” Not exactly scientific, right? So I decided to dive a little deeper.
Time to get serious. I figured out the local university has an entomology department. I found their website and they actually had a section on common Colorado spiders! Jackpot!
- Cross-referencing. I spent an evening comparing my terrible photos to the pictures on the university site. I started recognizing some patterns. The orb weavers were pretty easy, with their big, round webs. The jumping spiders were cool because they were always so…jumpy!
- The tricky ones. Some were a real pain to identify. There were a few little brown spiders that all looked the same to me. I’m still not 100% sure what they are, honestly. Probably some kind of ground spider or something.
Building a Spider “Field Guide” (sort of). I made a simple spreadsheet with the spiders I thought I’d identified, plus notes on where I usually found them, what their webs looked like (if they made webs), and when I saw them. It’s super basic, but it’s helped me keep track of things.
What I’ve learned: We’ve got a bunch of orb weavers (Araneus genus, I think), some wolf spiders chilling near the ground, and a whole lotta jumping spiders (they’re my favorites, they’re so curious!). Oh, and I think I saw a black widow once, but I didn’t stick around to confirm. Nope. No way.
Future plans? I’m thinking about trying to get really good photos, maybe even getting a decent camera. And I want to learn more about what the spiders are eating in my garden. Are they helping keep the bad bugs away? I hope so! Anyway, that’s my spider story so far. It’s been a fun little project, and I’m learning a ton about the creepy crawlies in my backyard.
One last thing: I’m not an expert! So, if you see me misidentifying something, let me know! Always happy to learn more.
