Meet Alberta

I believe I’ve told you about the spider that has taken up residence in the area between our kitchen window and outside screen.

I’ve decided to name her Alberta! She’s been fascinating to watch, especially since I am not overly fond of spiders, and this has given me a safe way to learn more about them.

Since she has taken up residence in our window, I have watched her net increase in size, I have marveled at how much she’s grown, and I’ve learned that spiders molt their exoskeleton like snakes do! We thought her first molting was another spider she ate, hence the female name.

For the most part, she hangs out in the one area you see in the picture, but I’ve also seen her really active after a rain, and I’ve learned where she hides when she’s startled (there’s a tunnel she can dart down toward the outside bottom corner of the space). I look forward to learning more about her, but I hope that she doesn’t have babies that swarm out of the space she’s created for herself! That would really freak me out…