The Bernalwood Intelligence Agency noted the invasion preparations underway back in May, and just as predicted, the Arachnid Forces have now established a beachhead in Bernal Heights.
Neighbor Brent reports from the front lines on Prentiss Street, where a platoon of Cross Orbweavers has taken up positions:
I don’t know if they ever went away, but the spiders are back, and they’ve shown up in my backyard as of a couple of days ago. These two have had their webs up for over two days. I haven’t disturbed them — let them eat all the flies they want!
PHOTOS: Neighbor Brent
Bernalwood 
They’ve been in my backyard in Noe for over 2 weeks now… is the invasion coming from the Sunset???
Important information gained from studying the hundreds of these creatures in my backyard: If you walk straight into a web, the spiders tend to run to the side (where the web is attached) and don’t generally end up in one’s hair. I became a lot more comfortable with them once I figured that out. I probably walk into a web once a day or so.
I am so glad to know this! I cant tell you how many webs i have walked into this week while on my hikes around the rock. I had envisioned them embedding in my hair and starting a new home! I am so relieved! Thank you!!
I discovered them when I nearly walked through one of their webs. The doorway to my backyard always seems to have a spiderweb in the upper corner, so I’ve conditioned myself to look for/avoid that one, but these particular webs are spanning quite a distance between my palm tree and the fence.
I rode through a web on my bike commute to Caltrain. As I was riding in heavy traffic on Bayshore, I saw his legs creeping over my sunglasses. Fun.
The orb weavers have been in my yard for a long time now. And they are bigger this year than ever before. A friend pointed out that more food = bigger spiders, and sure enough, the new puppy pooping in the yard makes flies which the spiders eat. So this year i want to propose a spider contest, who has the biggest?! Take a pic with a ruler next to your largest specimen.
This would be a nice way of dealing with the stress of them covering every open surface. We have chicken poop in the yard. So, we had a summer of constant flies and now pet-sized spiders.
A spider-growing contest is not a bad idea. Back when I was living in Oakland, we found a sturdy specimen and started feeding him cabbage loopers (by throwing them onto his web). BOY did he end up a giant!
The orb weavers are definitely a source of never-ending excitement! Huge examples here on Mullen.
Our own backyard ‘Charlotte’ was overheard muttering “All you base are belong to us.” Its now a day later and we can’t find the dog–I’m really getting spooked.
OMG. You didnt just!! lollol!!
Does anyone know the name of this type of spider?
I second the request on the type of spider. I have one of these guys in my yard now (well, one that I know of) and he’s *massive*.
It’s in the post above: These giants are Cross Orbweavers: http://www.spiders.us/species/araneus-diadematus/.
I lived in Bernal from 1999-2004, then Noe for a while, now back in Bernal. I don’t remember these spiders in Bernal years ago. They started showing up about two years ago in Noe and now of course there are tons of them in Bernal. Is my memory faulty or are these spiders a more recent phenomenon?
I’ve been on Peralta 15 years, and I can’t remember not seeing them.