Memories of 'Spider Balls' - What were they?

[Draggletail]

When I was little we used to have a drystone wall at the bottom of the garden, we used to have hours of fun playing there

 

Because of the amount of cobwebs, us kids used to refer to it as 'The Cobweb Wall'

 

Anyway, occasionally, in one of the webs there would be a rough dark coloured ball about the size of a marble, and if touched it would erupt into what seemed like hundreds of tiny little spiders (maybe a a millimeter or two across) running all over the place because they'd been disturbed.

 

I can't ever remember seeing any of these anywhere else, and certainly haven't seen any since childhood.

 

Can anyone tell me what they were?

[Guest]

Egg sacs, and freshly minted hatchlings. Don't click if you're an arachnophobe!

[AJ sheffield]

When I was little we used to have a drystone wall at the bottom of the garden, we used to have hours of fun playing there

 

Because of the amount of cobwebs, us kids used to refer to it as 'The Cobweb Wall'

 

Anyway, occasionally, in one of the webs there would be a rough dark coloured ball about the size of a marble, and if touched it would erupt into what seemed like hundreds of tiny little spiders (maybe a a millimeter or two across) running all over the place because they'd been disturbed.

 

I can't ever remember seeing any of these anywhere else, and certainly haven't seen any since childhood.

 

Can anyone tell me what they were?

 

I once had one in the gap between the sliding shade and the glass sunroof in my old car. I opened it just as I got to the end of the road and hundreds of tiny spiders fell onto my head. I think they were those garden orb weavers that grow big that you see all over the place in summer.

[Draggletail]

Egg sacs, and freshly minted hatchlings. Don't click if you're an arachnophobe!

Result!

Thanks Hecate

 

I once had one in the gap between the sliding shade and the glass sunroof in my old car. I opened it just as I got to the end of the road and hundreds of tiny spiders fell onto my head. I think they were those garden orb weavers that grow big that you see all over the place in summer.

 

Ah, bless them

Just looked up Garden Orb Weaver on Google and they're the ones I always think of as 'Garden Spiders'

Nice markings and quite 'pretty' - wouldn't appreciate one down the back of my neck though

[MonkeyLover]

I once had one in the gap between the sliding shade and the glass sunroof in my old car. I opened it just as I got to the end of the road and hundreds of tiny spiders fell onto my head. I think they were those garden orb weavers that grow big that you see all over the place in summer.

 

OMG!!!!!

 

I would have DIED!

[boyfriday]

Egg sacs, and freshly minted hatchlings. Don't click if you're an arachnophobe!

 

I'll not be going there...unless armed with a flame thrower!

[Guest]

...I opened it just as I got to the end of the road and hundreds of tiny spiders fell onto my head. ...

Lovely image. Hoped you checked all your orifices; those things like to nest .

Result!

Thanks Hecate

Welcome.

I'll not be going there...unless armed with a flame thrower!

Don't do that! You'll make them angry! <--- Most definitely not for the arachnophobic.

[boyfriday]

Don't do that! You'll make them angry! <--- Most definitely not for the arachnophobic.

 

At least you offer a warning which is better than neeeeeeek did the other night