BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 16, 2022
Some people believe E.B. White may have based the title character in the classic children’s book, Charlotte’s Web, on a species of orb spiders living in his Maine barn. Why real life orb spiders weave such complex patterns into their webs is a bit of a mystery. “It’s the females who spin and weave the webs, and it could be it’s designed to attract a male spider to mate,” said Kathy Murray, a state entomologist. “Of course, once they mate, she eats the male, so it’s also a way of getting some extra protein.” None of Maine’s resident spiders produce venom that is fatal to humans, but any spider is capable of biting if they are picked up and pinched or otherwise mishandled. Few people like to see spiders or cobwebs inside their homes, but in limited numbers spiders can be helpful roommates since they capture and eat other bugs.